The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-16

OF woman whose skin was stripped
from the center of the forehead cirru-
larry about the face, then tearing the
covering loose.
Washington, Sept. 16.-With a
number of persons subpoenaed and
waiting to be heard, further angles of
the Mexican situation were expected
to be laid today before the senate for
eign relations subcommittee investi-
eating relations between this country
and Mexico.
The subcommittee last night held
it's first night session and heard its
first woman witness. Because of the
desire of members of the sub-commit-
tee to attend senate sessions at which
the peace treaty is discussed, night
hearings probably will be held fire.
quently.
Woman Opposes Intervention.
Miss Agnes Laut who recently re-
turned from Mexico, in advising
against intervention in Mexico, laid
before the committee last night a So
luton of the Mexican problem which
she characterized the beneficent paci-
fication" of Mexico.
In corroboration of her assertion
that widespread corruption had in
flicted on Mexico mine years of cruci-
fixion" and that 80 per cent of the
people are looking for help, Miss Laut
described several of the brutalities of
which she knew. She told the COM
mittee of two girls who had been
dubbed to death and of two American
women who were carried into the
mountains of Sonora and there forced
to remain by their captors who shaved
the sofes of their feet to the quick to
Of lfr.ur
| them.
A Captive in Mexico.
An American girl from Nebraska.
she said, now Is somewhere in the
| hills, the captive of Mexicans who
dragged her from her home near the
! Guf coast. When the band appeared
they roped her father and mother and
when she, 16 years old. threw herself
| before the Mexicans they declared
they would kill her parents. She
tainted and when revived she found
herself alone in the hills with her as
| sailants.
An English woman in the state of
l-Zacatecas was more fortunate. ac-
| cording to Miss Laut. In this case.
Miss Laut said. the woman shot the
bandit who was struggling with her
and then, running forward. fired
first on one bandit and then another.
/ killing both and thereby rescuing two
daughters. one Of whom each bandit
held.
Kansas Farmer n Victim.
A Kansas farmer was the victim of
the Cedillo brothers in the state of
San Luis Potosi. according to her tes-
| timony.
His wife and daughter had gone to
Tampico. While they were gone the
Mexicans raided sthe place, hanged
him to a tree, alternately raising and
lowering him and jabbing him with
lbayonets. The man became insane
and afterwards died. Another exam
pie of the treatment of women she
cited was the taking into the hills OF
| more than thirty women and girls
from a train the Mexicans had cap
| tured.
CarrnnzIstas Partly to Blame.
| No attempt was made by the witness
to shield the Carranza soldiery. She
admitted that fair part of the crimes
were committed by bandits but inti-
mated that q number of the so-caiied
bandits were in reality Mexican fed
eral troops.
! Regarding reports that the rebels
have been getting arms and ammuni-
tion from the United States. she said
that thru an American army officer.
who had made the investigation for
her, she found that the rifles OF many
of the followers of Felix Diaz were OF
the same pattern used by the Mexican
army and that they had been acquired
both by capture and by purchase from
the Mexican troops.