The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-01
by FRED X. WILSON.
specili correspondent o, THE 81

spetil correspondent Of THE Sun.
TAMPico, May % (via Brownsville, Tex.
May S0.-The time limit Get by Gen.
Luis Caballero for citizens OF Tamplco.
business houses, spaniards and dlgnitaries
or the Catholic Church TO pay tho heavy
ransom demanded by the rebels for having
spared lives and property hero expires In
three days.
Many have already paid. and more are
making preparations to do SO. but there
are fears that some will not be able to
meet tho demands. Death is the penalty
for noncompliance. Although the foreign
Consuls have been able to induce the rebel
General to modify his demands, particu-
larly With reference to the Aguila oil
Company and the Spanish Consul. who
was ordered to pay 100000 pesos. they
have not been able to obtain any conces-
flons for the unfortunate business men
VI the city.
"Pay or de-" 10 the command. and the
victims are so thoroughly guarded they
cannot escape.
Priests Ransom Paid.
Father Manuel viramontes. who re-
manned at his post when his brother
priests fed, was released this morning
His ransom OF $4,000 pesos was paid for
the most part by his faithful women
parishioners and by other women OF the
district. When the priest announced re-
sgnedly that there was no earthly hope OF
his procuring the heavy ransom the
women decided to take action. on theli
knees they besought mercy for the padre
from Cabailero. only to be Informed tina
payment OF the ransom was the only way
in which tho "traitor's' life could b.
saved They went out to raise the money.
Women contributed cash and tewelry /;
the poorest gave their last centavos and
tr,nkets. Thus they collected about 49,
900 pesos.
As soon as I was arrested" said
the padre TO me this morning the rebels
demanded $4,000 pesos for my release,
threatening me with execution II the
money was not forthcoming. had no
money. and I knew 1t would be impossl-
BILE for me to raise the amount l told
them this. and they answered that I was
a traitor, that l had aided the Federals
and they would shoot me II my parish
toner's did not raise the sum.
y collected altogether s2o pesos, and
as all the other priests had fed to Eu-
rope or the United States had no hope
Of getting any more When ! offered this
sum to them they laughed at me, refused
to accept 1t and told me TO prepare for
execution.
Women 70 the Rescue.
The devoted women OF the parish came
to me with the funds they had raised
but ! refused to accept them. because
knew the sacrifice II sntailed. Then they
went to the rebels with a similar offef
which was accepted. They had almost
enough to pay.
II finally sold my furniture and raised
1900 pesos. which I handed over TO the
rebels. who thereupon released me. am
Mexican by birth. born at Jalisco and
educated in Mexico city. l came to Tam
pico six years ago and was never before
molested. I want to go to America
The Catholic Church Is closed. and
cannot say mass. The rebels are rob-
bling the churches and priests wherever
they gain control"
OF Panuco yesterday, the main army
under Gems. zaragoza and Aguilar having
evacuated the town the day before. al
though they were strongly entrenched
They left behind about 100 Federal SOL
diers disguised as laborers. but the lat
ter fed NJ the approach OF 500 rebels.
Just southwest OF Tampico conditions
are very bad About 200 acres In one
place are covered with crude oil, which
American companies suffered much from
this. The loss OF oil through the overflow
is estimated at 10000 barrels daily. The
chief losers in this respect are the Ma
tional OIL Company. the International
Bowser and the Simms Jollys OIL Com
pany. The overflow will perhaps be
stopped by the end OF the week. The
Corona has been capped. Some attempts
have been made by the Federals to dam
age the boilers. pumps and machinery, but
these have not been very effective In most
instances. Tools and all other things
movable have been taken away.
II looks as II the next big battle will be
at Ozuluama and not at Panuco. because
tho Federal army the rebels believed was
en- route to San Luis Potosi turned back
and IL now only forty miles from Tam
pico. while Panuco 10 sixty-five miles up
the river. This army. commanded by Gen.
Zaragoxa and the real fighting man Of
the day Gen. Aguilar. numbers not less
than 1000 men. all brave. seasoned fight-
ers, who are well equipped and have with
them heavy cannon. including some OF the
high class guns taken from decks OF the
Eunboat Vera Crus before she was aban-
doned,
Nest OF the rebels have len ramp!ee,
some going toward Monterey. while 1900