New-York tribune., 1920-02-04
Six American
Colonies Wiped
Out i'm Mexico
Rsncher Tells Senators of
Raids on Mormons in
chihuahua; Total Losses
Estimated at S3,OOO,O 900
Farms Literally Stripped
Oxners Who Remained to
Protect Their Property
We're Brutally Murdered
By Wilbur Forrest

6V w HOUR I OIICSL
Fl. PASO, Tex. Feb. 3.--With a re-
norter for the Carranza government
sitting in the FL Paso County Court
-oom taking shorthand notes, the Fall
ssnate committee here to-day intro
anced into its records as severe con-
demnation Of chaotic conditions in
Mexico as has been heard during the
SESSIONS along the international border
The absolute financial ruin of six
Aourishing American colonies in the
.,ste of Chihuahua, with 1850 Nor
mons originally from Utah driven out
and their homes burned to ashes, was
related to the committee.
Captain S. H. veater. for thirteen
Years rancher in the Mormon colony.
Chuichupa, vas spokesman for the
eolonists. He told Of the slaughter of
msny of the Mormon men who re-
NAMED behind after women and chill
6,en we're sent back to the United
States 50 destitute that the American
government was forced to clothe, feed
and care for them in tented refugee
colony in FL Paso before paying their
railway fare to homes of friends and
relatives in various parts of the
country.
Mexican Agents Conspicuous
yester was the Senate committees
first witness in FL Paso. Mexican
secret service agents were about the
County Court Building when the ses-
sions opened to-day. Along with the
shorthand reporter in the committee
room they were the only visible evil
dence Of the strenuous campaign Of in
timidaton being directed here by the
Carrsnza government against witnesses
subppnaed to appear before the SEN
stors.
Many prospective witnesses have
property interests in Mexico In addi-
ton to being denied entry ever again
into Mexico as penalty for their testi-
mony, many. the Tribune correspondent
learned to-day, indirectly have been
threatened with destruction and confis-
cation of their holdings, and ever
worse The Fall Committee has ignored
this campaign thus far and will seek
to force those knowing of conditions
in Mexico to divulge facts either in
open or executive sessions.
Veater drew dramatic word pict-
ure Of the peaceful and extremely
prosperous condition of the six Nor
mon colonies before the Madero revo-
luton. Then came destruction, he
said.
These beautiful colonies are utterly
destroyed; horses, cattle and livestock
of all kinds and modern farm and
dairy machinery were taken from un-
der our eyes" said he. First they
forced US to surrender our arms and
ammunition. Our small towns then
were ransacked, the revolutonists un-
der Generals Orozco. Salazar and
Blanco even breaking the windows out
Of desire for sheer destruction
Pianos were hacked to pieces. 1t was
systematic attempt to run US out,
caused by jealousy, believe
We were told that the time had
come when Mexicans were going to live
IN good houses" the witness said.
Veater told of the looting of the Col
ony Bank, in which he personally lost
$4,000 cash, and how schoolhouses were
used for stables and homes for pig
pens, except those which Mexicans oc-
cupled lrrlgating dams were blown
up' ana IN one colony, especially, Amer
lean live stock was rounded up and di-
v!ded among the Mexican citizens. and
everything that Americans owned was
either taken or ruined.
During the Pershing punitive expedi-
zion every remaining house was
burned, the witness declared, in rage
against Americans He told how sew
erai men who remained to protect what
they could were killed, some bodies be-
ing mutilated
Neater estimated the aggregate loss
o. the Chuichupa colony alone at $780,
ooV The other colonies, he believed.
nad lost equal amounts, making the
entire Mormon losses about $4,000. 900.
our coionists were law abiding
people and had never suffered q single
ARE. arrest for any cause" Veater said.
mere was no reason. except jealousy,
Sny we should have suffered. We ad-
vahced wages of our Mexican en-
ployees from so cents to 81 dav in
ten years. But after the revolution we
were at the mercy of any band that
happened along, and received the same
treatment from rebels. bandits or Fed
erals, and neither the MADEIRA, Huerta
nor Carranza government offered us
any aid
Even if the present Mexican govern
ment were in good faith" the witness
asserted, u believe the Mexican people
ere now so accustomed to general
Shaos, looting and disorder that there
Is no chance for establishment of our
colonies or reimbursement ~ +ba .
Try"
The witness declared some of the
eeolonists are now back in chihuahua.
11oplng to till their devastated land.
ne expressed little confidence in their
ability to do so.
The wreck of another American col
ohy, the Comacho Land Company's