The Hartford republican., 1913-08-29
AMERICANS ESCAPE
MEXICAN BRIGANDS
Thirty-Four Refugees Ar
rive at New Orleans.
Homes Are Looted, Women Mis-
treated and Men
Tortured.


coming unwilling to submit longer
70 indiscriminate brigandage anu in
suits, thirty -four Americans and two
French citizens. many OF them hav-
ing lost everything they possessed
In the unheaval In Mexico for the
last two years, have just arrived In
New Orleans on the Hamburg-Am-
erican Line steamship Spreeland
from Tampico.
The fight OF this band merely Is
part OF a general exodus of Americ-
ans which Ia being made upon the
advice OF American consuls through
out Mexico, the refugees said. An
other band Of 100 American citizens
who left Tampico about the same
time have been landed at Galveston.
Among the refugees arriving here
are seven families from the La Bolsa
colony. on the Panuco River. sixty
miles from Tamplco. who had been
reduced TO such straits by the re-
peated looting of their farms and the
robbery of their homes by rowing
bandits that the money for their pas
sage TO this country had to be an
vanced by the American consul at
Tampico. They presented pitifui
spectacle as they filed down the gang
, plank with the little baggage they had
been able to gather when they left
their homes behind them.
Other passengers were principally
mining engineers and superintend'
ants. Oil men and labOrers from Ma
Lehuala. Tampuijo, Potrero and Other
points in the State of San Luis Po-
tosi. All left because they were un-
able to endure llonger the unceasine
Ieyies OF rowing Zapatista forces and
because they feared the probable
consequences OF an anti-Americar
agitation that, is liable to sweer
Mexico at any time.
"Tampbco just at present Is the
most peaceful spot In Mexico said
J. X. Porter of Los Angeles, heaf
of the Tampmjo a camp Of the Pier
son Syndicate, near Potrero de
IIano, who Is returning to his home
1.-The presence Of two American BATH
sships In the harbor has had q salu
tary effect upon the area which Cal
be covered by their guns, and l be
lieye our citizens are perfectly saf'
there. But a little farther In the in
terror, law and order is argely
myth, the country Is at the mercy o
Zapatistas. In banks of from twent!
10 several hundred. these bandits vii
come down from the mountains. Pill
lage camps and settlements, carr.
.aaay an money. firearms and ammu
milton In sight. and any native wo
man on W ON they can lay thei
hands.
"Rich Mexicans. Americans an
foreigners all are subject to thei
Jnslaughds. / know OF several In
stances TO the most revolving na&ur
where American women caught Il
lSOlattQ h"'S
jected to the most narrowing atrocl
ties within sight of their men. An
move on the part OF the latter WOW
have resulted In their instant deaf
and the women merely would hav
been carried away to suffer a III
worse than death.
"The Pierson interests have bee
heavy losers at the hands OF zaps
tists," MIR. Porter said. Only tw
sweeks ago three of their oil camp
we're seized, and under threats OF se'
ting fire to the oil wells bandit
made employees open, the company
strong boxes for them. Over 5oe
pesos were obtained. large numbt
of Mexican women were taken ava
and the workers GROUND the cam
were robbed Of firearms and all u
clothing the robbers could seize.'