The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-12-23
TELLS OF CHAOS
ACROSS BORDER
Mexican Merchant FleeS to the
United States, After Excit-
ing Experiences.
FACES DEATH MANY TINES
Turned Over to Firing Squad Because
of Inability to Repair Autono-
bile Without TooIs-AII
Matter of Drag

Los AngeleS--A graphic story, illus
trating the chaotic conditions prevail
ing in Mexico, is told by Senior Au-
gustin Morales, formerly a prosperous
manufacturer OF vegetable oils at
MOrelia. AIichoacan, which adioins
Mexico province. Morales has inst
joined the Mexican refugee colony in
Los Angeles with his wife and two
children.
There can be no hope Of peace in
Mexico until q strong hand seizes the
reins OF government and suppresses
a multitude OF great and petty chief
tains who are spreading ruin and de-
vastatiOn, numbering and tOrturing a
helpless people with no other object
than Self-aggrandizement and self en-
richment." said Morales.
The oil business that 1 had in No
reiia was handed down to me by nv
father. It had been in our family for
generations But there came the rev
OIUtiOn. 1 was neither a Maderista,
FilliSta, a Zapatista nor 4 Carran-
zista. was, and am. a paeifist And
so 1 vas made TO face death again
and again.
Protests, Is Jailed.
My native state OF Michoacan is
one of the districts which have suf-
fered most by the revolutions One
day there came marching into Pan
tOja with an armed force OF men
| leader who called himself General
PantOja. He Communicated every au-
tOmObile in the city. I ventured to
protest humbIy that my machine was
needed in my business and that, Ow-
ing to the condition Of the country, 1
could scarcely procure another. Pan
tOja ordered me thrown into Jail i'm
mediately, and I was forthwith SEN
fenced to be hanged. But / had with
me an old schOolmate, Domingo Sa-
manO, and he and Pantoja happened
to be friendly. SamanO obtained my
release, but he dared not ask the res
ttutiOn Of the automobile. I was be
ing led out to be executed when the
order to set me free arrived.
zone OF the conditions of my Iber-
alton was that 1 order a number of
tires for the machine. I did so, but
traffic on the railways was interrupt
ed at times and always uncertain.
Pantoja wearied of waiting for the
tires and, in order to expedite their
arrival, he had me thrown into jail
again, and once more sentenced to be
hanged. I managed to send word OF
my plight to SamanO on his ranch at
Pumandiro, and once more his inter
cessiOn saved me. You see, senior, it
is all a matter of drag with those
people, but there are so many Of them
that one cannot have friends who
know them all, and in the end comes
one who brings ruin and death.
Execution Ordered.
General Pantoja was killed in IA
battle shortly after that, but my trOu-
bles were not yet over. There came
a General Sanchez one afternoon. He
called the 500 members of the cham
Der of commerce of Morelia together
and ordered US to give him $4,000
pesos before shutdown. The banks had
been looted and we found it impos-
sible to raise such a large sum in so
short a time. Sanchez ordered the ar
rest and execution by a firing squad
Of the last man OF US But another
band OF revolutiOnistS was approach
ing and Sanchez needed all his ammu-
milton. He left in such a hurry that
we were forgotten and managed to
get out Of Jail.
''I was resting in my home one eve
ming when some revOlutiOnists called
me out and showed me my old auto
mobile in front OF the door. It was a
wreck. They ordered me to repair
the mechanism Immediately. I looked
in the tool box and found it empty. L
explained to them that the trouble
might easily be righted with the nee
essary tools, but that could not do 1t
with my bare hands. Less than an
hour later I was standing with my
back against a blank wall and before
me were a squad OF soldiers with rifles
and a man with a sword about to give
the order to fire, when friends ran up
with pardon they had obtained by
providing the needed wrenches and
Tightening a few loose bolts
SANCHEZ, too, has been killed, but
there are Others-these generals are
now all ignorant men. like the poll
ticians, seeing only money and power,
and the people are those who suffer"