El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-12-14
SOUP KITCHENS
CHARNEL HOUSES
Revolving Tale of Soldiers
Atrocities in Guanajuato
Brought To Border.

Soup kitchens. turned into human
traps, where the poor may be dis
posed Of by killing; poverty stricken
families. sealed up with adobe in
their huts and left to die. a death
rate of more than 20 day; popula-
ton living on corn cobs and CARRIED
only in corn husks; sisters of charity
forced to work as poems while the
children are left TO the mercy Of the
soldiers-these are some OF the condi-
tons in the city of Guanaiuato. ac-
cording to prominent American min
ing man who has just returned from
that city. His story. supported by
sworn sffidavits. has been made an
official report 10 Washington by mill
tary authorities.
The American, who would not allow
his name to be used because OF his
business interests in GuanajuatO and
his intention TO return theirs. said
that from a city Of $4,000. it had
shrunk to 5000. once known as a
center of wealth and famed for its
beautiful women. the place has be
come a plague spot where famine,
disease. immortality and lawlessness
are supreme
The MaIthusian Remedy.
The mining man in his report said
scores Of poor people had been shot
down in the city's soup kitchens, IN
order to get rid OF them and that the
homes of other poverty stricken had
been sealed up at night by the SOL
diers with the use OF adobe and trans
formed into human tombs-
The rich have been stripped Of their |
wealth by the soldiers; there are no |
stores: no clothing and no food The |
streets are filled with the dead. who |
have persisted from starvation or the |
epidemics that have ravaged the city |
1T &c nfEnnEn
the bodies.
Beggars have become so numerous. |
the American reported. that they are 4
shot down at Will by the soldiers II 1
annoyed The only punishment is by I
execution One man who stole blan- I
ket faced a firing squad and four \
merchants who objected TO Carran- 1
za's ruling on the use of his fiat |
death
Convent Is Raided.
a convent which has been sheltering |
a number Of poor children recently /
was raided by the soldiers, who forced 1
the sisters Of charity to don poems |
clothing and go to work while the
children were turned over TO the
merciless soldiers.
Many Of the nuns committed suicide
to escape a worse fate
Recently, the American swore in his
affidavit soldiers raided and looted
one of the most beautiful churches in !
the historic city. that Of Our Lady Of
The priests were killed !
and the church turned into a bull ring |
where wild animal fights We're staged |
Later the church was used as bar
racks.
Relief Supplies seized.
Twenty five carloads OF grain which
had been sent by the Red Cross to re-
lieve the sufferings of the starving I
population. were confiscated by the
soldiers It had been intended to sell
The grain at actual cost TO the those
able to pay. but the governor took all
that the soldiers did not consume and
sold il at $3.50 a bushel
Similar conditions prevail at Zacs- J
ecas. but in a lesser degree. according |
% the minig mans statement There I
$ also great dissatisfaction at Quere-
arc, where the constitutional cOnven-
ion is being held, and Carranza. who |
s now in the city. never sleeps in the
anne place twice, but changes his
ibode each night.
The Americans statement was sent
Onward TO the government officials
y ednesday as indicative OF the condi-
ions now prevailing in central Mexico.