The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-01-27
JUST HEARD OF WAR
American Engineer Had Spent Last 10
Years in Mexic0--Saw No Papers.

I ears IN meAlCO-SdW NO fdpSIS.
The World war had been fought and
won and he didn't know thing about
/ it. He was Mate Mcguire, an Ameri-
can engineer and graduate Of the Bos-
I ton Institute of Technology, who for
six years was q soldier OF fortune in
the rebel army of Mexico and for five
years and eight months a prisoner at
lhard labor in the Mexican salt mines,
during which he never saw the light of
day or a newspaper Of any kind. Ma
guire reached Tacoma n few days ago
after a thrilling escape from the mines,
in which he had been condemned to life
imprisonment after his capture by the
Mexican federals. He has just taken
Ia position in the county engineers Of
fee in Tacoma, says Tacoma letter to
the Portland Oregonian.
His story of soldering as an officer
in an A-eriean troop fighting for Ma
dera, and later under Villa, his personal
experience during the years of Mexican
disruption, his final capture and years
OF Imprisonment in the Chihuahua salt
mines and, lastly, his escape from the
mine in the uniform he had taken from
drunken guard. and long journey on
foot to the American border are Just
few of the features of Maguire's thrill
ing experiences.
Young and adventurous. Mcguire
joined troop of Americans who were
fighting under MADEIRA. He became sec
ond in command of all the troops and
was part of the time directly under
Villa. He was truly soldier of for
tune.
But one day Mcguire and two other
officers went into Chihuahua, because
they had heard trouble was brewing
there. They entered a cantina through
a rear enhance. Here they found sew
eral of Huerta's officers earousing
They had nothing TO do but surrender
to them. They were gagged, tied and
taken 65 miles on horseback to the
headquarters of the American half
breed, General HILL serving under I
Huerta. Here at a general court mar 4
tial they were sentenced TO life i'm 4
prisonment in the salt miles at Chi I
huahua.
1T was worse than death sentence
to us said Mcguire. 1--WE had heard
about the conditions of the salt mines,
where unbelievable conditions were ex-
isting and the workers were being just
tortured to death.
we were dropped some fifteen hun
dred feet in the ground in a bucket.
We felt as though we were being buried
alive and when at last | stepped into
he mine, with its few dim candles. the
famous lines. "All hope abandon We who
enter here entered my mind. Ii was
Just pure and simple hell Rats, gila
scorpions, lizards, lice and
,ther underground creatures were in
he surroundings. Food consisted Of
beans and labby pancakes
That we might get a little tobacco
We sacrificed part of our meals No
medical aid of any sort was available.
md the death rate ran about one pris
,ner day Their bodies lay uncoH
red for weeks sometimes In all the
I've and two-thirds years ! was in there
never saw newspaper OF magazine
n fact. didn't know there was such
hing as the World war.
But fate at last favored Us. The !
yards, we noted. were on a carousal
hat evening. When they came down
he shaft we ended their careers with
lows from huge stones. We donned {
beir uniforms and made of. went
oward the American border. which !
ras l39 miles, and the other two OIL .
ers went down south Ir
We'll, now ! am here, thank God. 4
ambition for adventure Is wonderful. I
ut adventure itself of this sort l. far d
rom entertaining
MaeJfire T. going to make a syste- {
iatie search Tor hi, family. which be =
III IN 1896 to 70 % Peru on an ex- q
edition. Nj