Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-08
Reports to Officials Here Indi-
cate U. S. Agents Ham,
pered in Their Work.
FORMERLY ATTORNEY
FOR GEN: OROzCO
Finding of Arms and Ammunition
Said to Have Been Tipped Off to
Former Presidents Followers.

Considerable interest is being man.
ifested in Mexican circles connected
with the Villa and Carranza confiden-
tial agencies here, as well as in United
States government departments. con-
corning the attitude and activities at
this time and past years Of Thoma
Lea. mayor of Ell Paso. as well as of the
police department of that city. Certain
confidential reports have been made to
the Department of Justice and the De-
partment of State in this connection,
which charge the Ell Paso city govern
ment with a leaning toward and SYM
pathy for the Huertistas who are try
ing to form new revolution in Mexico.
MIR. Lea, it is said, was formerly the
representative OF and attorney for
Gen. Orozco and his associates who
tried to overthrow President Madero in
1912 shortly after the latter assumed
the Mexican presidency. Orozco and his
associates were backed by the mil
lionaire and landholding family of Ter
razas. Mr.. Creel, former ambassador to
the cientif1co element in Mexico. OF
which Huerta had been recently the
leading figure. That attempt at the
overthrow of Madero, Notwithstanding
Mr.. Lea's activity as the attorney for
Orozco, fell through.
Friendly With Huertistas.
Since then Mr.. Lea has been elected
mayor of Ell Paso and Mexican Sc
cret service report received in Washing
ton today from that city states that
Mr. Lea is now maintaining friendly
relations with the Huertistas. in
which he is being supported by the
police department of Ell Paso, notwith-
OF ho 70 of hat ho mi a q G
Department of Justice is endeavoring
to obtain information upon which to
convict Gen. Huerta and others under
arrest in ElPaso of fomenting another
revolution, contrary to law, from the
United States against Mexican de facto
governments.
Agent Beckham OF the Department OF
Justice Is said to have been interfered
with by members of the city govern
ment of FL Paso A few days ago a
Mexican secret service agent connect
ed with one of the confidential agen-
cies here discovered a deposit of arms
and ammunition believed to be the
property of the Huertistas at build
ing at the corner of I'd and Tays
streets, in Ell Paso. He is said to have
informed a policeman Of the find. who
in turn is said to have reported the
find to police captain. and it is
charged that before the Department of
Justice agents in Ell Paso could get to
the HHu tHc "cIo
of the discovery and were enabled to
move the arms and ammunition.
Hear Arms Are Found.
In another confidential report re-
ceived in Washington it is said that a
Mexican secret service agent reported
to the Department Of Justice agents at
Ell Paso that there was another de-
nd int
ed to foment revolution in Mexico in
a building behind the AlcaZar Theater
in that city, this theater being owned
by the Alderette brothers, arrested in
Ell Paso with Huerta and others of his
group. 1t is charged that the police Of
Ell Paso notified the responsible Huer-
tistas who owned the arms and ammu-
milton of the find and that the latter
secreted them before the Department OF
Justice agents could get to them.
1t is said today that the Department
of State has been informed that while
the embargo against the expectation
of arms to Mexico was in effect in
1912, MIR. Lea was the owner of $4,000
rounds of ammunition intended for the
Huerta irregulars, which he endeavored
to sell to them through United States
arms and ammunition company, and
that a photograph of an original docu-
ment purporting to prove such own
ership by Mr. Lea at that time has
been received in Washington and
forwarded to the State Department
for such investigation and action as
may be deemed necessary.