Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-31

acting under the directions of Car
rama, was going to lake us away
This threat he proceeded to carry IN
to execution, after ransacklng the
place of everything that was port
able, including dishes, clothing, bed
ding. feed, food, which together with
all our horses, were taken possession
of by the troopers. In addition, they
carried off $4,000 in gold and like
amount in paper currency.
Myself and my mother and hus-
band were permitted to retain the
clothing which we had on. but neither
of US was allowed to take anything
else. except that DR.. Sturgis was or
dered to carry with him his dental
outfit. AS my mother was old, she
doctor and myself were compelled to
trudge along on foot, which we did,
mingling indiscriminately with the
mounted troops. The tropical summer
sun beat down with merciless fury,
and as my head was protected only
by a thin handkerchief, l suffered IN
tensely for the two days that we
marched across the country before
reaching the Grijalva river: After
this time we took canoes for the
Headquarters of the bandit camp.
Soldiers Motley and Uncivil.
"The camp possessed some SEM
blance of order. but the army naroly
deserved the name. Mostly lndlans
crew. and we found them living under
the most primitive conditions. Many
of the men had their Indian wives
with them, and were provided with
huts, which. poor as they were, prop,
ably were as good as those they nau
occupied before taking to scattering;
Those who did not have wives lived
at a sort of central building known
as hotel Indeed, they not only
had a 'hoter but hospital and pre-
tended to keep up complete military
establishment. Everything was very
crude. however.
Our captivity lasted from June
until February of the present year,
and during that time we were SUP
iected to about all of the mardshlps
that could be imagined, which IN
deed were so serious that they re.
suited in the complete breakdown OF
my husmand and the death of my
dear mother The doctor was kept
at work on the teeth of the soldiers,
but 1, being the strongest of the trio,
was given the hardest tasks. At first,
I was compelled to put in the greater
part of my time in sewing for my
captors, using sewing machine
which had been brought from my
home for this purpose. Afterward
Lworked in the hospital as serv-
ant and nurse, and still later. during
the month of December. spent most OF
my time in telling trees and chopping
wood for my masters.
Rations Poor and Meager.
"Our rations were of the poorest
possible character, and the quantity
SO meager as to be negligible. they
consisted almost entirely of fort1llas,
the Mexican name for corn cakes, but
occasionally we were given a few
Mexican beans. The result of these
hardships was a cruel diminution OF
our physical forces, and we soon be-
came mere racks. My mother had
been used to all the necessaries and
many of the luxuries of life. The
ordeal was most severe for her from
the beginning. 1t was evident from
the first that they meant to kill all of
US by starvation. They succeeded so
far as she was concerned, and l think
they would have gotten her sooner
and all of US ultimately if l had not
been able to secrete small parcels of
food about my clothing while acting
as nurse.
All this time the bandits them
selves and their families were living
in comparative luxury. They OBJ
the country and generally had on
hand good supply of meat, fish. corn
meal, beans, yuccas and fruits, but
they had nothing for the 'gringoes.'
When we asked them for food they
merely jeered at and insulted US.
Allotted Terrible Task.
1T was about the middle of my cap
tivity, September Is. that a task was
set for me which 1 believe was about
as severe a one as was ever assigned
to a white woman. On that date Gen.
Cal y Mayor came to me and told me
that he was going to send me to the
City of Mexico with letters to his COM
mander-in-c chief, Gen. Zapata.
Il said to him, Why, general, Mex
leo City is thousand miles away; I
have no clothes; / have no money;
have no means of Transportation:
do not know the way
He replied. I will furnish you with
money; l will procure some of your
give you a squaw for a guide. who
does not know enough to perform the
mission alone, but does know enough
to kill you if you prove treacherous.
He told me that l was to return with
in two months; that in the meantime
my husband and mother would be held
as hostages, and that if 1 was not
back within that period both the doc
tor and my mother would be killed.
Sent on Long, Perilous Trip.
Il believed he would make good his
threats and there was nothing for me
to do but to obey. He kept his word
by gathering together some of my
clothing which he took from the Mex
lean squaWs who were wearing it.
and by giving me S125 for travelling
expenses. He had made for me a
heavy pair of shoes. in the soles of
which he concealed the letters which
| was to carry to Zapata. What these
letters contained I never know, be-
cause 1 was under the surveillance of
my guide. an old Indian woman,
named Clotilde; but I was told that l
would be given reply and money
You may believe that that trip
was severe one. We travelled first
for two nights and day on horse
back. until We reached the Nanchital
river, and then by canoes propelled
ed Minatitan and then the seashore,
where we got on vessel for Vera
Cruz, and at last, after many hard
ships and adventures, came safely to
Mexico City.
Enforced Silence by Threats.
Before leaving Gen. Cal v Mayors
camp. l told him that as soon as /
reached the City of Mexico l would
proceed TO the american embassy and
put my case before the American am
bassador, whereupon he replied: do
as you please; but if you don't re-
turn L will kill your husband and
your mother. and 1 will kill them if
you have soldiers sent here, or if we
find airplanes flying over us as a re-
suit of the information you may give.
If under these conditions you want
to undertake to bring trouble to us
you can do so, but as sure as l live
your doctor and Mrs. Kenright will
pay the penalty of your foOlhardiness.
You take these messages to Zapata