Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-05-22

PhiIade|ph Tells Of Insults
to Women and Flag,
BURN 0LO GLORY IN Street
Party of Eighteen Lined Up by Sol
diers and Forced to Witness Desre-
dation of Flag.

~
dation of Flag.
Tales of insults to American women,
degredationS TO the American nag ana
threats of death to citizens OF the
United States in Mexico were brought
to Philadelphia by Michael j. Slattery,
when he reached the home of his fatn-
er-in-law, Thomas Mcfarland, with his
wife and two young sons, after a flight
from Gualalajara, Mexico.
Mr.. Siattery has been in Mexico for
twelve years, developing a large min
ing property. 1t was on April ~, ne
said, that the American consul at Qua
dalajara called the Americans together
there and told them that Secretary
Bryan had advised all Americans to
leave Mexico.
"One of the richest merchants in
Guadalajara tore the United States
coat of arms from its place above the
door of the American consulate. He
fastened rope to the emblem, and,
mounting his horse, dashed across the
plaza of the city, dragging the batter
ed insignia of this nation at his horses
heels. The crowds cheered and ap-
plauded wildly.
"At Colima we learned that he had
forty-eight hours to leave the country.
We paid $3.50 for special train to the
coast, and reached Manzanillo on
Thursday. There we found the Amer
lean consulate deserted. The consul
had taken refuge on German steam
ship, but General Revere, the COVER
nor of Manzanillo, refused to let us
follow. But there bribe worked,
too. Eleven hundred dollars was fur
nished before the general found that
he had the necessary authority to let
us go.
"We started for the wharf. There
the women and children were sent OFF,
but we were detained and robbed.
When all but eighteen of us men had
gone there was a report that an
American warship was coming up the
harbor. Then we~were marched over
to the railroad station. General Reverb
told us that il the warship anchored
in the harbor he would shoot us.
"We eighteen men were lined up IN
a semi-circle. Four hundred troopers
with guns leveled at us stood at our
backs. Several of Rivera's aides then
brought out three big American flags,
which they had torn from the walls of
the consulate few minutes before.
"The flags were spread upon the
ground, and then dozen mounted
soldiers rode across them at furious
pace, splitting violently upon them and
otherwise desecrating them. We had
to see it. If one of lis dared to close
his eyes ready young ofricer prlcked
US with his sword point.
"Then the three flags were clustered
in a heap. An officer set match to
the pile and they burned quickly. Then
the same officer stopped and gathered
up a handful of the ashes.
"He walked over to me and threw
them in my face, laughing. At the
same time he said:
1--WE have spat in your face and
we have insulted your women. What
have we got to do now to make you
cowardly Yankees fight"
"The point of two guns at my shoul-
der blades reminded me that II dared
resent the insult my finish and the
finish of my seventeen comrades
xro,,l5 ba cuyift and certain.
Most Mexicans have this impress
sion of cowardice on the part OF the
United States. The newspapers freely
publish tales of American losses, the
invasion of the United States, the cap
ture of New Orleans, battleships Silk
with all on board. Such lies as tae5e
are spread in big headlines over the
front pages. They believe we fear to
fight them, and this impression is fos'