Evening star., 1924-08-16
MRS. EVANS FIGHT
FOR RANCH BITTER
Little Old Woman, Slain by
Mexicans, Kept Word
to Death.


have fired about 10. and we have
1.420 rounds OF ammunition"
This is an extract from a letter
written by Mrs. Rosalie Evans from
her ranch, Hacienda San Pedro, Cox
tocany, Anexco. state of Puebla, Mex
leo. May 81 Of the present year.
When H. A. Cunard Cummins, Brit
ish charge withdrawn from Mexico
last June at the request OF the Mexi-
can government, arrived in England
he told reporters: The last 1 saw
of Mrs. Evans she was fighting on the
roof of her home with agrarians."
Shot From Ambush.
August 2 dispatches from Mexico
told of the shooting OF Mrs Evans
from ambush as she drove homeward
with the pay roll for her employees.
AS she fell from the wagon her hair
caught in the spokes of a wheel and
her body dragged some distance.
And thus, in the dust of a Mexican
road, ended an episode in woman
life that for adventure and grim
courage and it's tragic consistent
close appears, from the meager ac-
counts that have got out Of Mexico.
to rank with the stories that tempted
the pens of Stephen Crane and ..
Henry.
Whether it will directly or indirect
ly affect Anglo-American relations
and the agrarian program OF the
Mexican government Is an open Ques-
ton; it is regarded as not Impossible:
But quite aside from its political
bearings it is a tale with a high and
exhilarating thrill in 1t.
1t has been hard to learn exactly
hot hannaninP at the Evans
ranch. Last February the corre-
spondent of an American newspaper
was ordered deported by the Mexican
secretary of the interior for persist,
ent misinterpretation OF politlca
news" the particular article to which
exception was taken being to the eff
feet that Obregon troops had burned
Mrs. Evans hacienda and that the
property was being held for former
Gov. Jose Sanchez of the state OF
Puebla, evidently to retain the realty
Of that leader and his followers to
the federal government IN the pres
ent crisis"
Tries to Defend Mrs. Evans.
Last June too, action was taken to
expeI H. A Cunard Cummins, British
charge. from Mexico. 1t was dropped
when it was learned that Eng .ano
was about to withdraw him. Cum
minis had been in Mexico for years
and had not been popular; but the
immediate difficulty arose, 1t was sald:
over his Intervention on behalf OF
Mrs, Evans of foreign relations
said: ..Cummins reported to his gov
ernment in exaggerated terms. stat
ing as facts untruths, as for example
he stated that Mexican soldiers had
burned and robbed the property OF
this lady, and also affirmed that Pres
ident Obregon had ordered senoln
an armed group against Mrs. Evans,
which placed her in danger.
June 16 Prime Minister Macdonald
Indicated that the British govern
ment took very grave view OF the
Cummins incident as a breach OF IN
ternational courtesy.
Facts about which there seems 10
be little dispute are these:
Mrs. Evans was born. a
native Of Brownsville, Tex, married
to an Englishmau. She has one SIS
ter. Mrs. w. ]. Pet+us. the wife of a
physician in the United States Marine
Hospital at San Francisco.
Nade Ranch Productive.
In 1906, she and her husband. who
was then president of the Bank OF
London in Mexico City. bought 2,1ot
acres of untitled land in the state OF
Puebla Gradually, without great
01ancl3l GeSOulSt anu ps Ai~AN
and patience, they made 1t Deau-
tiful ard productive ranch.
Mr.. Evans Joined the British Army
during the World War, and died IN
1919 of wounds received in service
Meanwhile the agrarian program OF
the Mexican government had peen
Under that program
estates can be seized and divided
Just what official steps, if any, were
REGARD the Evans
ranch is not clear. Her friends say
that efforts had been made for years
to get the ranch away from them
and that the attempts became forcible
bout four years ago. The govern
ment. it was said, had agreed to pay
Mrs. Evans, but was lnaeIiliite as "
how much or when or how: and she
knowing of cases in which owners
of lands taken under the agrarian
proeram had received no payment al
all, was doubtful.
Amba ssador Charles B. Warren told
newspaper men, July 49,, just as ne
was leaving Mexico for his home in
Detroit, that since 1922 and up to last
year several pieces of property had
been taken from Mrs. Evans ranch as
"eiidos." In 1923. he said. a presi-
Dental decree had been issued ex-
propriating the entire property for an
AGRICULTURAL school, this action having
ating for the purchase of the land by
the Mexican government for public
utility. The negotiations, however. had
never reached basis for purchase
and the decree still stood.
Irrigation Approach Taken
Last spring the agrarian district
near the Evans hacienda obtained an
"ejido" of from $50 to 200 hectares as
a grant to one ot the villages. This
land was an approach to Mrs. Evans
Irrigation system, and was therefore
important to her. She was permitted
to harvest the wheat crop from It.
and was at that time still combating
the appropriations and living in the
hacienda.
Mrs. Evans was well past middle
age at this time. gray haired, but
active and wiry: familiar with rifle OF
revolver and utterly fearless. Cum
minis said of her: IT consider her a
woman who turns up once in a hun.
dred years. She is very extraordi-
nary woman" The ranch was her one
great passion. She and her husband
had created it out of a wilderness. 1t
had been her home for years and she
had said she wished to die there.
Her friends say that when parties
of men began attempts to take por-
tions Of the ranch, Mrs. Evans was
forced to drive them of at the point
of a revolver. She was fired at, they
charge. To the agrarians and their
program she said simply: You car
kill me, but you are not going to rob
me-"
Letter Tells Of Plight.
The whole story of the dispute may
never be told. But early last June
friends in the United States received
letter from Mrs. Evans written ir
the primitive terms of bullets and
barricades and a burned home. She
said:
This may be my last letter, but
hope and believe that it will not be
Several days ago / put placards or
fields that armed men entering the
grounds did SO at their own,risk. Fol-
<~fl