The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-04
Hand OF Fate Seen In
Death. OF General
CarrillO

: 3
"a .predestinado man who was
born to save his. people and to die
for themsI see more and more clear
lily that lis what ! 7 Felipe Carrillo really,
was. 1t helps me to dominate the per-
sonal tragedy of his death when ]
realize that he was one of the great
figures who, IN dying. have logged the
world bit farther along.
+ Mrs. Alma nj. 81 Reed, newspaper
woman and archae0logist, American
fiancee of the late governor Of Yucca
etan, who was Aexecuted by revolving
troops January 3, just IL days be-
fore they were to have been married,
spoke. quietly of his death last week,
as she waited in New York to start
for Mexico again with an archaeolog-
ical expedition from the Carnegie In
stitntion.
Idolfzsd BY People
Carrillo death is recognized as one
of the darkest spots of the recent
lipheaval in Mexico, Idolized by his
people; he had accomplished remark
able things sin the was. s0f education
road building and progressive social
legislatiohsdt He shad Maya Indian
blood sof (which he was proud and his
ambition was to restore his people, to-
their ancient high civilization, with
the addition Of modern scientific adj
vancement.
During the de Ia Huerta uprising
Carrilfo declared his loyalty to- the
government Federal troops revolted
and seized the city of Merida. Car
riilO went TO the east coast with
few followers. The rebels captured
him and he and three Of his brothers
died before firing squad. They are
buried in ;aS little public cemetery at
Merida, and the epitaph on his grave
stone is Land and Liberty"
"A, professionally
L His birth and his whole career, ac-
cording ito Mrs. Reed, justify the word
used BY one of the brothers who was
shot with him--"he was predesti-
nadO.p a.
He was not only a descendant of
the last King of the Mayas," she said,
but also of their Spanish conuuerors.
the great Puerta family, though he
did not like to say much about that
HE always, considered himself a Maya.
The family is a remarkable one
Eelipe's father was noted man in
the, days Of Diaz and was made Jefe
Polltico of Yucatan, then the great
political plum. He resigned the office
because his duties required him to re-
turn escaped Maya Indians to their
masters Feiipes mother reminds me of
Roman matron. She has had 10 chill
dren aud she has not a gray hair IN
her head. She. always urged his sons
to fight for. their race. Once when there
was a very just revolution in Guate-
mala, wheresthe people are also Mayas.
she said to them Why do you remain
here when your people are struggling for
their lives? Have you hot guns y And
they went. His brothers always worked
with him, but he was always the
leader.
"The Maya Indians are wonderful
race. Their archaeology indicates a
civilization older than that Of Egypt
and superior to it. They always have
been a communistic people, owning their
land in common. The land was taken
| from them and they were unbelievably
oppressed. All knowledge, even, of their
former greatness was lost.
His First Revolt
From Felipe's boyho0d he had,
somehow, been looked to BY. the Mayas
to help them. His work began when
ne was only 10 years old, When he
was IL he was sent to Jail for IS
months because he intercedeti for "A
woman who was going to lie iisgracesl
YOU can imagine in what wa y-before
400 wOrkingmen of her own people. by
order of the hacendado;S4 just because
she had been late in returning from a
fiesta. Felipe could do, nothing with the
major domo of the hacendado,. SO he
appealed to the 400 workers and led
them to revolt. 1t was the. first or
ganized revolt in Yucatan.
"At another time he served %
months for trahslating the Mexican
constitution of 1917 into the Maya
Language, thereby proving to the In
dams that they were entitled to land