Evening star., 1949-05-30
Two Americans
Reported Killed
In Bolivian Riot
Seized os Hostages
In Tin Mine Strike;
$50 Troop Casualties
sy the Assoeiofsd Press

LA PAZ, Bolivia. May 30
Two Of seven American engineers
seized as hostages by 81. ikers at
the Patino tin mines have been
reported killed. A third American
is missing.
The rioting strikers hurled
dynamite bombs at troops sent
to the mines. Casualties. mostly
among the soldiers, were said to
number almost $50
D. c. Derringer. general man
ager Of the Patino mines ir Catavi.
said in a telephone interview the
dead men were T. H. O'Connor of
Pasadena. Calf. and Albert kreft-
ing of Seattle. Wash. He said
a Bolivian engineer named Vargas
also was killed.
Is Seized as Hostages.
Mr.. O'Connor was reported shot
in the neck while at the union S
headquarters. Mr.. Kreftirg was
said to have died of wounds
caused when a striker threw q
stick Of dynamite at the hostages.
Mr.. Derringer said the three
were among Is hostages seized by
the rioting strikers Saturday. The
workers broke into the homes of
the IS. seized them and took them
to union headquarters, where they
were reported beaten. The Is in
cluded the seven Americans. one
Argentine and seven Bolivians.
Mr.. Derringer said the missing
man is H. T. Peterson of Biwabik,
MINI.
He said three men were hos
pitalized: Wilbur j. Cook of Reno.
New: Pat Green of Wenatchee.
Wash, and Floyd w. Erickson Of
Cyrus, Mimi. The other abducted
engineers were identified as Rich
ard D. Elicit. who formerly lived
at Pullman. Wash. and T. r.
Woods Smith. whose home address
was not available.
u. s. Embassy Sends Plane.
The American Embassy sent a
plane to the Catavi region to
evacuate relatives, and dependents
Of American employees in the mines.
An American doctor from the
United States Health Mission went
along to help treat the wounded.
Headquarters of the Patino
mining empire here announced
the mines were being closed down
indefinitely. The Patino mines
produced $4,000 tons of tin in l948
almost half Of Bolivia's output
Of $1,000 tons.
The miners struck at the mine.
near Catavi. 200 miles southeast
of La Paz, Saturday. in protest
against the arrest and deportation
Of several union leaders.
A govern mept spokesman
charged the union leaders had
aimed at provoking a revolution.
The army and military police be-
gan q roundup Friday Of Political
agitators" who were accused Of
trying to smash Bolivia's pro
ductive forces" Tin Is Bolivia's
greatest resource and the coun-
try's economy is largely dependent
on the mines.
26 Deported to Chile.
Twenty-six men were deported
by plane to Chile Friday. The
arrested men included Senator
Juan Lechin, executive secretary
of the National Federation Of
Mine Workers: members of the
rightest National Revolutionary
Movement tMNR). army officers
accused of afflliating with secret
organization, and q few other
union leaders.
The mine owners recently were
ordered by the government to
comply with union demands for
increased wages. The company
said it was preparing to obey the
government order when union
leaders presented a new set OF
80 demands.
Bolivia has been In an unsettled
political state in recent months.
At least IL persons were killed
fSee BOLIVIA Page A