Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-27
REFUGEES RELATE
NARROWING TALES
Destitute Arrivals at Galveston
Tell of Narrow Escapes
for Life.

GALVESTON, Texas, April d.
today brought fresh stories of sud
sdeD flight, of privation and insult to
the American flag. Many of the refu-
fgees were nearly destitute, with chill
dren on their hands.
DIR. p. G.. Opperman, formerly of
Cleveland, o., a Dixie refugee, said
he escaped violence at eMXican hands
= in the Tampico municipal building
Tuesday, after the Vera Cruz fight
news was posted, by passing himself
eff as n German. e. +. Sessions. of
Florence, S. c., a Dixie passenger,
seid he brought twenty-one women
and children down the Panuco river
to Tampico Tuesday from Topila, an
oil camp, until the Mexican govern
mcnt boat Vera Cruz stopped him
and sent him back under threats of
Smelling his boat and passengers. He
retired and returned flying a German
flag. whereupon he was allowed to
pass.
Raised Old Confederate Flag.
When the excitement of Mexicans
at Tampico over the fighting at Vera
Cruz was so high that the raising of
an American flag imperiled its owner.
Mrs Dr. Samuel Holt Hodgson, for
merly of Scottsboro. Ala, raised a
Confederate flag. She is the daugh-
ter-in-laW of the late Colonel Joseph
Hodgson, who was editor of the Mo-
bile Register.
Leo Freshman, a Tampico business
man for many years, saved about
one-tenth of his money, in the form
of checks. by slowing them into a
gunnysack with his books and papers
and IS in cash Wednesday and run
ming to the German boat with the
sack over his shoulder. Many pas
sengers on the Esperanza, the Dixie
and the other ships were unable today
to notify their relatives of their safe
arrival, because they did not have the
price of word telegram.
c. 2. Smith, for many years a resi-
dent OF Tampico, and owner of a
plantation near by, said that he and
his wife were arrested Tuesday while
trying to leave Tampico and detained
by a Federal lieutenant, who, Smith
said, called them vile names, adding.
All you Americans are robbers"
They finally were released. Smith said
Dr. L. G. Brown, of San Antonio. had
been arrested by Federals recently.
accused of firing into Federal ranks
and of harboring a large quantity of
Norman Lind, son OF John Lind,
was among the passengers on the
battleship Connecticut. He had gone
from Vera Cruz to Tampico, arriving
there about the time the rloting be-
gan.
Some OF the Dixie's passengers
wrote long protest to Senator Pitt /
man, of Nevada, declaring that Ad-
miral Mayo should have been per !
mitted TO protect Americans" at
Tampieo who were threatened. ae- |
cording to oil men. among todays |
refugees. II. w. Warren, superin- |
tendent of the Waters-Pierce plant at |
Tampico, an arrival said the Waters |
Pierce plant, which had been damaged |
by shells during the battle between !
rebels and Federals. just had been !
repaired when the departure of Amer |
lean men-of-war and the Very Cruz
fight precipitated a rush of Mexican
employees demanding their money and
threatening Americans. They were
paid off and the plant closed down.
& big oil well of the Huastica Oil
Company running $4,000 barrels
hay, was reported abandoned.