The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-12-03
Murder Committed in the Oil
Fields Near the City of
Tampico
INCIDENT INCREASES
EXISTING IRRITATION
Relations Between United States
and Carranza Government
Strained to Breaking Point


Washington, Nov 2S.-Another
American murdered in Mexico, close
on the imprisonment OF Consular
Agent jenkins, coupled with reports
of revolution in Mexico City with Car
rama, in fight to Queretero, added
complexities today which seemed TO
force the already tense Mexican SIT
uation toward the long expected
breaking point.
There were no official pronounce
nents for the guidance OF public
opinion as TO what action If any the
American government might be con-
1emplating. but administration ofil-
Gals, by indication, were willing 20
show that the government is taking
a. firm position, concerning the even
tualities and prepared TO deal with
them. once a course is chosen.
Another of "tfe last straws' as one
4 official put it, was laid on today with
the official report of the murder Oh
w. NJ. Wallace, an American OIL man.
by a. Carranza soldier near Tamplco
on Wednesday The State department
summarized its advices in this formal
statement:
According to the Departments ad-
vices the officer in charge of troops
camped in the Vicinity claimed that
Wallace had provoked the murder.
The department has been informed as
"a result of an. investigation, that a
mule on which Wallace was riding 10
sstle place Of hisenaployment SHE'D at
machine gun which it was passing,
everinrning the gun. The soldier I'M
n1ediasely shot Wallace, the bullet
striking him in the neck and killing
him instantly.
1T is believed here w. NJ Wallace
is an employee OF the Gulf Refining
company fanniliar1y known to his as
sociates as Jim
Wallace recently went to Tampico
after having been in Colombia for the
Gulf company. He is about 40 years
OF age.
The Mexican ambassador. Cignacio
Bouillas, called on Secretary Lansing
at the State department late today
and they not only went over tie Jen-
kins case. but Ny. Lansing also LAID
before the Mexican envoy the report
of the killing of Wallace which has
!, Just been received Their conference
was, of course, confidential but it IS
understood that the secretary con-
veyed TO President CarranZas rep
resentative message more torcefui
and direct than any yet transmitted
in any diplomatic note. Mr.. Bonillas
was informed that the department
placed no credence in the charges on
which jenkins is held in jail in
Puebla, in which the Mexican govern
>ment declines to intervene. and 1t IS
understood that Mr. Lansing further
outlines to the ambassador the in
evitable consequences of continued
murders and molestations Of Ameri-
cans probably more pointedly than
was done in the governments official
communication Of last July.
About the same time word came IN
Of the death of another American as
the result Of brutal treatment by
bandits who held him for ransom. He
was Otto Lund. of Swedish birth. a
naturalized American. who died Of
blood poisoning after being held for
ransom five months in the State of
Mayarit. His captors chopped off one
OF his fingers with a foul weapon and
wrapped in it within their written
demand for ransom money which they
sent to his friends in Tepic. Blood
poisoning and gangrene killed the
man while his wife an American wo-
naan. and their child are reported in
want in Topic:
The murder OF Wallace, however. as
surnes proportions OF overailadowius
importance. Potrero del Llano. the.
ranch on which he was murdered, is
SEX to nine miles south Of Tampico.
The Oil pipe lines Of the Aguilar, Gulf
Refining and Huasteca Oil companies
run through the property. When
word of his death was received here
the officials of all three companies
were communicated with for identi-
fication. The Gulf company's office at
Houston, Texas. responded that the
Wallace probaly was w. NJ. Wallace
who was known to be in the Tampico
district and on the Potrero del Llano
property.
If the Identification be correct. Wal
lat:e- is the eighth employee Of III"
Gs,if company to meet death 1T the
hands of Mexicans in the Tampico
district and the eighth American
to be killed in Mexico since July y.
when the United States warned Car
rama that further murders Of Amer
leans would seriously affect the re-
lat;ons between the two countries.
SPANISH STRIKE
A K AZ