The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-10-22
BY H. r. KNICKERBOCKER
Copyright, 1895, by International
News SerVice)

Copyright 1885, by International
News service)
TORRIJOS.-The hands of Dor
Aurelio Almoguera Montero, mayor
OF TorrijoS, still trembled as he
told us how he got back to town
and became its mayor because he
was the first to return after the
legion took it.
We sat at his table and gnawed
at the skeleton of the roast pig
with which he had saved our fam
ished lives and we listened with
gratitude and sympathy as he re
lated how he and go of his family
mcleS, auntS, cousins, had lived
out in the fields for the four days
before the legion got here.
II Of Family Killed
They hid out with good reason
because the reds had already
killed II of this numerous clan.
He said:
"The reds took TOrrijOS July
Fl, two days after Franco pro-
claimed the revolution, and
then we were in for it. You
know we run a soap factory SO
the reds considered us capital
lists. But it's just little soap
factory. Anyway all they did at
first was ask for money, and
out Of this tiny little town they
pressed 100000 pesetas.
1--WE all had to give every
penny Of cash we had. That
was nothing, as we learned
later. 1t was a month before
they began killing. Then on
August Is they killed five of the
towns best citizens. Then on
the next day they killed 20, and
of them IL belonged to my fam
lily. Can you blame us for leav-
ing?"
I asked who we're the actual
killers. Pedro Almoguera Mon
tero, uncle of the mayor. spoke up
and answered.
"They were all outsiders. Two
columns of reds came in here,
one from Catalonia and one
from Valencia. They were all
mixed up, some Communists,
but very few, some Socialists,
and good many Anarchists.
WOMAN is WORST
"The anarchists were the
blOOd-thirStieSt. They went about
shooting, Unfortunately, and
the worst of the lot was q red.
headed woman anarchist from
Madrid. 1 know to my own
knowledge that she personally
shot five people. Altogether here
in TOrrijoS they shot IS persons,
including seven nuns and four
priests"
1t was getting very late, about
$50 p. M, and we were so tired
we could hardly sit up straight.
These folks had been so good to
us, giving us food, that we hest
tated to ask them for a bed they
obviously had not got, but we were
desperate, and did ask. There was
a family council, good deal of
shaking of heads, but then the
mayor came out of the huddle and
told us to come with him.
He led us down the pitch-dark
street to house with such huge
iron bars on the doors and win
dows that you could understand
why it had not been looted. On
the door was a sign: This House
Is Occupied by the Legion!"
meaning hands off to everybody.
The house, as a matter of fact,
was completely vacant, and, al
though not plundered, was in a
state of extreme disorder. Never
theleSs, when the mayor led us
to the rear bedrooms and showed
us real beds, the first we had
slept in in over a week, we were
too delighted for words.
Payment Refused
We tried to put money in his
hands, but the mayor refused, in
dignantly, until we insisted he
take a contribution for repairs
of the church. This he accepted.
Fate cursed us that night be-
cause, with the finest bed under
me in ages, I found that famous
roast pig had been devoured too
hastily and the miserable little
wretch revenged himself. After
a bad nights rest I got up at
dawn and went to the town
square and joined the legion al
ready washing themselves at the
fountain. No Ritz Hotel bath
room ever afforded water that
felt so good as that cold stream
gushing from a pipe in the mid
die of rubbish-littered plaza.