Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VERA CRUZ TAKEN FOUR SAILORS KILLED SCORE ARE WOUNDED A FEIRCE RESISTANCE tan and Stripes Now float Over the Principal Seaport of Mexico— Huerta's Soldier* Fiercely Resist Occupation by American Forces— Shells frorn the Prarie’s Guns and American Marines Soon Capture fiastern Edge of the City.—Huge Shipment for.Huerta of Arms Ar rived Making the Seizure of Cus toms House Necessary to Prevent Their Delivery. ASKED TO SURRENDER CONSUL CANADA . TELEPHONED FEDERAL COMMANDER. Vera Crux Tuesday night wAs In the hands of forces from the United States warships, but the occupation of the port was not accomplished without the loss of American lives. Four American bluejackets and ma- rlnes were killed by the fire of the Mexican soldiers, and 20 feirfound ed. The Mexican loss is not known, but It Is believed to have been heAvy. ~ The water front, the customs house -ua4~aH Important- ■ ptotsr-lacludlag those under the terminal works In which extend the railroads to the ~CapltaTliSVfl~"boog occupied.—AH-the- territory around the American con sulate Is strongly patrolled and de tachments hold others ections of the dty. The Mexican commander, Gen. Gus tavo Maas, offered a stubborn resist ance to the American advance, and tor many hours there was lighting in the streets. Towiurd nightfall It was reported that the main, body of the Federal garrison was in retreat to the westward. Demands Surrender. Rear Admiral Fletcher, command ing the United States warships, per- faced his occupation of the port by a demand, through the American cen sus, W. W. Canada, .tor its surrender General Mass promptly declined to accede to this demand and shortly afterwards ten whaleboats were sent off from the side of the transport Prarle loaded with matinee. These boats effected a landing in the neighborhood of the customs house before noon and a few mlnutee Inter Capt Wm. Rush, of the battle ship Florida, who was in command of the operations ashore, brought his flag In. Capt. Rush's men already had tak en up their poeitlose. They number ed ISO bluejackets from the Florida, SOI. marines from the Prarle and 65 mariaea from the' Florida. Later these were augmented by a detach ment from the Utah. The coming of American forces was not heralded by any great excitement, but small crowds gathered to watch the landing. Soon the bluejackets and marines marched through the streets leading from the water front and along the railroad yards. Others proceeded to the American consulate, while still others were deployed along the approaches to the central plaza, In which Gen. Maas had concentrated his men. These manoeuvres were effected without opposition, but suddenly Gen. Mass challenged the advance with the first shots—a volley fired from a point three blocks from the marines and two blocks south of the main plaza. The marines replied Immediately, but Told Him That American Troops Were About to Land and Request ed Submission to Save Bloodshed. The demand for the surrender of Vera Cruz was made at nine o’clock in the morning. Consul Canada call ed Geri. Gustavo Mass, commandant of Vera Cruz, by telephone and pre- ■entert the demands, saying that the United States forces were about to occupy and hold the town. He called upon him to surrender in the name of humanity and assist the Americans In restoring order. Gen. Mass replied that compliance was impossible and asked the consul for a personal parley. The consul In formed Gen. Mass that he had no In structions to grant a parley and ended the conversation. He then called the jefe politico and the customs collec- ton by telephone and Informed them of the prospective landing and asked for their co-operation in the main tenance of peace. Neither could promise assistance. Fletcher Decides to Act. PRESIDENT WILSON TELLS THEM OF MEXICAN SITUATION. WANTS TO AVOID WAR Says That the People of This Coun try Havia^Heep Friendship for the People of Mexico, and Are Possesa- of No Wish to Mad die eased Mexican Affairs. In Rear Admiral Fletcher, aboard the flagship, by this time was in commun- leattetfr wHh -Roar- who was speeding towards the port with five warshlps._ Admiral Fletcher ■dccided-'lte ftet—and marines begafi" the side of the transport shortly before 11 o’clock. leaving Prairie They entered ten whaleboats and ef fected a landing within half an hour at the customs house and No. 4 pier. Information that President Huerta was counting on receiving from the steamer Ypiranga, of the Hamburg- Amerlcan Line, due to arrive Tues day, a big consignment ^of ammuni tion and machine guns, was responsi ble for the occupation of the customs house somewhat earlier than might otherwise have been-the case. The Ypiranga Is outside the harbor. She haa on board among other supplies ten thousand rifles and 15,000,000 eartrldgss. \ ' President Huerta had been making every effort to safeguard this con signment and had given orders that it be unloaded immediately and plac ed on a special train drawn by two ocomotlves and rushed to the Capital. ESCAPES FROM GANG. There was a lull for ten minutes, and then another brief exchange from the west end of Monteslnos street, where a Federal outpost was station ed. At 12:30 the firing became gen eral and at one o’clock the guns of the transport Prairie went into action. Prior to thls( a detachment of blue jackets from the Utah, holding the ground between the consulate and the water front, opened with two of their three Inch gons. The first shots from these places were directed on the ancient Benito Jaures tower, that once served as a llghthous. This was occupied by Mexican sharpahooters. Lieut Commander Buchanan, of the Florida, ordered that It be’destroyed. Five ehots brought the old tower to the ground. The women of the American colony In Vera Cruz had been placed aboard the chartered steamers Esperanza and Mexico, but the foreign colony, espe cially the American section, was Voatly augmented Tuesday earning when three trainloads arrived from .Capital. Some of these remained ashore, bntemany were taken aboard the sthju&ers. So far as can be learn- were injured 4 * & -'M Mb Negro Serving Term for Shooting Of- < . • fleer Gains Freedom. Ed Bynum, a notorious negro con vict, who was serving a ten-year sen tence on the Lexington county chain gang for having shot former Sheriff P. H. Corley when the officer went to arrest him, escaped from the' camp abont noon Monday. Bynum, who for the time being had been accorded the privileges of a trusty, was left washing clothes about one hundred yards from where the camp Is locat ed. He went to the camp for his dinner a little ahead of time and Is supposed to have left immediately. His escape was not learned until more than three hours afterwards. Bynum was convicted In the court of general sessions In June,-1909, and was sentenced to serve a period of ten years. During the month of January, this year, his sentence was commuted to nine years by the governor, and the prisoner was transferred to the Lexington county chain gang. S. Melton Corley, captain of the chain gang, announced that the county would pay -a-reward of >50- capture of the escape. Bynum Is de scribed as being a light mulatto, weight abont 145 pounds, five feet and aix or seven inches tall, and wears a No. 8 shoe. When last seen he was wearing blue overalls, brown shirt and black hat BALCONY FALLS. Eighty Young Ladles Crash to Audi torium's Floor. The collapse of the balcony in the new auditorium of the hall of the Woman’s college Friday night pre vented the presentation of the can tata "Queen Esther”. Just as the performance started and with the house full the balcony supports gave way and several persons sitting under the balcony were Injured. Only W. F. Vermillion of Donalds was se riously hurt, and It la not thought that he is fatally Injured. The Wo man's college girls occupying the bal cony escaped Injured. This audito rium Is probably one of the best col lege auditoriums in the State, and h«a Just been completed at a coat of 926,000, and the accident, which was so nearly serious, causes much dam- *k*.v - President Wilson laid the Mexican situation before congress Monday in theke words: Gentlemen of the congress: It Is my duty to call your attention to a situation which has arisen in our dealings with Gen. Victoriano Huerta at Mexico City which calls for action, and to ask your advice and co-opera tion In acting upon It. On the 9th of April a paymaster of the a United States steamship Dolphin landed at the Iturblde bridge landing at Tam pico with a whaleboat and boat’s crew to take off certain supplies needed by his ship, and while engag ed in loading the boat was arrested by an officer and squad of men of the army of Gen. Huerta. Neither the paymaster nor any one of the boat’s crew was armed. Two of the men were in the boat when the arrest took place and were obliged to leave it and submit to be taken into custody, notwithstanding the fact that the boat carried, both at her bow and at arrest was proceeding up one of the ffitffifitftfif the town with his prisoners when met by an officer of higher authority, who ordered him to return to the landing and await orders; and within an hour and a half from the time of the arrest orders were re ceived from the commander of the Huertista forces at Tampico for the release of the paymaster. Tried to Apologize. "The release was followed by apol ogies from the-commander and later by an expression of regret by Gen. Huerta himself. Gen. Huerta urged that martial law obtained at the time at Tampico; that orders had been is sued that no one should be allowed to land at the Iturblde bridge; and that our sailors had~nd right to land there. Our naval commanders at the port had not been notified of any such prohibition; and, even if they had been, the only justifiable course open to the loyal authorities would have been to request the paymaster and bis crew to withdraw and lodge protest with the commanding officer oh the fleet. Admiral Mayo regarded the arrest as so serious an affront that he was not satisfied with the apologies but demanded that the flag of the United States be saluted with special ceremony by the military com mander of the port, "The incident can not be regarded mm a trivial one, especially^ two of the men arrested were taken from the boat itself—that is to say, from the territory of the United States; but had It stood by itself it might have been attributed to the ignorance or arrogance of a single officer. Un fortunately, it was not an Isolated case. A series of incidents have .re cently occurred which can not but create the impression that the repre sentatives of Gen. Huerta were will ing to go out of their way to show disregard for the dignity and rights of this government and felt perfectly safe in doing what they pleased, mak ing free to show in many ways their irritation and contempt. A few days after the incident at Tampico an or derly from the United States steam ship Minnesota was arrested at Vera Cruz while ashore in uniform to ob tain the ship’s mail and was for a time thrown into jail. An official spate 1 • 1 ’ ther occasion for, explanations and professed regrets should arise, f therefore feel It my duty to sustain Admiral Mayo in the whole of his de mand and to insist that the flag of th4 United States should be saluted in such a way as to Indicate a new spirit and attitude on the part of the Huertlstas. "Such a salute Gen. Huerta has re fused and I have come to ask your approval and support in the course I now’ purpose to pursue. "This government can, I earnestly hope, in no circumstances,-be for jed into war i with the people of Mexico. Mexico is torn by clyll strife. If we are to accept the tests of its own con- stltutlon, it has no government. Gen. Huerta has set his power up in the City of Mexico, such as It is, without right and by methods for which there can be no justification. Only part of the country Is, under his control^ If armed conflict should unhappily come as a result of his attitude of personal resentment towards this government, we should be fighting only Gen. Huer ta and those who adhere to him and give him their support, and our ob ject would be only to restore to the people of the distracted republic the opportunity to set up again their own laws and their own government. Hopes for Peace. “But I earnestly hope that war is not now in question. I believe that I speak for the American people when I say that we do not desire to con trol in any degree the affairs of our sister republic. Our feeling for the people of Mexico is one of deep and genuine friendship and everything that we have so far-done or refrained from doing has preceded from our desire to help them, not to hinder or embarrass them. We would not wish even to exercise the good offices of friendship without their welcome and her stern, the flag of the United “■Wb'fl “ItlYaS "W6 aw rom tms government to its embassy at Mexico City was withheld by the authorities Of the telegraphic service until peremptorily demanded by our charge d’affaires in person So far as I can learn, such wrongs and annoyances have been suffered to occur only against representatives ol the United States. I have heard of no complaints from other govern ments of similar treatment Subse quent explanations and apologies did not and could not alter the popular impression, whlch-lt Is possible it had been the object of the Huertista ,* authorities to create, that the govern ' ment of the United States was being singled out and might be singled out with Immunity for slights and af fronts in Retaliation for its refusal to recognize the pretensions of Gen. Huerta to be regarded as the consti tutional provisional president of the republic of Mexico. ^ Might Grow Worse. The manifest danger of such a sit uation was that such offenses might grow from bad to worse until some thing happened of so gross and In tolerable a sort as to lead directly and inevitably to armed conflict. It was necessary that the apologies of Gen. Huerta and hia representatives should go much further, that they should he such as to attract the at tention of the whole entitled to settle their own domestic affairs in their own way, and we sin cerely desire to respect their right. The present stuation need have none of the grave Implications of interfer ence If we deal with it promptly, firm ly and wisely. "No doubt I could do what is nec essary in the circumstances to en force respect for our government without 1 recourse to the congress, and yet not exceed my constitutional powers as president; but I do not wish to act In a matter possibly of so grave consequence except In close conference and co-operation with both the Senate and House. 1 there fore come to ask your approval that I should tike the armed forces of the United States In such wars and to such an extent as may be necessary to obtain from Gen. Huerta and his adherents the fullest recognition of the rights and dignity of the United States, even amidst the distressing conditions ncw^unhappily obtaining In Mexico. - “There can In what we do be no thought of aggression or of selfish aggrandizement. We seek to main tain the dignity and authority of the United States only because we wlah always to kjeep our great influence unimpaired for the uses of liberty, both in the United States and wher ever else it might be employed for the benefit of mankind.’’ BilTEDJMEIUTE MOTION REFERRING TO HUERTA HAS BEEN BLOCKED. . t - * ‘ HOUSE VOTES 337 TO 37 MOVE TO TAMPICO. Mississippi and Torpedo Destroyers Are to Leave Pensacola. Equipped and ready, the United States torpedo flotilla at Pensacola, Fla., consisting of 22 destroyers and two tenders, and the battleship Mis sissippi with a navy aeroplane Sunday night waited for the flash on the wire less from Admiral Badger on the flag ship Arkansas of the Atlantic fleet telling them to pujt to sea to join the fleet on its way to Tampico. Seven hundred marines will go with the ves sels. The torpedo destroyers can make 30 knots an hour and even though the battleships which passed Key West early Sunday obtained a start of 2A hours the miniature fighters probably could overtake the fleet. Eight hydro-aeroplanes were re moved Sunday from their hangars ajDd placed aboard the Mississippi which la attached to the aeonautlc service. The Mississippi was coaling Sunday night and was ready within a few hours. Tl^e marines will be quartered aboard the Mississippi. The two tenders with the torpedo flotilla are the cruisers Dixie and Birming ham. The lattet is the fastest cruiser in the nary. -- FLETCHER'S REPORT. Hear Admiral Sends Dispatch Telling of Mexican Fighting. Secretary Daniels made public at Washington the following dispatch received from Admiral Fletcher at sl/p. m. Tuesday: Tuesday, In face of approaching northerr-landed marlnee- asd s^lrers from battleships ytah, Florida and transport-Pralrle and seized customs house. Mexican forces did not oppose landing, but opened fire with rifle and artillery after pur seizure of customs house. Prairie shelling Mexicans out of their positions. Desultory firing Members of Upper House Object to Individualizing Action Against Huerta—Resolution is Altered and Carried Over—House Passes it by Enormous Majority. In twenty-four hours, possibly less, the United States government will have taken possession of the Mexico customs houses at Tampico and Vera Cruz. Detailed plans for landing of marines at these two important coast towns were completed Monday at a conference at the White House between President Wilson, Secreta ries Bryan, Garrison- and Daniels, Major Gen. Wood and Rear Admirals Fiske and Blue and John Lind. ' Persons in touch with the presi dent said the steps “short of war’’ which would be taken by the United States were of a nature which would not require formal notification to the powers in the same sense tha'f a dec laration of blockade or other prelim inaries to war. Foreign governments will be kept informed of develop ments, however. The debate in the House brought out the fact that while the American navy probably would block Mexico off from commerce with the United States, it would not interfere with the sels, though cargoes discharged on the shore might be held at the cus toms houses. The following resolution passed the House by a vote of 337 to 37 after a spirited debate; "A' joint resolution justifying the employment of the armed forces of the United States in enforcing certain demands against Victoriano Huerta: "Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives, in congress assembled, That the president of the United States is Justified In the em ployment of the armed forces of the United States to enforce the demands upon Victoriano Huerta for unequlv ocal amends to the government of the United States for affronts and in dignities committed against this gov ernment by Gen. Huerta and his rep resentatives." During the evening there were in formal conferences of Democrats and Republicans, and opposition to the phraseology of the resolution was ap parent. Many senators, among them a few Democrats, objected to sing ling out Gen. Huerta as an individual, and wanted to amend the resolution to direct it against the de facto gov ernment in Mexico City. Others wanted to make this resolution broad enough to cover Mexico generally. A high official who was in confer ence with the president pointed sig nificantly to the fact that the Consti tutionalists need not be nervous over the situation, for the president’s action was aimed entirely against Huerta. It was said that one of the reasons the White House was insist ent on individualizing Huerta in the resolution was to prevent the Consti tutionalists from isnterpretng pres ent. movements as threatening hos tilities against them or the Mexican people generally. The Senate adjoufned before the consideration of the resolution came up. The committee on foreign rela tlons had agreed npon a substitute resolution, reading: "In view of the facts presented .by the president of the United States in his address delivered to the congress In Joint session the 20th day of April, 1914, in regard to certain af fronts and indignities committed against the United States in Mexico, be it "Resolved, That the president Is justified in the employment of the armed forces of the United States to enforce his demands for unequivocal amends for affronts and indignities committed against the United States; be it further “Resolved, That the United States disclaims any hostility to the Mexican people or any purpose to make war upon them.’’ The purpose of the new resolution. It was said, was to avoid the appear ance of a personal Issue between the United Statee and Gen. Haerta, and also to avoid any misrepresentation of the attitude of this government toward the Mexican people as a whole. Send More Troops to Coast. Three regiments of,infantry at San Francisco have been ordered to the Mexican border, 1 An artillery regi ment at Fort Riley, Kan., has also been ordered to the southern border, —rr- Hog Attacks Negro Child. . Both arms were chewed off a three months old negro baby of Clover Monday .by a large hog which attack ed the child in the absence of Its. par ents.' V." ' - s THREE MORE ARE DESULTORY FIGHTING STILL GO* . • / TV. : \- ; v IN ON AT VERA CRUZ. Admiral Fletcher Wires Secretary of the Navy That There Are 5,400 Marines Ashore. Admiral Badger Thursday night reported to the navy department that three more men had been killed and twenty-five wounded in the fighting at Vera Cruz. This is in addition to the four killed and twenty wounded on the first day. Secretary Daniels Thursday night gave the news in this statement: "Admiral Badger wires that he landed the battalion from the Ml4- nesqta, Michigan and South Carolina yesterday afternoon, and that the landing forces how ashore totals about 5,400 men: The Minnesota, Chester, Prairie and San Francisco- are lying In the inner harbor. "Admiral Badger reports that as a result of desultory firing, which con tinued about the city Wednesday night and Thursday morning, three more American sailors were killed and about twenty-five wounded. “The landing party now occupies all the city and outposts hare been stationed on the sand hills in the rear, who have been engaged in con structing defensive works. "Admiral Badger, in command oa shore, is making every effort, to iif“ duce Mexican municipal authoritiL_ to resume their duties' and take tr^ the early administration of the city: He reports negotiations fairly suc cessful. All work in the city is still gl^pped-and no. hnsiness is being, transacted. The public service util- ites have stopped because the em ployees refuse to run the eventual risk of resuming employment. • “Very little food supply has been coming into the city and it is thought that in a few days the question of feeding the people of the city will be come paramount and that it is pos sible the United States will be called on to furnish food. The water sup ply Is causing anxiety. “The Mexican forces are disposed along the railroad, and while Ad miral Badger reports the rumor that they are preparing to attack, he add* that it is doubted that this is true, and expresses his belief that any at tack can be successfully resisted. WANTS HIM WITHDRAWN. Huerta Asks the United States to Re call O'Shaughneesy. Huerta has requested the United States to withdraw Nelson O’Shaugh- nessy, American charge d'affaires at Mexico City. That was stated at Washington Wednesday on good au thority, but has not been offlclally- announcetd. -c The reported action of Haerta in asking the withdrawal of Charge O’Shaughneesy and Instructing Charge Algara to demand his pass ports, technically constitutes a com plete breach of diplomatic relationa between the United States and Hner- ta’s government, though whether Secretary Bryan Is willing to regard it as more than act of individual not of the actual government of ico, remains to be seen. There is no precedent for a ref to accede to the demand for passports nor to fall to withdraw a diplomatic representative upon demand of an es tablished government but the present situation, involving as it does a de facto administration which the Unit ed States has not recognized, never before has arisen. Such a severance of diplomatic re lations though-not necessarily A pre lude to war, Is one of the steps that must be taken If war is to be for mally declared and It is surmised in some quarters Huerta is now about to take that step. MINERS FIGHT. Strikers of Colorado Join In Fierce Conflict With Troops. A 14-hour battle between striking coal miners and members of the Colo rado National Guard in the Ludlow district Monday culminated In the killing of Louis Tikas, leader of the Greek strikers and the distraction of the Lndlow tent colony by fire. Re ports received place the dead at 13, including 11 strikers, one soldier and one non-combatant. . After an all-day battle between armed strikers and small detach ments of State troops, the Ludlow district practically was Isolated. AH telephone wires were down and tele graph service waa limited to one rail road wire.' The military force totals about 100 and fully 400 armed strik ers were said to be in the hills.* jH War News Explodes Glass Eye. M. C_ Canterbury, a fanner-nea Huntlngtpn, . Va., was leaning over hi paper with hH attention ffvlted o. Mexican war story when with a 1c report his artificial eye bnnt and shower of glass fall on the paper, was anjnjared.