The Washington herald., 1914-04-27
20 MEXICANS
AREEXECUTED

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
names of the dead and wounded Amer
leans
|, Admiral Fletcher notified Gen. Mas on
Tuesday that he would take possession
of the custom-house and establish 4
blockade to prevent the landing of arms
and ammunition consigned to Huerta.
He asked the cooperation OF Gen. Mas
and gave assurance that there would be
no interference with the municipal gov
eminent
Gen. Mas, who months ago had been
informed Of Admiral Fletcher's program
should IL become necessary 70 occupy
the city and had agreed to the plan. left
Vera Cruz in C. hired hack when he re-
ceivej Fletcher's message. He carried
with him eight machine guns. and was
accompanied by practically his entire
force. Shortly before his departure 900
convicts were released from the famous
San Juan de Ulloa prison and supplied
with rifles and ammunition. These lib
| Grated convicts, many of whom were
political prisoners and federal troops in
civilian attire, strongly defended the city
| when the jackies and marines were
/ landed in the afternoon. Windows were
| barricaded and sharpshooters were sta
toned on housetops.
| AS the first boat OF tackles from the
Florida was nearing the Ward line docks.
| two MeXicans, who were standing on the
1 pier, opened fire. The boatswain was
wounded in the right thigh. When the
! jackies put foot on Mexican soil the
firing became general The Americans
returned the fire and soon several street
battles were in progress. Four Ameri-
cans were killed and twenty wounded
No record was kept of the Mexican
casualties. but before shutdown dead
bodies were found scattered about the
| streets in the main section of the city.
L. 9. Flag Flies I'm Hour.
Within an hour after the FIorida's
boatswain had been wounded the Ameri-
can flag was flying from the custom
house.
Street fighting continued until darkness
and throughout the night the jackies
and marines were kept busy lodging
bullets fired by sharpshooters from
housetops or windows of business houses
and residences.
Admiral Badgers fleet arrived from
Hampton Roads at 3 o'clock Wednesday
morning, and within an hour after the
battleships had dropped anchor the land
ing forces OF the flagship Arkansas and
other ships were sent ashore. II was
then that the MeXicans most stubbornly
attacked the invaders
Assurances had been given that the
MeNicans would offer no opposition to |
the landing Of the re-enforcements. The
first serious attack was made on the |
brigade from the New Hampshire. Cadets
on the roofs of the Naval Academy
waited until nalf of the column had |
Passed them and then without warning |
opened fire.
Lieut.. Lannon Killed.
Lieut. J. P. Lannon. in command. was
enc of the first 10 fall. A bullet had |
pierced his right lung. Five jackies were |
killed. and half a score wounded. Much /
ammunition was wasted by the sailors.
who were marching in close formation,
before they located the cadets. Lannon
was removed to the hospital ship Solace
where he diei on Thursday. Marines.
who had been landed from the transport |
Prairie, came to the rescue of the New
Hampshire jackies and street fighting
continued at intervals throughout the
forenoon. When Admiral Fletcher, in a
radio message addressed to all the ships
of the feet, announced at 2:I5 o'clock
in the afternoon the capture of Vera
Cruz, the Mexican dead were estimated
at from Is to 500
After this hour fighting was fntermit-
tent Small groups of Mexicans engaged
the Americans in skirmishes BY We'd
nesday evening the American dead num-
bered fifteen, and there were about fifty
wounded. Ensign Paul A. Stevens, OF
the battleship Minnesota, and five of his
men were wounded in an encounter with
nifty Mexicans in the outskirts Of the
city at o'clock Wednesday night
Stevens, who was born in MARYLAND
and graduated from Annapolis last wear.
was reported in a serious condition
Thursday night. He was shot in the
left breast
Bullets were flying in every direction
Wednesday night. and the marines were
Kept busy rounding up the Shippers"
some OF the prisoners were sent to the
cruiser San Francisco. which was an
chored inside of the harbor breakwater.
mere is every reason to believe that
they have been executed, although this
is not officially admitted.
To dislodge sharpshooters intrenched
behind the marble columns Of the Hotel
l nlVersal. opposite the Plaza, the ma
rines used automatic guns Six of the
Mexicans killed were found to be fed
eral soldiers who were wearing civilian
clother over their uniforms. One of the
men was an officer, and his wounds
were dressed by American women |
refugees. who were staying at the Hotel ,
Dilgencia.
Arsenal DemoIIshed.
When cadets in the naval academy and
on the roof of the arsenal began firing
on battalion of jackies the cruiser
Chester and the transport Prairie began
dropping three and five pound shells on
the two buildings. When the guns of the
snipers had been silenced, the shells
had practically demolished the arsenal.
but the naval academy had not been ,
badly damagd. 1t was thought that
many Mexicans had been killed in this ,
attack. but could find only three dead :
An attache Of the Mexican White Cross
-old me, however. that twenty dead and
IN equal number OF wounded had been ,
This source OF information Is ;
lot considered very trustworthy. I am +
old that most of the White Cross nurses y
IRE Hcerta spies. 1 found them burying y
heir dead under nine or ten inches of sod =
within hundred yards of the entrance $
o the Hotel Terminal and in aDotber .