The daily sentinel., 1913-06-04

prove interesting reading for all.
The letter follows:
+ + +
oaXacaquena, Isthmus of Tehuante-
pee, Mexico, March 2, 1913.
My Dear Aunt:
IL is 6 o'clock am. and barely
enough daylight to see to write.
have been trying ever since we ar
rived on the isthmus to write and
tell you "how it happened" The
heat has been so great and there has
been SO much to do since mammals
return that she has not been able to
write. Then, too, none of us have
been in very flourishing health since
the war. During the siege in the
city the folks here on the plantation
were very much worried with no
word from us there. We were unable
to get a telegram south at the time
we cabled you.
To begin with the story: Mamma
arrived in the city, in response to
telegram from Mr. Laborde, on the
4th of February. She found me very
i'll and my husband worn out from
being up nights with me. The next
day and the following night | was so
much worse that we decided to
|NAldhSt ubNlbA W Z oNHL lbT III =
Griffin, and he ordered a trained
nurse at once, and reversed the treat
ment of the former doctor. 1t was
a case of bronchitis which was rapid
/ ly developing into pneumonia and
rheumatic fever, and my heart, never
very strong in this altitude, seemed
to be giving out. Under new treat
ment | grew very much better, and
was expecting to leave for the 18TH
mus about the 10th.
On Sunday morning, February 9,
we heard what | supposed to be nu-
merous bunches of firecrackers going
off Soon the maid came in, pale
with fright, and said there had been
a terrible slaughter at San Juan
market Git was really at the National
palace, When the doctor came. he
was furious that | had been told, as
he did not want me to know of it.
However, half an hour later the fir
ing recommended at the citadel
within three blocks of our house, so
that | could not have been kept in
ignorance of what was happening.
At noon Mr. l.. told what we con-
sidered to be wild rumors of Diaz
and Reyes entering the city at the
head of an army, and that General
Reyes had been killed. The doctor
had said that he feared the revolt
was going to be serious. He had
been through the zocalo and had seen
the damage done to buildings and the
dead bodies in front of the palace.
He had also seen Madero, with very
small body-guard, ride on horseback
down San Francisco street, through
the zocalo to the National palace,
where, after entering the palace, he
Immediately re-appeared at one of
the windows. He was greeted by
cheers for his bravery. Late in the
afternoon there was another brisk
skirmish in our neighborhood be-
tween the Ciudadela and Belem pris-
on.
Monday the strain was great; no.
thing happened and everything Was
so uncertain. Mr.. l.. went down town
in the morning, and could hardly
pass the federal (Madersta) troops
lined up on all the streets from the
Alameda to the National palace. Evil
1 IDENTIFY they were hourly expecting an
attack from DiaZ and his troops. On
Monday afternoon Mr. L. did not at
tempt to go down to business, as the
Ciudad de Londres was so near the
palace they had been advised to aban-
don 1t on account of the danger.
However, when the Citadel was at
tackled, the boys who lived in the Ciu-
dad de Londres remained in the store,
as the fighting was distant.
Home for Fort.
Tuesday morning the firing began,
very suddenly for us, by rapid-fir-
ing gun on top of OUR HOUSE. With
the exception of short intervals. it
kept up until $50 pm. All that
day we stayed in the hall, as that
was protected by rooms on every
side. For over two years we had
kept ourselves constantly prepared
for a siege; but for the last two
months we had decided that the Ia
patistas were too cowardly to attack
the city, so had allowed our supplies
to run short. However, as soon as
the cook learned there was trouble,
she went out and bought a good sup
ply of food, and attempted to go
down town to buy groceries, but the
soldiers would not let her pass; so
she did the best she could at little
Snanish store near by. But, alas,
there was no place she could buy
charcoal for cooking. We had
enough for a few days and hoped
that-would suffice.
Tuesday the electric wires were cut,
and as our water comes from an ar
tesian well, operated by an electric
pump, we were without water in the
house. and, of course, could not use
cur electric heater. We learned, to
our dismay, that the place from
which we used to get water, in the
court, had been covered up since the
new waterworks had been installed.
There was but one thing to do-go
TO the corner of Balderas and Vic
tcria streets for water 1t was one
Of the most exposed corners in the
city. as the guns of the Citadel were
Ipoiuted straight UP Balderas toward
Avenida Jaurez and the Maderista
guns down Balderas towards the CIT
adel. not to mention those on VIC
toria street. The dead bodies of the