Imperial Valley press., 1922-12-01
MANY DIE AS MODS
FIGHT in STREETS
MEXICAN CAPITOL
Shortage of Water Supply
Leads to Riots With
Armed Soldiers
Telegraph Offices Suspend;
Fighting Widespread in
Business District
Bv FREDERICK NEUMEIER

d Z
Copyright, 1922, by the United Press
MEXlCO CITY, Dec. lis a. m.)-
Not since the tragic ten days of
1913 has Mexico City presented such
Il bloody aspect as dawn revealed this
morning, after a night of sanguinary
rioting.
The rising sun CLEANED upon the
shambles of historic Zocala, before the
portals of the smoke grimed, flame
scorched municipal palace.
Estimates of the dead ranged as low
as twelve and as high as 30. There
was no way of telling accurately at
this hour, as many of the dead had been
borne away by their friends and many
of the scores of wounded will die.
In 1913, during the tragic ten
days. the fighting was between two
groups of men striving for power.
Last night s battle was between horde
of thirst -crazed peasants, goaded to
frenzy because the city water supply
had failed, and the soldiers who stood
between the mob and the municipal
palace.
Early in the evening the throng form
ed People were angry. Agitators
mounted soap boxes and denounced city
officials for allowing the water plant
to be flooGed, which resulted III putting
the ely on ratioHs- water for one hour.
\ "Take overt he government and run
4 it yourselves, the speakers told the
crowd. Demand the resignation of
city officials. Sieze the city hall y
Fighting spread all over the business
district and into cafes and cabarets.
n. Of "a
to suspend business as instruments
were torn out
Great crowds marched through the
streets, fighting, singing and shouting
for water.
Water Plant Fails
About week ago, because of an
accident, the water plant was flooded,
and since that time water has been
available only for about an hour each
dav. Demonstrations leading UP to the
one last night and today were staged
almost daily.
Although the soldiers and police an
nounced today that the rioting had
been suppressed, confusion still pre-
vented an exact count of the casualties.
FL Nacional in an extra estimated
the dead as high as 80.
The municipal palace was dark and
ominousy silent when the rioters
marched into the enclosure before 1t.
They demanded the resignation OF Dr.
Alonzo Romero, the municipal presi-
dent Soldiers and police began trying
to disperse them.
crush the building cried one.
"Capture the municipal palace.
The people closely packed IN the
square and forced forward by the pres
sure of those behind them, hesitated
momemt-and then one man started
running toward the building. With
yell, the mob charged,
A ripple of rifle fire came from the
palace; then the machine guns started
their purr of death.
From that moment the historic ho-
calo became a bloody battlefield. Men
and women fell and were trampled to
death or dropped from the deadly ram
of machine gun pellets.
Gasoline was poured over scaffold
which had been erected against one
side of the structure by workmen max
ing repairs The fitful glare of flames
threw a weird light over the scene. Ihe
fire spread rapidly through the entire
interior of the building, as the machine
guns continued their grim chatter. Ihe
gunners were driven out by the blaze
but they held the crowd on the run
and kept it going.