New-York tribune., 1918-12-16
u. S. sailors
Kill 2 Mexicans
InTampicoRiot
Passengers on the Monter.,,
Bring Story of Assam,
Oh American Guard
Investigation Is Ordered
Captain of Ship Refused IL
Surrender Men Who De-.
Tended Injured Comraas

Two Mexicans were killed and several
wounded when a mob, includino cal
diers and customs guards, attacked An.
of the armed guard Of the Ward lin
steamship Monterey at Tampico on M.
vember %, according to passengers vb.
arrived here aboard the vessel vestsr
day. The mob was put TO fight wb.,
the sailors rushed to the assistance Of
their comrade, a chief gunner's maj.
named Berry. He was in the shin has
pital yesterday recovering from II.
juries, which included seal pwouus
that required twenty-five stitches to
close.
Officers of the ship and members ~
the armed guard refused to discuss II.
incident, but passengers who witnessed
the clash furnished details. The sail.
ors went to the navy yard to report the
matter to their superiors The whole
subject of the attack has been left IN
diplomatic settlement, and is now bein,
taken up by The State Department and
the Mexican government through the
American Embassy in Mexico Cicty
Accosted in Saloon
Passengers said that on Novemher
% Berry went ashore to look for ops
of his men. He was armed and visited
the waterfront saloons in an effort to
locate a tavdy sailor In one drinking
place two men invited him to drinI
and when he declined they followed
him into the street. There thev d..
clared themselves American Secret
Service operatives and said thev were
going to arrest Berry for Carving
arms. He demanded their credentials
and asked by what authority they
could arrest a sailor carrying arms IN
the performance Of his duty. Recey-
ing no answer, he started back TO the
Monterey.
The alleged Secret Service men, ae.
clared to have been intent on causing
trouble, ran "fter Berry, calling 70
other Mexicans to stop him. AS Berr
neared his ship mob was at his heels
and after a shot had been fired he was
halted by a Mexican qua ard, who placed
him under detention. Then, passenger
witnesses stated, soldiers in the croys
beat him with the butts of their guns
tie fought his way nearer the ship ha.
seeing the hopelessess of fighting such
odds, called for help from his men,
The passengers said that the Amer
can sailors thre wthemselves into the
tray without arms until they were fired
on by soldiers in the crowd. Then. as
the bullets sang past, they rushed back
and grabbed their guns When the
Mexicans saw the Americans start their
charge into the mob, one of the soldiers
near Berry struck him over the head
with the butt of his gun, ripping his
scalp open.
Two in Nom Killed
The sailors, enraged by this, opened
tire, and two men fell, one killed and
the other so badly wounded that he
later died in the hospital. according
to the passengers. The mob melted
away, leaving Berry to be cared for by
his comrades. The man killed outrigh.
was Captain Hernandez, OF the Mexican
army, and the other was a Mexican sol.
der
The sound of the firing brought
crowds from all parts of the CITY. but
the sight of the armed Americans pre.
vented further demonstration. Threats
were hurled at the naval guard during
the twenty-four hours the MONTEREY
was detained pending an investigation,
and every precaution was taken to
guard against a surprise attack.
The Tampico authorities demanded
the surrender Of the sailors, but Cap
tain Jones of the Monterey refused
to give them up. Two American gun.
BOAT commanders in Tampico Bay On
learning OF the clash moved their boats
near the Monterey, and after holding
court of inquiry allowed her to steam
away the following day with the armed
guard still on board.
American Fleet Ready
The gunboats were ready to render
any assistance to the Monterey she
might REQUIRE, and the Mexican su-
thorlties decided, according to the pas.
sengers. to accept the incident as one
tor diplomatic settlement. The Mon.
terey carries deck gun, placed there
during the war for protection against
submarines.
When the vessel docked in Brooklyn
the passengers all agreed that Tam.
plco IS IN most lawless condition, full
of hold-up men and assassins, who have
the terrified population under Their
control. They said that a person viii
money was a marked man, and thss
few would venture outside the prinei-
pal section of the city. The naval su'
thorities questioned the officers of the
ship and sent their reports to Wash
ington.