Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-20

will be executed, but that 1t may not &C
cur before the entrance OF the Zapat'
forces. which might precipitate more Sc
rious trouble.
Tho Brazilian minister, Secretary Bry
an announced, reported conditions quie
in Mexico City. and stated that arrange
ments had been made to send specia
train with 2OG refugees from the capita
tonight for Puerto Mexico
Government officials still await wore
of the fate Of Samuel Parks, the Amer
can infantryman who strayed INTO TN
Mexican lines outside Vera Cruz and wa
reported to have oeen executed. Nigor
GUS REPRESENTATIONS had been made u
Huerta who had promised to lnvesugat'
the Parks case and fix the blame for MI
reported death. The horses which dsap
peared through the Mexican lines neal
Vera Cruz with the American soldier
: were mysteriously returned to the Ameri
can lines.
Reports Regarding Fate OF Parks.
Brig. Cen Funston. at Vera Cruz, con-
arming the report of the return OF the
two horses taken through the Mexican
federal lines by Private Parks. said the
note brought by the Mexican messenger
made no mention of the fate of the
young <infantryman.
Secretary Garrison was informed by
telegraph this morning that Capt Percy
Willis, of the Coast Artillery Corps, at
Key West. had obtained an affidavit
from A. W. Bland, lately arrived from
Vera Cruz. bearing on the Parks case.
Bland swears that he saw man who
said he saw Parks dead body and who
declared that the young infantryman
was shot and that the corpse was de-
stroyed.
This is the substance of the reports
made to Washington both by the Bra
lillian minister and Gen. Funston. neither
of whom has yet seen a witness who &C
tually had seen Parks dead body or who
knew from tirst-hand knowledge that the
American soldier had been done away
with.
The State Department also awaited the
result of representations made to the
Mexican foreign Office over the reported
detention of ten members of the Smith
family at Tonala, Chiapas. Diplomatic
efforts to secure definite reports are being
pressed.
The State Department, in response to
an urgent message, received a report from
the Brazilian minister i'll Mexico CITY
stating that representations had been
made to the Mexican foreign office several
times concerning the Smiths. and that
the Brizilian minister had urged the Brit
ish consul at ChiapaS to use his good
offices to secure the release of the Ameri-
cans. Broken railroad communication
between Mexico City and Saltillo was &C
cepted as the reason for the failure 10
hear from Silliman. although the arrival
d
Potosi without him caused disappoint-
ment.
Refugees From Yusatan.
Arrival of the steamer Tampico at
Vera Cruz with 10 refugees from the
Yucatan coast was reported to the Navy
Department in a dispatch from Rear Ad-
nairal Badger. The admiral also an
nounced the return of the American tug
Ontario from the vicinity of the Naulta
river after a futile effort to get an Eng
lish refugee named Jenkins A Mexican
official took ashore a letter for jenkins,
but no answer came, and after waiting
a day off shore the Ontario left
Secretary Bryan explained exactly what
the status of DIR. Edward W. Ryan OF
Scranton. Pa, was at the time he was
thrown into jail by the federal au1 hH3rs
a spy. DR.. Ryan was authorized oy
Charge Nelson OtShaughnessy to go to
Torreon and render medical assistance
to refugees. He was not commissioned to
collect information for the State Depart
nent and was not connected with the
Red Cross.
DR.. Ryan and Mr.. o'Shaughnessy called
at the White House yesterday and had a
long talk with Secretary Tumulty, but
did not see the President
Dr. Ryan lived in Mexico for eighteen
months and was sent twice to Torreon
by the American embassy at Mexico City
to administer to the persons who were
suffering in the besieged city.
Menace of Typhoid Fever.
At present he says the prevention OF
the spread of typhoid fever in Mexico
Is the greatest problem the health author
tiles are facing. Vera Cruz has been
thoroughly cleaned up under the direction
Of the army and Is probably more health
full than ever before in its history. He
pointed out however, that there are now
about 1900 persons In Vera Cruz, which
normally has probably only 10000 In
fabitants. Consequently the town Is IN
a badly congested state and Immediate
steps will be taken to scatter the persons
who have no fixed home in Vera Cruz.
Prof G. W. Caviness, who, for many
years, was superintendent Of the Seventh
Day Adventist missionary forces in Mex
leo, arrived in Takoma Park yesterday,
having left Mexico several days ago. He
said that he and his forces LEFT In
response to the request Of the United
States government They had not been
molested nor threatened by the natives.
Prof Caviness said that one of the priests
Of that country offered the Adventist mis-
sionaries the hospitality Of his home II
any danger to their lives threatened them
The UNCONVENTIONAL work in Mexico
was left in the hands of the native be-
levers. Prof Caviness will stop at the
T., College during