The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-05-21
AMERICANS At TAMP|CO
WITHOUT PROTECTION
ISSUE STATEMENT BITTERLY De.
NoUNcING ATTITUDE OF
THE ADMINISTRATION.

American Itlu6CCo mum AoAAPAS"
are in no pleasant frame of mind to-
ward the administration at Washing
ton if one may judge from statements
they are sending to their friends In
this country S. L. Theetge, formerly
of Boise, Is one of the Tampico sf-
ferers Writing to his friend, F. A.
Tollman Of that city, Mr.. Theetge in
closes a statement prepared by the
refugees and setting forth their ex-
periences in getting out OF the MeAi-
can city. Here are the facts as SET
forth in this statement:
Whom Battle RACES.
During the battle between feder-
ais and rebels, which ragged in the sub
urbs of Tampico from April 6 to II,
during which much American prop
erty was destroyed and Americans
driven from their homes and occupa-
lions, bitter feeling on the part of the
Mexicans toward Americans, whom
they curiously blame for all Of Mex
ico's troubles during the past three
years, became SO intense after the
battle that many Americans with all
kinds of business in the surrounding
country considered 1t unsafe to move
beyond the outskirts Of Tampico and
could only do so on special passes
;,,,o1 by Coyarnnr 70 UoSo which
allowed them to pass the three federal
gunboats anchored in the Paunce
river, as most Of the traffic for 100
miles in the vicinity of Tampico Is
handled on rivers. The railroads have
been abandoned for months.
1.-The bitterness in TampicO became
general and nearly to the extent Of
viciousness, the Americans keeping as
Closely as possible to their h omes and
places of business with se'e reliance
and confidence in themelves and that
of our flag to protect their lives and
property wherever they might be.
Ships Go to Sea.
"At nearly the height of this dam
ecrous crisis and through somebody's
stupidity, the flagship Dolphin. cruiser
Chester and gunboat D.,Moines, in
line harbor and already stripped for
action raised anchor at 8 a. M, April
81, and sailed TRANQUILITY out to sra,
lean protection in Tampico, and with
them went from the breasts Of 1000
Americans, men, women and children
' who witnessed 1t, the last hope, admir-
alton and pride in their American cit
izenship and the American flag
1.-THE removal Of these vessels and
this protection at this crisis of ex-
treme danger and exposure to the
mercy of population who have only
thin crust of civilization, little rea-
son and no morals, was little short OF
an administrative and naval crime On
the Americans who were left behind
it had the effect of a funeral process.
sion, which might be followed by
many others before the day was done
mo explanation for the Withdrawal
of the fleet was offered. none as tt
whether it would ever return. 1t wa.
still lying TRANQUILITY at anchor on the
high seas on April "a. apparently
waiting for the fragile Mexican gun.
boats to come out.
Howl for "Gringo' Blood.
Brown bowling mobs. armed with
clubs, stones and pistols, Immediately
congregated all over the city, parad
ing the streets and bowling fol
'Grngo blood.
ITO a Mexican everything with 6
white face is a hated 'Gringo.'
americans Immediately rushed te
their homes or places Of imaginary
safety. Englishmen and Germans ap.
pealed to their consuls and were hur.
ried aboard their cruisers and mer-
chant ships near the customshouse.
There was but one small American
ship in the harbor, a private yacht
which did not dare to display hel
American flag.
THE American consul, Miller
working like a trojan. with a serious
and almost hopeless situation to pre-.
serve the lives Of his countrymen was
in CONSERVATION. Hundreds of Ameri.
cans could not reach him through the
mobs to ascertain his plans for theil
protection, if he had any.
Took Refuge on English Ship.
Poor Miller the United States con
sui, deserted by the American fleet
like the rest, left Tampico on a Brit.
ish ship, under the British flag, with
the last of the American refugees
American women were refused asylum
, on British ships until British women
were all aboard
Some $50 Americans, men, women
and children, assembled at the
Southern and Imperial hotels, locked
themselves in, and made the best, hur-
ried preparations they could to sell
their lives as dearly as possible
"A mob OF approximately 900 in
furiated Mexicans smashed the WIN
dows Of American hotels and resi-
dences and wrecked Sanburn's Amer
lean drug store in the corner of the
southern hotel. beat the hotel doors
for two hnIrc in tba;r x,,.nA