Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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* AHjraWNMhyiHteiKtfv,.;« mt*OHStK*i. -y" i. ■r" " . I " ■ v, : I WILL NOT FIGHT MEXICO • V TO U. S. CITIZENS WILSON TALKS TO CORRESPON DENTS AT WASHINGTON. REFUGEES AT VERA CRUZ TELL STORY PAPERSFAKED NEWS Mexican Capital Scene of Exciting Times When Newspaper Extras Tell of Seizure of Vera Cruz— Peo- pre Are Told That Border Towns Have Been Captured, That U. 8. JBattleship Louisiana Has Been Sunk and- That Constitutionalists Have Allied Themselves With Fed* erab. A refugee train of fourteen cars from Mexico City carrying 150 Ameri cans, 100 Germans and 300 Spaniards and Mexicans and 50 Englishmen ar rived at Vera Cruz Thursday evening. The exodus from the capital was ar ranged through the joint action of the. British, and German diplomatic officials with the war office, i. —. About three miles from Vera Cruz a section of track nearly a mile long was found torn up. 'I'he refugees carried their baggage to a train on the Vera Cruz end of the break, which" the British, co-operating with the Americans, had sent out. A de tachment of British marines unarm ed, acted as escort to the refugees on this last stage of their Journey to .Vera.-Cruz. mum mm NOTE WHICH LED WASHINGTON TO EXPECT ALLIANCE OF REBELS AND FEDERRLS From the refugees It was learned that on Wednesday there were fur ther street demonstrations by mobs. In one of the principal streets an American flag was thrown to the ground and trampled by the demon strators. It then was draged out and the performance repeated. Later it was torn to shreds amid the yells of the crowd and handclapping from spectators in windows and balconies. Immediately after the news of the landing of American bluejackets and marines at Vera Crus was made known in tht federal capital by extra editions of the local newspapers, crowds of students and govarnment office employees began to gather. By dusk a mob had been assembled in front of Jhe American club where they smashed windows and howled Insults and threats at the American citizens inside, all of whom they threatened to assassinate. An ap peal to the governor of the federal district brought police protection, but not before the crowd had shattered many of the windows in the clubhouse and in adjoining properties belonging to Americans. Until 2 o’clock in the morning bands of excited Mexicans marched ' through the streets singing the Mexican national anthem and shout-, 'log “death for the Americans”. An American jewelry store was looted by the mob at midnight. The police looked on bat took no action. - The newspapers, probably acting under the directions of Gen Hnerta Issued many extra editions in which they printed dispatches stating that B1 Paso, Laredo, Nogales and other places had been taken by the Mexi cans. Other dispatches announced that the federal troops had gained a great victory at Vera Cruz where they expected to surround and drive the invaders into the sea. Th papers also declared that the battleship Louisiana had been sunk by Mexican torpedoes. An alleged dispatch from the south said that Emiliano Zapata, the southern rebel was coming to Join forces with Gen. Telegraphic Letter to Secretary Bryan Caused a Flutter in Administration ——Circles, Which Had Not Expected to War Against the Rebel Part of the Country. News that Gen. Venusflano Car ranza, Constitutionalist chief, might regard the seizure of Vera Cruz by the American naval forces as an act of hostility to the Mexican nation fell like a bombshell In official circles at Washington Wednesday night. President Wilson had especially disclaimed any act of hostility to the Mexican people, particularizing Gen. Huerta as the object of the American operations to secure resprisal for of fences at Tampico and else'where against the American flag. Conse quently the Washington government had hoped the Constitutionalists would not interject themselves into the imbrogfilo. The Carranza letter, however, confirmed the fears of many officials that the Constitutionalists might side with Huerta. In connection with this we call at- tenton to the - conference between Villa and American Special Agent TBEFIIST FIGHT Huerta. Carotherz on Thursday In which the possibility of joint action between the rebels and Federals was swept away. Read the article In another column entitled “Won’t Join Huerta.” Be low we give Carranza’s complete note for those who would like to read it: The unofficial translation of the text of the letter, which was directed to United States Consul J. C. Caroth- ers to he transmitted to Secretary Bryan and by him to President Wil son, is as follows: "Awaiting the action of the Ameri can Senate on your Excellency’s mes sage directed to said body, caused by the lamentable incident which oc curred between a crew in a whaleboat of the cruiser Dolphin and the sol diers of the usurper, Huerta, certain acts of hostility have been executed by the naval forces under command of Admiral Fletcher at the port of Vera Cruz, and in the face of this violation of national sovereignty which the Constitutionalist govern ment did not expect from a govern ment that had reiterated its desire to maintain peace with the Mexican peo ple, I comply with the duty of ele vated patriotism in directing this note to you with a view of exhausting all honorable means before two friendly nations sever the pacific relations that still unite them. Acte Not Legitimate. “The real people of Mexico have not recognized as its executive a man who had pretended to launch & blem ish on its national integrity, drown Ing in blood its free institutions, con sequently the acts of the usurper, Huerta, and his accomplices do not signify legitimate acts of sovereignty, and much less do they represent the sentiments of the Mexican nation. "The lack of representative char acter n Gen. Victoriano Huerta, as concerning the relations of Mexico with the United States as well as with Argentine republic, Chile, Brazil and Cuba, had been clearly established with the justifiable attitude of these nntlnna, Says He Has an Enthusiasm for Jus tice and Dignity But No Enthu siasm for War. The following portion of Presi dent Wilson's talk with the Washing ton correspondents on the MexiCon situation was authorized Monday at the White House. The president said: "I want to say to you, gentlemen, do not get the impression that there is about to be war between the United States and Mexico. That is not the outlook at present at all. In the first plaSe, in no conceivabie circumstances will we fight the people of Mexico "We are their friends and we want to help them in every way that we can to recover their rights and their govercpteht and their laws; and for the present I am going to congress to present a special situation and seek their approval to meet that special situation. “It is only an issue between this government and a person calling him self the provisional president of Mex ico, whose right to call himself such we have neve j recognized ip any way. “So that I had a feeling of uneasi ness as I read the palpers this morn ing, as if the country were getting on fire with war enthusiasm, I have no enthusiasm for war;. I havejan en thusiasm for justice and for the dig nity of the United States, but not for war. And this need not eventuate into war if we handle it with firm ness and promptness.” Mr. Wilson said the executive could take steps which would fall short of a declaration of war. The president emphasized that he had not lost his patience with Mexico, for to lose pa tience seemed to him an act of weak ness 4)n~iha part of a person strong enough to do as he ought, but that he felt such incidents as recent ones might go from bad to worse and eventually bring about a conflict. The president added that he thought it was wise in the interests of peace to cut off those repeated ofr fenses at an early stage. • Events of the day, the president indicate, such as a final acceptance from Huerta, might alter his plans and he added that even the course of action by the navy waa dependent upon drcum- stances from hour to hour. When the president was asked the direct question if the purpose of his action was to secure the elimination of Huerta he replied the Tampico in cident did cot Involve that question. He replied the United States merely wanted full recognition of its dignity and such a recognition as would con stitute a guarantee that such inci dents as the one at Tampico would not recur. Within the Dillgend* Hotel thoro were 40 Americans—most of teem women—who had feeen there elnoe the beginning of hostllltlee. When the sqoare was taken they were Im mediately notified that they might go to other places If they so desired, but that they probably would Incur no further danger by remaining in the hotel. it was not until late Tuesday that the last of pen. Maas’ men on top of the hotel received wvlteen orders froffi outside the city to vacate their posi tion. The order was obeyed by a portion of the hundred men who were occupying the roof and vantage points is. the Interior but some of the band determined to disobey the orders am} fight to the last. Nevertbelets they surrendered Wednesday mdfning. A lieutenant in command of the Mexi cans was led out a prisoner and al though he had fought despesately be | trembled and turned pale in the belief that he would be summarily executed. None of the American women were 4», > i HOW AMERICAN TROOPS Tl'KEI> VERA CRUZ. N • , * t ‘ ^ " ♦ 1 1 STORY OF THE FIGHTING i .. 1 . i » Mexican Troops Opened Fire Upon American Soldiers and the Trans port Prairie Returns Assault With Telling Effect—Navy Turns its Guns Towards Huerta's Position. The city of Vera Cruz was in un disputed possession of the American invading forces early Wednesday af ternoon. Although there was no or ganized force used against them and the snipers were less in evidence I an y way mistreated by the Mexl- than at any time during the fighting, can9 during the occupation of th® eight Ameticans were killed and some | i * ew the women help ed the Mexicans in caring for the wounded. In the center of the Inner harbor, San Juan De Uloa, an ancient stone fortress, flew the Mexican flag throughout the attack. The com mandant and sixty armed men and WONT JOIN HUERTA VILLA SAYS ALL EUROPE WOULD LAUGH AT REBELS. WISH AMERICANS LOCK 30 wounded. While the Mexicans suffered more severely the number of^their vasual- ties has not been ascertained but the best estimates obtained by Captain Wm. R. Rush, of the battleship Flor ida, indicated that in the engage ments of Tuesday and Wednesday 300 workmen in the navy yard peer- their dead amounted to'about 150. ed from the embrasures at the No person knows how many Mexicans I ^ ra * r * e and °^® r a MP 8 * shelling fell wounded as a large part of them the naval academy. In the dungeons were hidden by friends. were 500 prisoners. In the streets about the plaza Wed- Capt. Stfckney of the Prairie went nesday afternoon lay 15 or 20 bodies. Uhrough the fortress several days ago a majority of them attired in citizens | and found some heavy guns, five tor pedoes and a torpedo tube in a corru gated iron shed outside the wall of the fortress. When the landing of the Americans was ordered Capt Stickn’ey sent word.to the command ant of San Juan De TT15a that he '-would blow him to pieces with the clothing. Some of the men evidently had been dead since the engagement of Tuesday and the tropical heat made their immediate disposal im- perative^ When the city was taken, the American marines were ordered to advance carefully and search every Prairie’s guns if he opened fire building for men bearing arms. | a K a l n8 f fh® Americans, but that oth- Scores of prisoners werb taken, most er wi 8 ® he would not be disturbed, o'f them protesting that they . were IT*!® commandant replied that he not guilty of any unfriendliness what-1 would answer with Jiis cannon if fired ever toward the Americans. Accus- on ^ut b® would not begin hostilities, tomed as the Mexicans are to their I When the engagement ashore began, own contending forces shooting im- commandant hosted a brilliant mediately all prisoners, the captured I new Mexican flag, which flew all d*y men could not believe that they M on *- would receive less drastic treatment Rear Admiral Fletcher Instructed at the hands of the Americans. the Spanish cruiser Carlos V to go The most spirited action of Wed-1 give the Prairie room to fire her guns, nesday, was the taking of the naval The Spanish commander refused, say- academy. Aside from that fight there I ing that he dared not manoeuver his was no definite brganlded opposition boat in so small a space at night He encountered by the Americans. A I also declared he needed to take on a hot fire was poured Into the marines supply of fresh water. Admiral from the naval college, which for a Fletcher insisted that his order be time held them back, but a few shots carried out and the Carlos V moved from the cruisers Chester, San Fran-1 outside Just before the attack on the Cisco and Prairie tore gaping holes center Of the city began, in the stone walls and silenced the when Admlr|ll Fletcher directed rifle fire of the Mexicans Inside. Thel that batullon , of bluejackets and FEAR FOR HIS SAFETY. Bryan Telegraphs to O’Shaughneesy Now in Mexican CapitoL Secretary Bryan going to the White liouse at 1:15 Wednesday said he had received no word from Charge O’Shaughnessy since Monday. The last message from Mexico City came from the American consulate Tuesday forenoon. Mr. Bryan appeared worried about Mr. O’Shaughnessy and cabled him to report. The secretary was sure, however, that If anything had hap pened to O’Shaughnessy, legations would have through their home gov ernment informed the United States. Press reports have stated that tele graph wires from Mexico City to Vera Cruz were Cut Tuesday, which would probably account for the lack of In formation. "fie Negro Switchman Killed. While coupling a train at Abbeville Saturday Frank Jackson, a negro ■Pitchman, lost his ^balance and fell under the wheels. avoid. A Weakened Nation. “In the face of the real situation, through which Mexico traverser, weak, more so than ever after three years of bloody strife, and compared with the formidable power of the American nation In considering the acts committed at Vera Cruze as acts highly offensive to the dignity and in* dependance of the nation and contary to your reltertarted declaration of not desiring to sever the state of peace and friendship with the Mexican na tion, and in contradiction also with the resolution of _the American Sen ate, which has just declared that the United States does not assume aginst the Mexican people; neither do they propose to levy war against it, con sidering also that the hostile acts al ready accomplished exceed those ex acted by equity, for the desired end which may be considered as satisfied. “It not being on th^ other part, the usurper, wbo in all Bases should have the right to constithe a reparation, I interpret the sentiment of a great ma- biuejackete then were enabled to pro- j ceed with their task. A squad of soldiers continued to give considerable trouble to the I Americans from the battered Benito | Jnarez tower. After they had been marinea be landed from Rear Ad miral Badger's ships before dawn and drawn up In the plaza before the rail road station and then proceed to take the entire town he acted only after giving warning and after fifteen silenced and removed from the tower, 8hell8 from ihe FnMe ,, three-inch it was discovered that they had con tinued fighting for lack of ability to do anything else. The shells from the warships Tuesday had torn away the stairway in the tower and the Rebel General Says He Americans Will so Bottle Up Yera Cruz That the Mexiclaa Can’t Even Get Water—Say It Wcyld Take Him a Long Time. - Gen. Francisco Villa, head of tee rebel military forces, informed Geo. C. Carothers, special agent of tha United States department Tnarsday night that he will decllne to be drag ged nto a war with the United Staten by anybody. “Why," he smiled, as the threw an arm about the shoulders of the gov ernment representative, "all Europe would laugh at us if we went to war with you. They would say, “That little drunkard, Huerta, has drawn them into a tangle at last.’ ” Villa said he was not consulted In the drafting of the Carranza net® transmitted to Secretary Bryan Wed nesday night, and which was regard ed as somewhat hostile In tone. The rebel leader told Carothers, who re ported the interview to the State de partment, that one of the chief rea sons he came to Juarez was to show the American people that his attitndo was friendly, and that he did not fear to trust himself on the border with out a military escort behind him. Carothers took supper with Villa and canvassed the situation thorough ly. T ‘Honest? r said the rebel gonenl between mouthfuls, "I hope the Americans bottle up Vera Cruz so that they can’t even get water into it. Your'admiral is doing something it would have taken us a long time to accomplish, even if we could have accomplished it all.” Villa said he had arranged gith all foreigners, except Spaniards, to ship out their cotton from Torreon on pay ing a war tax, to which the foreign- . ers had agreed. Roberto V. Feegniera, Carranza’s confidential agent, insist ed that the note of his chief to Sec retary Bryan was not hesttle, bet was intended as a basis for feither nego tiations. He waa expecting a reply from Mr. Bryan setting forth the views of the State department. The rebel position is that the American troops should bo withdrawn from Mexlcon soil, Carranza recogniz ed as de facto president or at least as s belllgerant, and the ponlshmept of the Individual Huerta and the oth er Individual offenders laft to the rebels. Cararnia, If recognised, would not hesitate to apologise and disavow ths acts of one whom he con sider* a traitor. it. nize the usurper, in this way lending a valuable moral support to the noble cause I represent. "The usurped title of the president of the republic can not invest Gen. Huerta with the right to receive a de mand for reparation on the part of the United States, nor the right to grant such satisfaction'as Is due. Hnerta a Culprit. "Victoriano Huerta Is a culprit, who is amenable to the Constitution alist government, to-day tge only one under the abnormal circumstance of our nation, which represents the na tional sovereignty. "i’he illegal acts committed by the usurper and his partisans and those which they may yet perpetrate shal be tried epd punished with inflexi bility and promptness by the tribu nals of tb® Constitutional govern meet. • “The Individual acts of Huerta never will be sufficient to Involve the Mexican nation in a disastrous war wtth * 1 * * * * * * the Halted ■ BU»3ee, because there so jealous of its rights and respectful of foreign rights, I invite you solely to suspend the hostile acts already Initiated, ordering your forces to eva cuate all places n the port of Vera Cruz, and to formulate before * the Constitutionalists’ government, which I represent as Constitutionalist Gov ernor of the State of Chihuahua and first chief of the Constitutionalist amry, the demand on the tpart of the United State for the acts which or-gll nated at the port of Tampico, in the security that the demand will be con sidered in a spirit of elevated justice and conciliation. “The Constltutionlist. Governor of the State of Coahulia and first chief of the Constitutionalist army. “V. Carranza." is no solidarity whatsoever between the so-called government of Victo riano Hnerta and tnh Mexican nation "Moreover, the invasion of opr ter ritory and the permanency of your forces In the port of Vera Cruz ate a violation of tha rights that consti tutes oar a Bandits Rob Registered Mall. Twenty registered mail packages was the loot obtained by a man who held up a train of Southern Pacific which left Los Angeles Monday night for. Ban Eraadsoo.* - -—;*-' guns had been thrown into the steel frame work of the new market. A persistent but scattered fire came from rifles in the market during all ... ,, , . . .the early hours of the morning and men had been .compelled to remain in| Admlral Badgar . a men landad to the whining accompaniment or rifle bul- At 10 o clock Wednesday morning I jets over their heads. the Americans were in undisputed I When the rush started, Admiral possession of all the city except the [Badger’s bluejackets, clad in orange southwest quarter in which the bar-[colored clothing, made for them on racks are situated and a few outlying | the cruise down by dyeing white nni- districts. At noon they had taken the [ forms with iron rust, moved in close barracks. When the city prison, [column formation up the water front, which faces the main plaza of the past the market and across the front city, was captured,lieutenant Com-[of the naval college, a long three- mander Buchan of Ihe Florida in-[story structure built of adobe stone, spected. There was great surprise [Th^. column moved steadily forward among the Mexicans who had gather-1 until the first company had passed ed there that thd prisoners were not beyond the college and the remainder released. They had been accustomed were covering the whole front close to seeing the victor always release against the wall, prisoners and then Impress them all| Suddenly a spatter of rifle firing in his own army. broke out. Flashes from the rifles Chief of Police Anontio Villa Vln- were visible in the upper windows of cencio was taken prisoner by thejthe college and along the roof. The Americans shortly after they had oc-[ Jackies stood their ground pluckily ome of them huddled Close 10 ihe ° was suggested to him that he con-[wall to avoid the hail of bullets tinue in his official capacity to direct from above while others dashed the city’s protective system. He took across a small open space directly in the matter under advisement. Had front of the. building. These blue- the frightened mayor made up, his | jackets dropped on their stomachs mind to accede to Admiral Fletcher’s and lifted their rifles high in order suggestion, the Mexicans might have to get a range on the windows. Fin- been spared the humiliation of being ally the officers hustled their men forced from their positions and un- eitlier forward or backward until doubtedly a number of Jives would they were In shelter of nearby .build- not have been sacrificed. lugs. Coincident with the orders for the| The Jackies in front held their general advance of the Americans, an | places, however, and the Pairle sent aged Mexican carrying the white flag [shell after shell from her three-inch of true came down a street from-4he [ battery into the windows of the col- center of the city. He carried a let- J lege, huge columns of red dust leap- ter to the chief of police, the only [ing upward as each shot went home, authority he hoped to reach, and de-|The Chester also joined In with her sired Consul- Cfthada to read it. It six-inch shells and tore great gaps In waa an urgent appeal to the chief of the roof of the college. Far to the police to call off the snipers and pre-1 right In the harbor the mine ship vent the bombardment he believed | San Francisco opened with her flve- would follow if they continned their [inch guns. Taking the front of the shooting. Even before the meesen-[college, the mine ship shot out win ger had climbed the stairs Into the dow by window, planting the shells He was asked If ths wsrds used by Carranza, “will drag us into an un equal warfare with dignity, but white until to-day we desired to a veld," did desire war. “Not at all,’’ be replied. It couldn’t mean teat, bsrsese I know my chief wants peace.” Pesqueira said, as giving evljteaee of the peaceful intention of the rebel government,' tbnt Carranna bad re fused, a number of officers from Fed eral garrisons to Join him If he would take the field against the United States. "To all of these offers, we have returned negative replies,” said Pesqulera. "We can not join forces with Huerta for any purposes.” VICTIMS OF FIGHTING. List of the Killed and Partial list of Wounded at Vera Qrua. One battalion of marines ef the second advance base regiment from the Prairie and marines attached to other ships, as well as a portion of X- Engineer Killed in Wreck. James Clark, an engineer, was kill ed at Rockftsh, Va.. Tuesday when his epglne and the baggage ter Jollow- Ing dashed into a ditch. !# ’ “ consul’s office, Captain Rush was In t 9 aii ~tx: tbe “a-tjL tm imu,.... 'Bounded "cease fir ing” and "halt”. But It was too late. Ths action had been begun all along the 11ns. and it was not considered wise to attempt further measures to stop .iL . The commanders ordered their men forward at double quick, white they carried out with , a vigor gave thorn the with the precision of target practice. After 15 minutes of firing, tee Prairie ted the Satt Francisco ceased 10 participate hi ttnr and the column of Jackies formed again and pushed sturdily ahead, de ploying around the front of the col lege. A few shots were directed at them but noee came from the eoUege. firing had virtually The Chester continued hurting shells into any building where snipers lurk ed and also far out late the the sailors, probably about one-half of the ship’s company, comprise the force that engaged the Mexicans at Vera Cruz Tuesday. According to Galveston diepatehes those killed were: Coxswain Shoe maker, Corporal Haggerty and Sea man Pouissett, all of the battleehip Florida. The name of the fourth man Could not be learned. Tbe wounded include C. L. Leahy, U. Schwarz, C.“ D. Cameron, J. F. Plese, seaman of the Florida; Elec trician Gelsburn of the Florida, and D. D. McMillan, private. Second ma rine regiment, from tee transport Prairie. buildings and organising squads of guards at street intersections. The fire along the front gradually slackened and then died ont hut the Chester sent a few phots out Into the hills before ceasing..) , The Hancock, with 700 marines on hoard, and tee battleship Michigan arrived too late The wounded and tee were taken aboard the Prairie the arrival of the Solace, about: Wednesday. ImmfeUately mini Badger