The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-09-23
CRUELTY TREATED
BY CARRANZA men
American Woman Tells
Tale of Atrocities
in Mexico
MOTHER STARVED


Brutally treated and finally starved
to death by Mexican soldier bandits,
Mrs. W. h. Keenright, who left Wash
ington few years ago to join her son.
in-law and daughter, DR.. and Mrs.
Charles T. Sturgis, In Mexico, died
last November. Her body, wrapped in
strip Of mating, lies hidden in hole
near Depolan, in Chipas.
Before she died she saw the Sturgis
plantation sacked, witnessed the cruel
ties that reduced Doctor Sturgis to a
| physical wreck, and was forced to
watch the indignities suffered by her
daughter at the hands Of Carranza
soldiers and the bandits led by Gen.
Rafael Cal y Mayor, . friend Of "a
pata.
Df. and Mrs. Sturgis reached New
Orleans few days ago. III
Eight months Of Imprisonment and
brutal treatment In a Mexican bandit
camp, where they were hidden after
their plantation was sacked, was the
experience related by Doctor Sturgis'
and his wife.
IN Mexico 20 Years.
Twenty years ago Doctor Sturgis
went to Mexico to practice his profess
sion Of dentistry. He also acquired
and cultivated a large coffee planta-
ton and in 1915 came to Washington
and married Miss Cora Keenright.
Mrs. Keenright, her mother, went to
Mexico to visit her daughter.
It was in January, 1918, according
to Mrs. Sturgis, that they had their
first raid.
1.-THE raiders were Carranzista sol
diers," Mrs. Sturgis said in letter to
friends here, Commanded by Capt.
Leopolda Garcia and Capt. Julio Cas-
tillano. They swarmed into the house.
Captain Garcia pointed his rife at me
and at its muzzle forced me to search
the whole house for him for revolu-
tionaries,' he said.
'aThen he ordered me to climb the |
roof and search it with him. refused |
I'm the wife Of an American citizen
He sneered at me.
$50 ahead and kick to your gov
eminent. Go ahead and kick to my |
government, too, If you want to. It
won't do any good. We're going to
drive all you damned gringoes out Of
the country before we're through with
you,' he said.
"Well, the Carranzistas left us at
last. And then came the raid Of June
20, 1918. That was headed by Gen.
Rafael Cal y Mayor himself.
Ran Away All Employees.
"Prior to that time we were In DIFF
aculties. For the Carranza govern
ment ordered all plantation employees
to quit. A Carranzista agent kept COM
ing regularly. II he found any at
work he threatened to have them
hanged.
ION June 26 Gen. Cal y Mayor rode
up to the house. His men swarmed
through It. They stripped the house
Of everything movable. Then they
took us to the bandit camp AZ pris-
0ners. IL
"We were prisoners Of Gen. Cal y
Mayor from June 28, 1918, to February
Is, 1919. It was November 10, 1918,
that my mother died Of starvation.
This Gen. Rafael Cal y Mayor was
q close personal friend Of Zapata. On
Is, 1913, he had me brought
to his shack.
"'Get ready for trip he told me.
You're going to carry message to
zapata for me. You're going to Vera
Cruz and to Mexico City. If you try
to trick me, Of If you're not back in
:wo months, I'll kill your husband
"He sent with me an Indian woman
named Clotilde Lopez. She was to
Keep watch over me-"
Travelling on foot, on muleback, and
sometimes in canoe, the two women
lnally reached Mexico City.
Mrs. Sturgis made the long journey
,ack to camp and saved her husbands
ife... They were held prisoner several
weeks longer and then set free. After
much trouble they got in communities
ion with the American consul at Ia
Inc Cruz, who furnished money suf1i- A
lent to pay their expenses back to the
,tatAs-