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FIRST BLOC VERA C | FOUR SAILORS KILLED SCORE ARE WOUNDED * A FEIRCE RESISTANCE Stars ?iiU Stripes Now Float Over the Principal Seaport of Mexico? Huerta's Soldiers Fiercely Resist Occupation by American Forces? Shells from the Praric's Guns and American Marines Soon Capture Eastern Edge of the City.?Huge Shipment for Huerta of Arms Arrived Making the Seizure of Customs House Necessary to Prevent Their Delivery. Vera Cruz Tuesday night was in the hands of forces from the United States warships, but tlie occupation of the port was not accomplished without the loss of American lives. Four American bluejackets and marines were killed by the fire of the Mexican soldiers, and 2 0 fell wounded. The Mexican loss is not known, but it is believed to have been heavy. The water front, the customs house and all important piers, including those under the terminal works in which extend the railroads to the Capital have been occupied. All the territory around the American consulate is strongly patrolled and detachments hold others ections of the city. The Mexican commander, Gen. Gustavo Mass, offered a stubborn resistance to the American advance, and for many hours there was fighting in the streets. Toward nightfall it was reported that the main body of the Federal garrison was in retreat to the westward. Demands Surrender. Hear Admiral Fletcher, commanding the United States warships, perfaced his occupation of the port by a demand, through the American consus, W. W. Canada, for 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 Prarie loaded with marines. These boats effected a landing in the neighborhood of the customs house before noon and a few minutes later Capt. Wm. Rash, of the battleship Florida, who was in command of the operations ashore, brought hie flag in. Capt. Rush's men already had taken up their positions. They numbered 150 bluejackets from the Florida, 3 90 marines from the Prarie and 65 marines from the Florida. Later these were augmented by a detachment 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 tho approaches to the central plaza, in which Gen. Mass 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 the action ceased in a moment. There was a lull for ten minutes, and then another brief exchange from the west end of Montosinos street, where a Federal outpost was stationed. At 12:30 the firing became general and at one o'clock tho guns of the transport Prairie went into action. Prior to this( a detachment of bluejackets from the Utah, holding the ground between tho consulate and the water front, opened with two of their throe inch guns. The first shots from these places were directed on the ancient Benito Jaurez tower, that once served as a lighthous. This was occupied by Mexican sharpshooters, Lieut Commander Buchanan, of the Florida, ordered that it be destroyed, Five shots brought the old tower tc the ground. The women of tho American colon) "5 fl Voro P r 117 1 A A/N .1 - tv : au , v. w vi un uuu ucou yiciv.uu uouari the chartered steamers Esperanza anc Mexico, but the foreign colony, espe cially the American section, was greatly augmented Tuesday morning when three tralnloads arrived fron the Capital. Some of these remained ashore, but many were taken aboard the steamers. So far as can be learn ed no refugees were injured. i ?- ? ? Shot While Aiding Police. While going with the police ir search of the person doing some hooting near Newberry Loo Havlrd a young merchant of that city, wai hot to the thigh Friday night. id shed :ruz taken ASKED TO SURRENDER i CONSUL CANADA TELEPHONED 1< KDEHAL UUMMANDER, i Told Him Tliat American Troops Were About to Land and Requested Submission to Save Kloodshed. The demand for the surrender of Vera Cruz was made at nine o'clock in the morning. Consul Canada called Cen. Gustavo Mass, commandant of Vera Cruz, by telephone and presented the demands, saying that the United States forces were about to occupy and hold the town, lie 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 informed Gen. Mass that he had no instructions to grant a parley and ended the conversation. lie then called the jefe politico and the customs collecton by telephone and informed them of the prospective landing and asked for their co-operation in the maintenance of peace. Neither could promise assistance. Fletcher Decides to Act. Rear Admiral Fletcher, aboard the flagship, by this time was in communication with Rear Admiral Badger, < who was speeding towards the port , with five warships. Admiral Fletcher , decided to act and marines began leaving the side of the transport , Prairie shortly before 11 o'clock. , They entered ten wlialeboats and effected a landing within half an hour 1 at the customs house and No. 4 pier. ( Information that President Huerta was counting on receiving from the ] steamer Ypiranga, of the HamburgAmerican Line, due to arrive Tuesday, a big consignment of ammunition and machine guns, was responsi- , ble for the occupation of the customs J house somewhat earlier than might ( otherwise have been the case. The Ypiranga is outside the harbor. She ] has on board among other supplies ten thousand rifles and 15,000,000 ' cartridges. President Huerta had been making every effort to safeguard this con- . signment and had given orders that : it be unloaded immediately and placed on a special train drawn by two ocomotives and rushed to the Capital. ? ESCAPES PROM GANG. ?. Negro Serving Term for Shooting Of- 1 fleer Gains Freedom. ( Ed Bynum, a notorious negro con- " ict, who was serving a ten-year sentence on the Lexington county chain gang for having Bhot former Sheriff j P. H. Corley when the officer went to arrest him, escaped from the camp about noon Monday. Bynum, who for the time being had been accorded the privileges of a trusty, was left washing clothes about one hundred 1 yards from where the camp is located. 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 $5 0 for tho capture of the escape. Bynum is described as being a light mulatto, weight about 145 pounds, five feet and six or seven inches tall, and wears a No. 8 shoe. When last seen i he was wearing bluo overalls, brown shirt and black hat. ? ? , BALCONY FALLS. ? Eighty Young Ladies Crash to Audii toriiim's Floor. The collapse of the balcony In the new auditorium of tho hall of the Woman's college Friday night prevented the presentation of tho can) tata "Queen Esther". Just as the performance started and with tho , house full tho balcony supports gave I way and several persons sitting under j tho halcony were injured. Only W. F. Vermillion of Donalds was seriously hurt, and it is not thought ' 11. Ji i - mat ne is intally Injured. The Wo' man's college girls occupying the balj cony escaped injured. This audltoj rium Is probably one of the best college auditoriums in the Stato, and has just been completed at a cost of $25,000, and the accident, which was so nearly serious, causes much damage. i ) Slain by Husband. , William Wragg, a negro, aged i thirty, of Georgetown, shot and killed fcla wife, Alice, Tuesday morning. TALKS TO CONGRESS PHESIDKNT WILSON TELLS THEM OK MEXICAN SITUATION. WANTS TO AVOID WAR ? Says That tlie People of This Country llavo Deep Friendship for the People of Mexico, and Are Possessessed of No Wish to Muddle m Mexican Affairs. President Wilson laid the Mexican situation before congress Monday in these 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-operation in acting upon it. On the 9th of April a paymaster of the United States steamship Dolphin landed at the Iturbide bridge landing at Tampico with a whaleboat and boat's crew to take off certain supplies needed by Ids ship, and while engaged in loading the boat was arrested by an officer and squad of men of the army of Gen. IJuerta. Neither the 1 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 her stern, the tlag of the United States. The ollicer who made the arrest was proceeding up one of the ' streets of the town with his prisoners when met by an oilicer of higher J 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 received from the commander of the Muertista forces at Tampico for the 1 release of the paymaster. Tried to Apologize. "The release was followed by apolicips frnm tV?A r?r?m in o n on/* .. 0 ?. V4.t\y vvuiiuituu\;i UliVl K1VCI by an expression of regret by Gen. Huerta himself. Gen. Huerta urged that martial law obtained at the time at Tamplco; that orders had been Issued that no one should be allowed to land at the Iturbide bridge; and that our sailors had no 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 his crew to withdraw and lodge a protest with the commanding officer of 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 commander of the port. "The incident can not be regarded , as a trivial one, especially as 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. Unfortunately, it was not an isolated case. A series of incidents have recently occurred which can not but ' create the impression that the repre- 1 sentatives of Gen. Huerta were will- 1 ing to go out of their way to show i disregard for the dignity and rights i of this government and felt perfectly 1 safe in doing what they pleased, mak- i ing free to show in many ways their i irritation and contempt. A few days ! after the incident at Tampico an or- ' derly from the United States steam- i ship Minnesota was arrested at Vera Cruz while ashore in uniform to obtain the ship's mail and was for a time thrown into jail. An official , /llcnoinh f * U - 1 1 * vt i .7>?<n,v, 11 it win tm? &V v t?ru meni lO 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 aa I can learn, such wrongs and annoyances have been suffered to occur only against representatives of the United States. I have heard of no complaints from other governments of similar treatment. Subsequent explanations and apologies did not and could not alter the popular impression, which it is possible it had been the object of the Huertista authorities to create, that the government of the United States was being singled out and might be singled out with immunity for slights and affronts in retaliation for its refusal to recognize the pretensions of Gen. Huerta to be regarded as the constitutional provisional president of the republic of Mexico. Mlfrht Grow Woiw. "Tho manifest danger of such a situation was that such offenses might grow from bad to worse until something happenod of so gross and intolerable a sort as to lead directly and inevitably to armed conflict. It was necessary that tho apologies of 0?on. TTuerta and his representatives should go much further, that they should bo such as to attract tho attention of the whole population to their significance, and such aa to impress upon Oen. Huorta himself the necessity of seeing to St that no fur ther occasion for explanations and professed regrets should arise. I therefore feel it my duty to sustain Admiral Mayo in the whole of his demand and to insist that the flag of the United States should be saluted la such a way as to indicate a new spirit and attitude on the part of the Huertistas. "Such a salute Gen. Huerta has refused and I have come to ask your approval end support in the course I now purpose to pursue. "This government can, I earnestly hope, in no circumstances, be for into war with the people of Mexico. Mexico is torn by civil strife. If we are to accept the tests of its own constitution, it has no government. Gen. Huerta has set his power up in the City of Mexico, such as it is, without 1 I it * - ngub ttuu uy iueiuoas ior wnicn tliere can bo 110 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 bo fighting only Gen. Huerta and those who adhere to him and give him their support, and our object 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 control 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 proceeded from our desire to help them, not to hinder or embarrass them. We won id not wish even to exercise the good ollices of friendship without their welcome and consent. The peoplo of Mexico are entitled to settle their own domestic affairs in their own way, and we sincerely desire to respect their right. The present stuation need have none nf the grave implications of interference if we deal with it promptly, flrmlv nnH wiflftlv "No doubt I coulcl do what is necessary in the circumstances to enforce respect for our government without recourse to the congress, and yet not exceed my constitutional powers as president; but J 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. I therefore come to ask your approval that I should use the armed forces of the United States in such ways and to such an extent as may be necessary to obtain from Gen. lluerta and his adherents the fullest recognition of the rights and dignity of the United States, even amidst the distressing conditions now unhappily obtaining in Mexico. "There can in what we do be no thought of aggression or of selfish aggrandizement. We seek to maintain the dignity and authority of the United States only because we wish always to keep our great influence unimpaired for the uses of liberty, both in the United States and wherever else it might be employed for the benefit of mankind." ? MOVE TO TAMPIOO. Mississippi and Torpedo Destroyers Are to Heave Pensacola. Equipped and ready, the United States torpedo flotilla at ?Pensacola, Fla., consisting of 22 destroyers and two tenders, and the battleship Mississippi with a navy aeroplane Sunday night waited for the flash on tho wireless from Admiral Badger on the flagship Arkansas of the Atlantic fleet Leinng tnem to put to sea to join the lleet on its way to Tampico. Seven t hundred marines will go with the ves- * 3els. * The torpedo destroyers can make J 3 0 knots an hour and even though the battleships which passed Key West J early Sunday obtained a start of 2 4 hours the miniature fighters probably . could overtake the fleet. j Eight hydro-aeroplanes were re- ( moved Sunday from their hangars , and placed aboard the Mississippi, , which is attached to the aeonautic , service. The Mississippi was coaling Sunday night and was ready within a ( few hours. The marines will be , quartered aboard the Mississippi. The . two tenders with the torpedo flotilla are the cruisers Dixie and Birming- ham. The latter is the fastest cruiser , in the navy. I FIiETCHElPS REPORT. > Hear Admiral Sends Dispatch Telling of Mexican Fighting. Secretary Daniels made public at Washington the following dispatch received from Admiral Fletcher at six p. m. Tuesday: , "Tuesday, in face of approaching norther, landed marines and Railors from battleships Utah, Florida and transport Prairie and seized customs house. Mexican forces did not oppose landing, but opened fire with rifle and artillery after our seizure of customs house. ' Prairie shelling Mexicans out of their positions. Desultory firing from housetops and streets. Hold customs house and section of city in lelnlty of wharree and consnlato. casualties, four dead and twenty wounded.' HALTED IN SENATE MOTION IlEFEKltlXG TO HUEHTA HAS BEEN BLOCKED. HOUSE VOTES 337 TO 37 Members of Upper House Object to Individualizing Action Against 1 Inert a?Resolution is Altered and Carried Over?House Passes it by Enormous Majority. In twenty-four hours, possibly less, the United States government will nave laaen possession or mo Mexico customs houses at Tampico and Vera Cruz. Detailed plans for landing of marines at these two important coast towns were completed Monday Eit a conference at the White House between President Wilson, Secretaries Bryan, Garrison and Daniels, Major Gen. Wood and Rear Admirals Flske and Blue and John Hind. Persons in touch with the president said the steps "short cf war" which would be taken by the United States were of a nature which would lot require formal notification to the lowers in the same sense that a decoration of blockade or other prelimnaries to war. Foreign governments will be kept informed of developnents, however. The debate in the House brought nit the fact that while the American lavy probably would block Mexico iff from commerce with the United States, it would not interfere with lie passage to and fro of foreign vessels, though cargoes discharged on lie shore might be held at the cus;oms houses. The following resolution passed ;he House by a vote of 3.17 to 3 7 ifter a spirited debate: "A joint resolution justifying the employment if the armed forces of the United States in enforcing certain demands igainst Victoriano Huerta: "Resolved, by the Senate and Mouse of Representatives, in congress issembled, That ihe president of the Jnited States is justified in the emiloyment of the armed forces of the [Jnited States to enforce the demands ipon Victoriano Huerta for unequivical amends to the government of he United States for affronts and iniignities committed against this gov irnment by Gen. il uerta and his representatives." During the evening there were in'ormal conferences of Democrats and Republicans, and opposition to the phraseology of the resolution was apparent. Many senators, among them i few Democrats, objected-to singing out Gen. Huerta as an individual, ind wanted to amend the resolution o direct it against the de facto government in Mexico City. Others vanted to make this resolution broad jnough to cover Mexico generally. A high official who was in conference with the president pointed siglificantly to the fact that the Constiutionalists need not be nervous >ver the situation, for the president's action was aimed entirely against iuerta. It was said that one of the easons the White House was insistent on individualizing Huerta in the esolution was to prevent the Consti.utionalists from isnterpretng present movements as threatening hostilities against them or the Mexican people generally. The Senate adjourned before the jonsideration of the resolution came lp. The committee on foreign relaions had agreed upon a substitute esolution, reading: "In view of the facts presented by he president of the United States in lis address delivered to the congress n joint session the 2 0th day of \pril, 1914, in regard to certain af!ronts and indignities committed igainst the United States in Mexico, pe it "Resolved, That the president is ?i i- - ? lUBLiuwu in mo employment of the 1 irmed forces of the United States to enforce his demands for unequivocal imends for affronts and indignities committed against the United States; dg 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 appearance of a personal issue between the United States and Gen. Huerta, 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 i Francisco have been ordered to the Mexican border. An artillery regiment at Fort Riley, Kan., has also been ordered to the southern border. ? Hoc Attacks Wonrn niillrl Both arms were chewed off a three months old negro baby of Clover Monday by a large hog which attacked the child in the absence of its parents. ? + Rhip Right Hundred Coffins. The army transports at Galveston took on board Wednesday eight han4red coffins for "Vera Crmz. THE HORRT HERALD | * CONWAY S. C Published Every Thursday. THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1014. ^ H. H. WOODWARD, Attorney and Counsellor at Daw. CONWAY, 9. C. H. B. SCARBOROUGH. Attorney at J jaw. CONWAY, S. 0. J H. H. BURROUGHS, Physician and Surgeon. CONWAY, S. C. W. 13. McCORD. Dental Surgeon. CONWAY, S. C. ______________________________________ e It ION 13 R AVION EL, ^ 14ind Surveying 1 and { Drainage. K\m Spivey Building, Conway, S. C. THREE MORE ARE KILLED DKSVI/rOltY FIGHTING STIDD GO- ^ IN ON AT VERA CKUZ. Admiral Fletcher Wires Secretary of the Navy That There Are 5,-iOO Marines Ashore. Admiral Badger Thursday night reported to the navy department that three more men had been killed and twenty-live 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 Minnesota, Michigan and South Carolina yesterday afternoon, and that the landing forces now 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 continued 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 have ,been fe stationed on the sand hills in the rear, who have been engaged in constructing defensive works. "Admiral Badger, in command on shore, is making every efTort to induce Mexican municipal authorities to resume their duties and take up the early administration of the city. < He reports negotiations fairly sue- ^ ' cessrul. All work in the city is still stopped and no business is being transacted. The public service utilites have stopped because the employees refuse to run the eventual risk of resuming employment. "Very little food supply has been coming into the city and it is thought f that in a few days the question of feeding the people of the city will become paramount and that it is possible the United States will be eel led on to furnish food. The water supply is causing anxiety. "The Mexican forces are disposed j along the railroad, and while Ad- * miral Badger reports the rumor that they are preparing to attack, he adda that it is doubted that this is true, and expresses his belief that any attack can be successfully resisted. ?. WANTS HIM WITHDRAWN. Huerta Asks the United States to Recall O'Sliaughnossy. Huerta has requested the United States to withdraw Nelson O'Sliaughnossy, American charge d'affaires at Mexico City. That was stated at Washington Wednesday on good au- ^ thority, but has not been oillcially announced. The reported action of Huerta in asking the withdrawal of Charge O'Sliaughnossy and instructing: Charge Algara to demand his passports, technically constitutes a complete breach of diplomatic relations C between the United States and Huer- ** ta's government, though whether Secretary Bryan is willing to regard la ?? * ^ * * * * n iiH more man act or Individual and not of the actual government of Mexico, remains to be seen. There is no precedent for a refusal | to accedo to the demand for passports j tior to fail to withdraw a diplomatic jl/ (representative upon demand of an es- * tablished government but the present situation, involving as it does a de facto administration which the United States has not recognized, never before has arisen. Such a severance of diplomatic reintl^na Vir?ncrVi tia! n/v/>Anr.?-ii_ ? mvivmo vuvuqii uv/v iicA/tjanan iy a prelude to war, Is one of the steps that-A* must ho taken if war is to be formally declared and it is Rurmised in some quarters Huerta is now about to tako that step. ? ? War News Explodes (ilnss Eye. M. C. Canterbury, a farmer near W Huntington, Va., was leaning over his paper with his attention rlvited on a Mexican war story when with a loud report his artificial eye burst and a shower of glass fell on the paper. Ma was uninjured. w V