Evening journal., 1915-03-27
NJ 'NANUS letter
Tells OF FIGHT
Americans Frank Report OF
the Tragedy That Finally
Led TO His Own Death
SHOT UNDER THE
STARS AND STRIPES

MADISON, Wis. March 27-Prof. G.
II, Benkendorf Of the University Of
Wisconsin made public a letter writ
ten TO him on February A by j. b.
McManus the American who was
killed al Mexico City on March IL by
Iapatisias TO avenge the death of two
of their comrades at the hands of Nc
Manus and his employees. The letter
contains a frank statement of the
shooting af the Iapatistas In the
course OF q raid on the McManus
place and various events leading up
to il.
McManus wrote that on November
26 last, when Carranza left Mexico
City for Vera Cruz. after having made
sure that the American troops had
evacuated that port. the Zapatistas
/ swarmed into the capital and began
/ looting stores. dwellings. and nearby
ranches. Carranza, he said. carried
on all the money in the treasury and
/ nearly everything Of value in the Gov
ernment Palace. The first chiefs
men even removed all the electric
light globes from the public build
ings.
/
came several thousand half-nakod
and half-starved Indians belonging TO
Zapata's band. About 100 OF them
! rode into McManus's yard firing on
their guns and demanding horses. lie
fed. and the MeXicans stole dozen
of his horses and looted several oil
| his rooms.
Colonel COuldn't Read.
In his letter he described a visit
to the Iapatista colonel In search oi
his stock. some of which he recovered
lie said the colonel was common
peon without any semblance of uni
form and unable to read the official
order served on him for the surren-
der of the stolen animals.
Then followed the period when Gen
Gutierrez was i'm charge OF the cit.
and there was some protense of gooS
order. but when Gutierrez and hil
, troops evacuated the city the lootini
began again. or this McNIanus wrote
"My dairy was again favored will
, call, hut this time / had receives
, word from friends in town to lool
I out. so l had my two krag Unito
} States army rifles placed on the roo
} of the house with about 500 cartridge.
The house at the dairy Is a very oil
r one. one story. occupying 800 or 40
. feet frontage and inclosing d larg
patio. or garden. in the center Tn
b. walls Of the house are of stone an
@ three feet thick. extending above th
D. level of the roof about four feet TIL
n afforded an excellent protection froi
anyone attacking the front ontranc
About II i'm the morning ! heard
" racket at the front door and motto,
70 that my portero. or door man. w
IN lighting 'ouf for the tall timber.
of made sure that the door was lock-
" and that the bunch of eight or Z
20 were Zapaiisias. aud then went I
T. on the roof. from which place ask'
f. them what they wanted. They sa
.r they wanted to get in. and promise
20 take nothing ] refused TO 4
them i'm. and said "lf you try
o climb over the wall you will g
a shot" This made them pccyish an
g sure enough one "geczer" was hoos
Q cd up and succeeded IN mounting n
% wall. saying. "Wc lust want hal
G. hour in yOur house"
Shot lnder Stars and Stripes.
O. 81 plugged him with the Krar iul
about whore his stomach is locate
. He made grab for the flag stat
. where the Stars and Stripes wer
q flying. by the way. and fell back int
o the street I then started in mussin
. up the balance OF the bunch. who !
o out across the prairie, leaving the
= horses II was lots of fun then tryin
TO pick them of, and il did me good
see how accurate the Krag was. On
of the men. evidently the captain