UNREST IN MEXICO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15384, 22 February 1912, Page 7

UNREST IN MEXICO

FIGHTING rN A GAOL. TWENTY-SEVEN people killed. Presa Association—By Telegraph—Copyright MEXICO CITY, February 20. A desperate battle occurred at Pueblo, where armed guards fought prisoners who had attempted to escape. Twenty-seven persons were killed in a fierce battle within the gaol. Twenty prisoners escaped during the affray. MASSACRE OF CHINESE. CO>IP EXSAT lON TO HE PAID. MEXICO (TIT, February 20. The Mexican Government has agreed to pay OjOCO.OCO.IoI indemnity to China over the murder of 300 Chinese during the late rebellion. • THE STORY OF THE MASSACRE. The faets regarding the wholesale massacre of Chinese at Torreon, on May 15, were variously reported by the Mexican press anil by the despatches of the American Associated Press. Writing of the incident in July the New York Port's corresponded in Mexico paid "Intelligent and patriotic Mexicans freely confess that it has been a great blot on the revolutionary movement, and in public, while trying to throw as much blame as possible upon the lawless element which at the time could not be controlled, prefer to say very little, and to recognise the jnstiec of all reasonable, claims on the part of tho Chinese Government for sinology and indemnity. It was stated in the press some timo ago that tlic Chinese Government would exact an indemnity of 100.000 dollars for each bf ibe 303 Chinese subjects who were slaughtered, together with an extra sum covering value of banking ami mercantile property destroyed. " l)r Lim, one of the most prominent members of the Chinese colony in Tor--I*oll, was an American Presbyterian convert in Canton, studied medicine, came to California, and from there entered Mexico, taking up bis residence at Torreon ovt»r 20 years ago, Torreon was then a hustling railroad centre with only two or three thousand people, but with a big future ahead of it as tho centre of a rich mining and cotton district, Dr Lim, having keen business instincts, began to dabble in mines and real estate, while he practised his profession as a physician. At the same time he associated himself vitli l'oon Chuck, who had been put in charge of tho railroad hotels on (Tie international railroad linrcu l'oon Chuck is now reputed to bo a multi-millionaire. Ie and l)r Lim, with a few chosen associates, kept bringing over Chinese bovs to act as cooks and waiters in the hotels, Americanising them in dTess and habits, and establishing schools for their education. Later they have gone into garden farming, and the establishment of small stores, and before the massacre the Chinese community in Torreon alone numbered altout 600. " At the date of the massacre they had some 60 stores in different parts of the city, and had practically monopolised tho Torreon fruit -Hint vegetable market. They also had established a flourisliing Chinese bank, and were building an electric railroad connecting the centre of the city with the flourishing extension which they had bought, and planned for a residence district,; This will largely explain the jealousy lh.it grew up against them on the part of Mcxican washerwomen (for they had also extensive laundries) and small farmers, who had 'lost out' in their competition with the more industrious Chinese. The added fact that the Chinese did not bring their families with them, that (hero are voiy few intermarriages with Mexicans, and that the Mcxican people formed an exaggerated idea of the amount of money that was being sent to China through the bank, tended to strengthen the feeling of hostility. "During tho revolution the town got out of hand on the date mentioned,' and began looting the Chinese stores, and finally rounded up the Chinese and killed them like sheep."