The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-06-05
0May Loot Mexico City and Worsew
az W. X. oU ReoRoUeH,
he Daily Times staff Photographed
and Correspondent in Vera Cruz.


The Daily Times staff Photographed
and Correspondent in Vera Cruz.
VERA CRUZ, Mex, June 5.-"lf Ia
pata taxes Mexico city, there will be
hell and worse"
SO said Huerta's peace conference
envoys 10 United States Consul Can,
ada as they passed through.
WORSE" is correct II hall the
stories / hear about the sullen, saw
age Zapata are true.
THE Tiger OF Ayal8'''
That is what the Mexican poems
call this man who is SO near Mexico
City that his desperate crew can al
most shoot into il.
The Attila OF the South" That's
the name he is given in the drawing
rooms OF Mexico City.
Emiliano Zapata Is the bloodiest
bandit OF modern times. II he cap
lures Mexico City, which the United
States fears, ne will undoubtedly loot
At.
But II he stops at footing. human
ity may rejoice,
II has been his ambition for a long
time TO capture the capital city lie
said he would personally hang Huerta
on sight and declare himself pfesl-
dent.
He has promised reforms 20 the
poems TO include destruction OF all
railroads. return OF the lands, ana eK-
clusion OF all foreigners from Mexico
Which OF his two nicknames hts
Zapata best? Is he 10 be compared
TO a fierce, sullen, unintelliBent brute,
or 10 Attila the great general ana
leader OF the Huns against anclent
Rome?
He partakes OF many OF the traits
OF both. Zapata is morose, savage
moody and yengeful. Yet he Is IN
doubtedly an excellent general and
strong leader. His power over MS
bandit force, however, comes rather
from his pitiless brutality than from
qualities OF leadership, His men fear
him-they do not love him.
Among Zapata's countless murders
may be mentioned his deliberate XIII
ing, at several different times, OF SIX
Mexican newspaper men who came 10
interview him. His fayorite methoa
OF removing them from this world |
was TO blow up the train on when |
they were returning TO Mexico CITY |
The process resulted in rather |
heavy loss OF life among disinterested |
passengers but Zapata never consld.
cred this an absolute waste, Tor could |
not he obtain valuable loot from their |
bodies?
Zapatas fingers are laden with dia-
mond rings; his sombrero, his jacket
hts guns, his boots, all are heavily en-
crusted with gold and silver. Evident
" he has made his chosen profession
pay.
The story of his entrance into ban
dithood is dramatic. II Is also plural
for about this gloomy barbarian
there have grown up a multitude OF
conflicting legends. The most reliable
account OF his life is perhaps his own,
as told TO a newspaper man recently
But this does not necessarily follow
for 10 Zapata truthfulness is an un-
known quantity
His story is that he was small
landowner in the village OF Ayala.
Under Diaz his lands were conhscat-
ed, and he was reduced TO peonage, |
later being sent into exile. On his |
return he killed the man who had
caused his punishment. Then, dis
guised as a peddler OF small wares,
he travelled about through all the
south OF Mexico, secretly fomenting
rebellion among the thousands OF
poems who like himself had been bru'
tally dispossessed OF their lands.
In 1910 he raised the standard or |
revolt--and has held II high ever