DEADLY WORK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7507, 15 September 1902, Page 2

DEADLY WORK.

MASSACRE OF CAPTIVE WARRIORS. THIRTY YAQUI BRAVES EXECUTED IN MEXJ CO. S. N. Jacks, a prominent merchant of Port Worth, who has mining Interests on the Yaqui River, arrived in Tuscan, Arizona, one day last month, bringing details of the execution of thirty Yaquis at Torreorn, Sonora. They were members of a band of Yaquis that had refused to" accept the amnesty granted .by General Torres, and had fled to the mountains, and remained there in. hiding until surprised and captured by a detachment of rurales and regulars from the army of General Torres. All were male warriors, and 1 among the most warlike of the tribe, and, for., this reason, the authorities decided to execute them, instead of deporting them, as has been done in most oases since the amnesty order wad issued. The thirty prisoners were taken to a point just outside the town of Torreon, where they were lined up and shot. Many of the Mexican ranch proprietors and American mining speculators in that vicinity revolted at the wholesale execution, and did all in their power to postpone it, pending an appeal to General Torres, but these efforts were of no avail. : The warriors met their death bravely, and without flinching. Not until the march to the outskirts did they realise that they were to foe shot. The word was then whispered quietly among them, but every man held up his head and took his place in the lines of those who were to be sacrificed l . The Yaquis were shot down on© at a time by picked sharp-shooters from the rurales. As one by one the warriors were killed, those who remained waited bravely for their turn, and bared their breasts to receive the bullets from the Mausers in the hands of their executioners. When the deadly work was completed, they were- buried in a. common grave, which had been ;. prepared for them. The Mexican officers and men marched back to town, and that night the event was celebrated with feasting and carousing. '