Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-04
REFUGEES TELL STORY
OF CRUELTY IN MEXICO
Daughter and Husband Stripped
of Fortune.
HELD PRISONERS FOR MONTHS
DR.. and Mrs. Charles T. Sturgis
Arrive In Washington to Present
Case to COngrcsS-CarranZa Troops
Raidcd Plantation:

American woman dead as the result
OF starvation; another. her daughter.
Of Vicious men; her ni iaIy p th,Gs
cal wreck because of his suffcrings and
~ treatment-ihesc facts constitute
citlzcns in Mexico.
III The woman who lost her life. and
nepolan in Chipas. Mexico. was Mrs
W. H. keenright. an aged resident of
an, der Ms son, in. l1y and dauEhte,r, Dr.
Washing tonians. are now IN route to
this city after their escape from
Mexico <"ir relatives. incensed at
t the ,peai,snt afforded them by The
they be permitted to tell their storics
TO the House Rules Committee. which
~ ~ comsiderinG an investigation OF the
,,. The details of Mrs. keenrights
members Of her family. reached the the
capital today. In brief. this is the
Dentist WINS wenlthy.
Mrs. keenright set out to Join DR.
Sturgs and his wife in Mexico several
years ago. Her health was failing
and she thought the change would
DR.. S,urgls was a dentist who had
h, al, comfortable fortune. which
,i on ooI lie estimated his wealth at
xd Instead OF beneGting her health, Mrs
wealth OF her daughters husband CON
h i,;s by Mcxicans; she saw his
ter mistreatcd BY bandits
dance and sing before a. Mcx als"rst COM 10
! Mexican and Indian women Finally.
M ;ar keenright and her relatives We're
The husband and wife were held for
eight months. The aged mother died
ST1Sn n ,a after she was taken captive.
follows
I've We were psaceable and on friendly
our our, first raid. Tina, was by Carran-
BY two Ins foatGrs
Julio Casti!lano. They rode up ana
s sS into the house, Garcia point
60 sa his rifle AT me, and forced me TO
revolut!onaries. he said.
Struck Woman With Gun.
Then, he ordered me TO climb the
ROOF and TO search it with him. 1 re-
for rG ys5 an I lnG;an 70 do your, errsnds
American citizen
on the shoulder with the butt Of his
iSs mE pay ., for ,nas i told oiza him
Food; We're going to drive ali .kss
before were through with YOU
Well The Carranzistas ief, US at
last lsst and r then came me rad Of June
Prior TO thai, time We, were in all
government had ordered all plantation
employees TO quit work and they were
I.
Sturgis had over $4,000 out in cash
and store goods Many of the ~
plantation. but a Carranza agent kept
coming around regularly. and If ne
threaten TO hang them If they did not
Held Cnptives by bandits.
on the occasion OF the second raid.
the Mexcans stripped the S'mrFis res ;
ing to his wife's story. Then the
bandits herded the little family, inclnd;,
took the three Americans to a prison
! camp They were held captives for
almos. eight mon,ns bo vas r not S,S un
MY mo,her died Of slow starvation.
terrible. All they would feed us We're
some dry tortillas without salt. and
we had nothing but river water 70
drink Once in a week or so We would
be tossed handful OF beans Mother
was sinking rapidly. Thank God she
didn't suffer much toward the end.
She was TOO weak. She just slowly
starved and grew unconscious and
died"
The bandits finally decided to set
DR. Sturgis and his wife free, although
their only means of reaching their
home was an aged horse, minus both
saddle and bride, which the dentist
rode because he was unable to walk.
| American consular authorities ad-
vanced the money for the dentist and
his wife 20 return TO this country.
Andrew Il. GLADDEN., "A contractor at
! Alexandria. Va. and n cousin of the
late Mrs KcenriGht. today demanded
action by Congress on the case.