Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-12-08
LAST MEMBERS
CHAMAL COLONY
REACH us. SOIL
MEN AND WOMEN WHO, TERR0RlzED
HID IN TAMAullPAS MOUNM-
TAlNS REACH BORDER
IN IMPR0vISED MOUNTAIN FORT
THEY DEFlED MENAClNG BAND
FOA PERIOD OF 2 MONTHS

Bringing with them the first oral, eye
witness accounts of the Chamal, Tamauli-
pas. incident. in which q band Of about
elghyt American men, women and chill
dren, last summer, held at bay and defied
armed bands of Mexican soldiers for near
~ two months in an improvised mountain
fort near Ocampo, a small party of refu-
gees who comprised a part of that band
arrived in Matamoros last night and cross
ed over TO Brownsville this morning, bring
ing with them few sm3d bundles. After
passing the immigration agents at the fer
ry, members of the party called upon III.
c. Barnes reresenting the Department of
Justice for this district.
In the party are &. 7. Ingram, who held
power of attorney for the collonists when
they migrated from Oklahoma to Tamau-
hpas about fourteen years ago, his wife
and five children; s. VI. Belsha. wife and
son and one or two others. Mr. Ingram
stated that they are the last of the Chamal
colonists to leave Mexico with the excep-
tion of the families of j. f. kennard and
Walter Witt and few unmarried men who
remain.
The crisis in the Chamal colony occur
red. Mr.. Ingram stated. about the time
when il was believed in Mexico that inter-
vention was certain. Following period
in which members of the colony suffered
many petty losses from bandits and raid
ers the colonial town was suddenly enter
ed by about 800 Mexican soldiers under
personal command, Mr.. Ingram said of
Ma ior Rodrigo Flores who is still in com
mand at Ocampo. Advance information
10 the effect that the town was 10 be at
tackled had caused about eighty persons,
including he Ingram and Belsha families,
to flee 10 the mountains. Mrs. Ingram
was among a number of women who made
hike of twenty five miles over rough,
mountainous country, walking all day and
all night, and climbed 5000 feet in the
mountains 10 the place selected by the
party as a stronghold They carried with
them rs much cattle and provisions as they
could move from their homes. large guam
tity of ammunition and modern firearms.
The dav following the evacuation Of the
colony. Mr.. Ingram said. Major Flores
and his soldiers arrived, drove off cattle
and took all grain and other valuable mer-
chandise. All household property he said
was destroyed before the colonists' ewes
Bed clothing was ripped to pieces in the
carrals and DESTROYED their sewing ma
chimes were hacked To pieces by machetes
and the Americans. including men. women
and children were stood in line and told
that thew were to be shot. Women in the
party arriving in Brownsville this morn
ing give graphic descriptions Of the ter
rors 10 which the members of the party
were subjected. The colonists were forced
to give mp every cent of money in their
possession.
Meanwhile the colonsts in the mountain
answered all threats pleadings and prom
iscs Of the authorities. who sent messages
urging them To come ont of the mountains,
with invitation 10 "comc and get u, If YOU
do not value your lives
Besides letters from the CarranzlStas.
rhey received. they said, letters from fol-
lowers Of Villa who protested that they
had never harmed any Americans.