New-York tribune., 1920-07-09

g TIE success pf the revolution had,
reached the eadquarters of ! smaiI @
Carranxtsts chief, only to learn that
ssnas Jefe had "turnedS the day before
and gone out on the hunt for then.
lney had to leave this town. where
tnsy nad hoped to rest for the day.
ana g, 60 on IN different direction.
The next three days they made their
lonely way through territorv rnI.T ~
the now enemy chief, the nerves az III
stretched to the tautiest, but they were
noe motested. On the sixth dav thev
Tooe anto the town Of Putla. whare
eney were we'll treated, ate their Inner
and Ted their horses. Thcv learned
mere that just outside the town. acrn.s
tne river. began 4 dark land of mac.
cessiDne ravinos, ruled by another small
jefe, Rudolfo Herreto. " = -'''-1
Hcrrero Petty Bandit
Herrero is one Of the MANY .u.l,
leaders OF small bands Of rsvol,,c;o-
narios that infest the mountains of
Mexlco, doing. the best they can for
themselves. First he was Fedaral
lDiaz) army man. Later, when everv-
oooy was doing it, he started out to be
a revolucionario.'s - ~
he began with two men. Attackinr
n1teen, asleep, he took away their arms
ana horses; and so was immediately
equipped for eighteen men. On the
Day that Carranza rode out Of the vii
iage of Putla, Herrero's followers wers
eighty. During these years Of growth
and expansion he has been a Palaecista.
tnen 9 Carranzista, and is now. Incl
dentally. an Obregonista.
he became Carranzista last March
rendering himself to the Carranzista
General Mariel, and since that time
working In the sierra under his orders.
It was TINS same General Mariel who
welcomed him when he rode up to the
Carranza escort that afternoon and
VINO presented him, with the highest
eulogies, to the old man himself.
What had Carranza to expect of +h;s
Jefe OF his, who ruled the sleeps of
rocks and brush they were about to
penetrate! Was he loyal or had he
turned! Would he attack or would he
let them go through in peace? They
were soon to know. Just outside the
village, on the opposite bank of the
river they must ford, Herrero was
waiting for them.
Meeting With Herrero
To quote Captain Amador, Carranza's
personal aide:
"We went out of Putla, crossing a
river. Herrero was waiting on the
otner side. Here the road forks; one
branch going to Villa Juarez, and the
other climbing almost straight up to
Iiaxcalantongo, which is about five or
SIX leagues above Putla Herrero rode
up to us, and asked for General Mariel.
When he saw Mariel he embraced him,
and weeping with emotion, said: "Here
l am, General, to fulfill what I offered
when rendered myself (became a
Carranzista). And then General Mariel
embraced him, and congratulated him
on his attitude, and told him that he
was going to present him to the Senior
PRESIDENT, and Herrero got down from
his horse'
To quote General Marciano Gonzales.
also of the Carranzista escort:
"Herrero told General Mariel that he
of the President. He said that he
would lead him through the sierra
until he put him safely without. Then
he went up to Senior Carranza and,
with tears IN his eyes, swore to him
fidelity. The rest of the way Herrero
conducted him, serving him solici-
tously, helping him to dismount. There
was moment when the President said
he was thirsty, and Herrero got down
from his horse and brought him water.
So he vas all that afternoon, gentle,
thoughtful, insinuating himself into
absolute confidence.
Arrive at Fatal Town
"And so we arrived at Tlaxcalantongo.
an Indian village of about twenty huts,
where Herrero said we should pass the
night. He himself rode through the
village, pointing out the huts in which
all should lodge. He said to the Presi-
dent: "This jacal is for YOU 1t has
floor of wood. Farther on shall place
General Murgia, and then the Engineer
Bonillas, and so on, and he added that
we must leave very early, and be-
rode away to place the others The
President turned to me and said with
sigh:
~ don't know why, but have no
confidence in this man (desconfio mucho
de esta hombre).'
"Some minutes afterward he said:
"'What long night! We should
have been able to go on further
He was visibly sad. But finally he
got ready to, rest, and ordered his
blankets placed on the floor in corner.
"The President slept in the corner
opposite the door. Beside him, not
more than meter away, was Aguirre
Berlanga. Opposite him. next to the
door, were Gil Farias and Mario Men
dez. On the side were the two aides.
Captains Amador and Suarez."
Herrero Places Guards
To quote again Amador:
"When we arrived at Tlaxcalantongo
the jefe (Carranza) ordered Captain
Suarez to place the advance guards,
saying, Take with you Colonel Her
rero, 'Iho knows the situation per-
fectly.' So Herrero put the advance
guards just where he wanted, and then
he returned to the hut to ask the
President if he were comfortable, and
SO finding out just where we had put
our blankets. An hour or so later, he
came again and said he had had news
of an accident to his brother in a
neighboring ranch, and said he must
go, but would return in the morning.
"The President showed the greatest
sympathy and gave him cotton and
medicine. When Herrero went, Ber-
langa said the business didn't look
good to him, but the President an
swered: What has to happen, let it
happen Then he sighed, and said he
thought Of the words of Miramon be-
fore he was shot: 'Dios nos libre de
estas viente quat ro horas.' Then he
blew out his candle.
"At 8, two Indians Of Herrero's party
came in, and when the Jefe asked them
what they wanted. they said they had
been told to report to him that all was