A b!u. mark horn ZsD tit
s!s
Hcrrber t thin copy
H l II .".NeWS Is lie-
hind mi subscription.
i lease make a pay
ment as Soon jim con
venient. VOL. XXXIV
MO UNI AIRY, NORTH CAROLINA, .THURSDAY. APRIL Zl,
19U.
.NO.
4-J
ii f " I 1 I i R
VERA CRUZ TAKEN BY U. S.
MARINES KILLED 4; MEXICANS 200
United States Sailors Take Possession of Cus
tom House with no Resistance,
When Firing Begins
Mexican General is Warned to Stop Firing at U.S.
Soldiers or Else Big Guns From Ships
Would be Used.
Vera CniK, April 21st, Vera
Ouz tonight is in the hands' of
forces from the United Stales
warships but the occupation of
tlie port was not an-rimiyiiiHtl
without loss- tvf American lives.
Four Americans, bluejackets
and marines, were killed by the
fire of the Mexieian soldiers and
"20 fell wviunded. TV Mexican
hvss- is not known, hurt, it is be
lieved to have been heavy.
The water front, the; customs
house and all iniortaiit piers, in
cluding tliose linger the terminal
work from which extend the rail
roads t the Capital, have been
occupied. All the territory n
rouiuii the American Consulate is
strongly p ait rolled' and detach
lne.7L.ts hold other sections of the
city.
The Mexican commander, (Jen.
Oustavo Maas .offered a stub
Itorn resistance to the American
advance, and for many hours
there was fighting in the streets.
Toward' night fa ll it was reported
that the main body of the Fed
eral garrison was in retreat to
the westward.
Rear Admiral Fletchur, com
manding the United States war
'sliip, prefaced his occupation of
the rt In' a demand, through
the American Consul, W. W. Can
ad., for Its surrender. general
.Maas promptly declined to ac
cede to this d'MiKurd and shortly
afterwards 10 whale-boats were
sent off from the side, of the
transport Prairie loaded' with
marines.
These boats effected a landing
in the- neighborhood of the cus
toms house before noon, and a
few minutes later (Vipt. William
J. Rush, of the battleship Flor
ida, who was in command of the
operations, ashore, brought hs
flag iu.
The coming of the American
forces was not. heralded by any
great excitement. but small
crowds gathere:d to watch the
landing. Soon the bluejacket.
and marines marched through the
stress leading from the water
front and along the railroad yard
.Others proceeded to the; American
Consulate, while still others were
deployed' along the approaches
to central pla.a, in. which Gen
eral Maas had eeneentrated hi
mien.
Mexicans Fire Volley.
Thrse maneuvers were effected
without opposition, but. sudden
ly General Maas challenged the
advance with the fin, shots a
volley fired from a point, three
o! eks from the marines and two
Hi eks south the main plaza.
Tlie manias replied immed
iate! ybut the action ceased in a
moment. There was a lull for 10
minute! and then another briief
exchange from the west end of
!Mon(tesin street, where, a Fed
col outpost, was stationed.
At 12:.'W1 tine firing became gen
eral and nf. 1 o'clock the guns
of the transport. Prairie went; in
to action.
Marines Destroy Mexican Tower
Prior to this, a detachment of
bluejacket from the I'tah, boil
ing the ground lvet.ween the Co-n-Ktflafe
and the water front, open
ed with two of their three-inch
ffuns. The first, shots from these
pieces were directed against, the
aoeici f Donito .Jwwflt . fmver, c
eupied by Mexican sharpsh ot rs.
Lieiiteiwciit Commander P.iflia n.m
of the Florida ordered that it lie
destroyed. Five shots brought
the ob fowpr down.
Flag Flics Over Vera Cruz.
Washington April 21st. The
American! flag tonight flies over
Vera Cruz. Four Americans
were killed and JO were injured
when a detachment of bluejack
ets aiwd marines from the Ameri
can; fleet seized the customs house
raised the American flag, and
skirmished with the Mexican gar
rison. Desultory J'lrinig was in pro
gress late today, according to a
dispatch from Rear Admiral
Fbetcher, received;' at fi p. m. At
first the gamuav had appears!
to Ive withdrawing. American
Consul (Jinada reported this to
the State Department at o'
clock', but when the American
forces reached the customs house,
the Mexicans ojened with rifle
and artillery fire.
The tpansort Prairie immed
iately beirau shelling the Mexican
positions, slowly driving them
out. The Mexicans fought from
housetops and along the streets.
The American forces have'
taken possession of the cable, of
fice ami 'ff y American Co-n-
sqlate ir":".JHrt oL. the city'
in the vudnity of tin wharves.
Rear Admiral Fletcher's di--lttch
enne by cable, and reach
here at fi. p. m.
Secretary I'.yran left the White
House for the C-nnan KmibaNsy
whei he dls'ui'd with the (ier
m.nn Ambas'idor the consign
ment d arms for Ilnerta abmrd
a (JennaumeivJiant vessel due to
be landeil in Vera I'nw tonight.
The capture of the Vera Cruz
customs house was ordered by
the American Crovernment. to pre
vent the tiitg slMpment ot anunu-i
nit ion aul mnehine guns f mm
getting into Huerta'.s llano's.
Congress has discussed nil day1
the resolution! which wonbl give
approval to the President's pnr
os to use the Anny anl Navy
in the Mexican' situation. Tlie
Senate had: recessed until p. ni.,
while the IIoue adjourned until
tomorroAV at 10 i''hx'k. Senate
leaders had agreed1 to take final
action tonight.
Tlie concentration of forces,
totalling about 7x) sailors, and
nearly' 2.("X) marines, is made up
of Rear Admiral Mayo's ships
which; tow been ordered from
Tampieo late yesterday and the
ships which Rear Admiral Fletch
er haw had at Vera Cruz for
many- weeks.
Rear Admiral Badger, with the
first, ships of the Atlantic fleet,
reached Vera Cniz tonight, hav
ing been diverted from Tampieo,
where only the cruiser Des
Moines rema'ffliK.
Information which came from
sources clone to the (lihiinet
council imlictittd that th- Pres
ident exercised self-restraint and
calmly determinrd that with the
seizure of Vera Cruz and the
prevention of shipments of arms
i'rom reaching Ilnerta, further
steps would not. be taken by the
American Government for the
present The future depends up
on aetmn by he Ilnerta author
iti'S. "Secretary Oarriscn an
nounced emphatically that no
tror.p movements had been order
d. 'f!'lciai till I believe Ilner
ta won!.! take offensive stcjis,
but f he does the American ma-
rnies
M, bluejackets which will
I
mhhd in Vera Cruz with
in hours will number about
1 ". h . Kstinnt.-s h. re place the
Huertii forces at Mexico City at
about three or four thousand
men and Army and Navy officers
lu'lic.e tlie American forces could
take the Mexican Capita! with-
out serious difficulty.
The bulk f General
Armv is in the North
Iltierta's
fighting
the Comstitutiorialints.
Rear Admiral Badger on being
ordered to proceed direj't, to Vera
Ortiz, ordered also diverted the
14 torpedo destroyers to Vera
Onlz.
These will be of much use in
approaching eloxc to the town,
and in blockade duty.
While the Army has received
no orders to move, should it he
come apparent that there will be
resistance to the holding of Vera
Cruz, the four Anny transjort at
Galveston, earning four or five
thousand tpojs, will be ordered
under way.
'Hie Americans have captured
Vera. Crur. but at the cost of
the lives of several nun and a
much larger nutnher wounded.
Tlie Mex'waiiK. under Gen Gus
tavo Maas. the commander of
Vera Cruz, put .up 'i stub.born re
sistance General Maas challeng
ed the ;idvane (f u Americans
almost from the first, and made
it cle;itr that flic Mexican do not
proost. to permit a peaceful oc
cupation!. Ix'ss th.au half an hour after
leaving the side of the Cnitcd
Staitcs transport Prairie, the mar
ines had landed and the alwe-ncc
of resistance at the wator front
and failure of the Mexicans to
contest the taking of a position
somewhat in from the water front
causal the curious speetatots in
the street to laugh and when one
Mexican jwon ran for cover, hav
ing had the temerity to shout at
the top of his voice "viva Mex
ico" loud guffaws cam" from
the onlookers.
But the lull was not indicative!
of compliance. A few shots
came within a few minutes and
later a brief exchange. After an
other brief interval, fighting in
e;.rnet began and hour after
hour the Mexicans continued! fi
oppose the .Americans fiercely m
sTVii.H', fV" a1",ll,g'iTtT.e ni du
lody apparently secnwsl ready t
quit.
M'ost of the firing was done by
outpost partifs from nif.s at j
v.irious points of vantage.
The guns of the Prairie assist -
d t!e landing party.
Towards ;
tvtniiig the fighting continued.!
but it wfis1 more of a hou,setqi
character than a determined, or-
g.mized r.-sistam-e. j
Finally, the Mexican soldiers j
who had not been captured, kill-
cd or wounded, retreated West
W I IN 1 .
Washington, April 21. Marine
and. bluejackets of the American
Navy to lay took the c.uti ins
house and a large section of Vera
(Vnfc with a los cf four killed
and 3n Wounded. The hvw of the
Mexican garrison was not offic
ially known here tomight. Imt was
estimated at 2fM) killed. This wa
the firs-t step in the program of
reprisal by the I'nittsi States
aigainst the Uuerta Government
for the arrest of Ajneriean blue
jackets at. Tampieo and other f
renses "against the rights ami
dignity of the United States."
It was the first clash: letwe;n
forces i f the United States and
.Mexico since revolution broke
out in the. Southern Republic, an
l!M) amll gstve the Washington
overnment a Mexican pro-hlrm.
Tin ugh fighting had not ceas
el at a late hour tonight Rear
Admiral Fletcher had1 warned the
Federal commander that he
would use the big guns of the
American) fleet if his men did
not stop firing. The American
forces had orders to fire only to
defend, themselves. Tlie United
States interds to take no offen
sive steps for the present. The
ha I ute to the flag which Uuerta
rt fused will not be satisfactory
reparation. It is understood a
declaration of apology as well as
a salute and a guarantee that
the rights and dignity of the
Unit .id States wiuild be resec.t
ed can alone cause a withdrawal
of the Amerie-in frees.
The President gave Rear Ad
miral Fletcher authority to size
the Vera Cniz customs house to
prevent the landing there tc lay
by a German merchant vessel of
a big con-'iginniei:t of anus and
ammiudtiou for the Ilnerta Gov
ernment. Secretary Bryan -onferrel with
the German Ambassador, Count
Von Bernstorff. and it is believ
ed the inIn ewe of the flerman
G(vernment will be interjxmed
to irevent the consignment from
laiwiing elswhere in Mexico aiwl
comprwwtinjf the situation. The
.sdviji !ftrrir-H 1;"),(KW),(KM) rounds of
ammunition and rapidfire
guns and thoiwaiuln of rifles.
Tlie President conferred with
the Secretaries of War, State
mul Navy early tonight.
Rear Almiral Badger was order
ed to Tampieo, where another
customs house may be, seized.
The President intends to act
slowly to force Ilnerta to yield
(in i l'.oprs to avert war. Whh
the raking of the railroad for a
f w mih' inland from Vera Cruz
an. I the titstojn houses it Is be
l'cvetl r;o other aggressive steps
will be taken. Many officials
admit that offensive action by
Ilnerta may draw the American
forces into a conflict tJinta.mount
to war. All preparation jwnsstible
has In en made by the Army ail
Navy, but no orders have gone
out to State Militia, nor 1ms the
naval Militia been called upon.
Consul Canada's Re pert.
Washington, April 21. Consul
CaiKnlU at Vera Cruz reported to
the State Department tonight
that several Americans including
some women who had refused to
go ahoard refugee ships, are now
in hotels within the firing line.
Consul Canada's report, follows:
"Marines and bluejackets: land
ed at 11 thin morning, immed
uiltly taking possession of cable
office, post-office, telegraph of
fice and eu.sotms house, also rail
road tiTinin" Is and yards with
rolling stock. Notwithstanding
fir'ng from house tojxs, we are
noe,( rs of tlie situation o far
without use of heavy guns. Our
men are simply defending them
selves. Some reifanee from
naval vessels siwn silenced by
guns on Prairie.
this time reported four of
;nr imn killed and 2) woun.bd.
America nsi-f- men and
sevend "other A mcaiwfiT
sulate. Several Americans includ
ing some women who refused to
an aitkoanl rejiigee sun are now
re ii gee slii
iiiaroo'ntii m Hotels winun iiring
line. Trains from Mexico
did not arrive."
Citv
American Officer Orders All
3iips Out cf Vera Cru2.
Vera 'ruz. April 2. Com man
lier Charles F. Hughes, chief of
.tin i inte.l l;n .Auajuie neei..,
. t i, . ....
louay caiicii on uenerai vhisuvi.
M i:i. ccjiiiinander of the federal
troop at Vera Cniz. and on the
commands'!" of the tort, and in
sfi ucted them to order all mer
chant vessels out of the Ivarbor.
Commander Hughes then wetd
on boa id' the Spanish and the
l!r;,i.s!i warshiis anchored off this
port, and informed their enm
manders i f his action.
W. C. CaiKida. the American
consul here, is making arrange
in. nt.s to have the foreigners in
the city taken on hoard the mer
chant vessels, should necessity
arise.
American and other foreign
wt men have heen asked1 IA' Con
sul Canada to ta.ke refuge on
vessels now in the hartvor, pre
ferable on Iwvtrd the Mexi- cf
the Ward line and the Ksperaiw.a
whicli ln Im'cp chartered by the
Unltfd St;:1cs navv.
"Ham And." $2.50 Per in Tarn-
P160'
Tanuvi, Fla., April 16. th. With;
tiiiee American refugees aboard;
the German, steamer G.s-age frcm j
T iiir.ieo. d'tK'ked here tcday. The
st.'.-r.iier arrive I! at qua rantiwl
t stci-'ii v. The refugees were j
A ('. Serrell. T. M. Morward and
I.. Hammond, f ornu rly i f New
York. They were taken away
ff mi Tampieo on April 10 while
the constitutionalist were mak-
ing their attack on the Mexican i no occasion for other Cavern-;
city j menits to call attention to such I
Captain De Reese of the Osage i matters or to ask for apologies, j
reported there was considerable "Tlix-sc repeated offenses a-i
small pox in Tampieo and that 'gainst the rights and dignity of!
the price i f fo d was very lhigh.:flw United States, offens'.s m tj
Ham aiol eggs f.ir a meal" cost 'duplicated with nganl to the re
$2." in American money, the cap prcsentativts of other Govern
t.iin s.iid. He reported t'nat food : nients, have necessarily made the
supplies in the city were scarce. impression that the Governonent .
of the United States was singled'
White Leghorns Bred fnr-Cout for manifest at ions of ill will'
trap-newt, records 2"0 to 2S ; ' and conVuipt. I
egg-s. ! ..") for 15; special price "Tlie authorities of tie- State
per 10. Carolina Leghorn Vanls ' Department feel confident that'
j" s i no . ' i
WILSON TALKS OF
MEXICAN TROUBLE.
Repeated Insults to American
Flag Must Be Corrected
There Are Many Incidents that
Have Not Been Made Public.
Washington, I). C, April 17.
Todav's conference- at the White
illouse and other departments re
pealed no i information of Mex
ican ii'sidts. P was learned that
two of tc Hue jackets arrested!
;t Tamp:(o wh.n th jarty land-'
ed to get gasoline, were arr'stid
in a wh.tlebo it under the Ameri-j
can f'lag, and also folbnving thaU
th, American (rdi.!;.- catrying
tlie mail at 't r,i ' .';:! was arr's
ed ::nd jail"!, out ni.a.std. Also
he federals i.'ti-mptcd to delay
and censor oI'l'M-'al Ameriean dis
patches from Vera Cruz. ()'
Slicughnesse had to make a for
mal demand for some of the, of
t"i fill d:spa,iches b fore he was al
low d to got them.
lludi admin .stration officials
pr-inVd out that the abovr of
fenses were not duplicated to
W"rds other mitions aiut it ap
peared that Ilnerta. intended to
affror.t the Vivh-A Stat.s.
The Official Statement.
The following official state
ment was i.ssim! today as repre
senting the views of Pr.-sident
Wilson and the administration:
"In discussion in official cir
cles of Washington, of the pres
ent Mexican iMation the follow
ing point have been very much
dwelt upon :
"It wjus- pointed out that in
considerating the present some
what delicate situation in Mex
ico, the unnleasant incident at
Tampieo nu:.t not be thought of
alone. For some time past, the se
facto Government cf Mexico has
se'm'l to think mere apologies
sufficient when the rights of
American citi.ers or the dignity
C" lV)V' 1 m'"' 11 VJ 11
7 vm"hn-iAVX anTTflas
of the Government of tlie Cnited
ap-
narentlv made no attemrt at
eit'lwr repiiration ir the effec
ti rriet'on of the serious de-
relict vers c t it-
civ;
and
mill-
;arv off'n eis. j
" Immediately after' the mci-j
dent at Taiiipieo. in orderly fn mj
- Ti of the .,ii:rs of the United ,
states in th v bailor of Vera1
"ruz. who had been sent :ihore
!o the (otiiffice for tile ship's;
mail and who ' was in uniform!
and who had the official mail
,lis i,..k
r
was arrested
and' out into iail bv the local
i ...
authorities. He was subsequently
released and a nominal punish
in 'lit inflicted upon the officer
who had arrested him but it was
.significant that an orderly from!
tJlie fleet of the United States
wis picked out from the many!
jsrsons constantly going ashore J
on various errands frcm the var-.
ions ships in the harbor, re-1
present lr g several .Nations.
"Most serious of all. the of
ficials in charge of the tele
gra.ph office at Mexico City pre
sumed to .itlnhold an official
dispatch of the Government of
the United States to its Embas
sy at Mexico City until it should
haw been sent to censor and
his permission rrceived to de
liver it and gavl" the dispatch in
to thle hands tf the Oiarge de
Affaires of tfhe Fnite.1 States
only iiftn his personal and em
phatic demand, he having, in the
i . i i it.
meant mw . learr.ea u rongn ,wr
cnanoeis tiihi a uir-jmicii maci urni
sent him which he had not rc-
eeived.
"It cannot bet strike anyone'
who has watehel the course of
events iu Mexico as significant j
that, untoward incidents such as
these
have net oeonrred in any
c"se where r'nrisentat.i ves of
other Goveriwnents were concern
ed, but only in dealings with
representatives cf tlie United
Statts and tint there has been
" m ii urn r - ."5 nini i v
"i
urinative effect of these incidents
w made evident to the Govern
ment of .Mcxhv. that vennneut
will ses the propriety and the
necessity of giving such evidenc
es of its desire to repudiate and
correct, these tilings as will be
not only satisfactory to the Gov
ernment of the United States but
also an. evidence to the rest of
tbfl World IVJ :vtl Ptltin. ,A:antrr. nf
' '.miliar
attitude.
"Tliere can he no loss to the
digpiity of tlui de facto (iovcrn
iment in Mexico in recognizing
in the fullest degree the claims of
a great. Novereiun (Jovenmnent to
its resjM'et."
Details of Arrest.
More information describing
the arrest, of the Ameriean blue
jacket at Tampieo wa revealed
in the day's eonferencf .s at the
NMiite ITonse ami other Govern
ment Departments. It was learn
ed authoritatively that some of
the bluejackets from the Dol
phin went ashore with Assistant
Paymaster Copp to get gasoline
supplies. All but two landed to
get the supplies. While they
were gone a Mexican officer ap
proached jnd claimed the party
should not, have lan. ted where it
diil, and ordered the bluejackets
from the whaleboat which flew
the American flag. They were
unarmed and accompanied hiiu
voluntarily.
Tlie othpr members of the
party were arrested while on
shore. They all were intercept'!
by another Mexican officer who
marchid them back to the dock,
communicated with his superior
and released them. The ordering
of the bluejackets from the lioat
which was f'ving the St irs and
Stripes considered technically
American soil was regarded by
Rear Adimiral Mayo as reijuiring
an apology, the piimishment of
tile Mexican officer, aihd a salute
of 21 guns to the colors.
The first two demaiwls were
Complied with but the local'Ted-'
era! authorities a.sked for an
extensh ji of t "me during whicli
they conilllted, the Uuerta (iov
ermnent. at Mexico City. Mean
while !.-ar Admiral Mayo notifi
ed Washington f Ins course
and receiv.sl tin Governiiiient's
ipproval. General Uuerta him
self never agreed to any salute
but one of his under-secrctaries
did make iinpiiry of the Ameri
c:!ii Km-bn.ssy whether a .small
silute to the Dolphin would be
:iee'tab!c. This-wjts rej'ctisl a
insufficient under Naval practice.
The time limit for the firing of
the salute v. as extended indefi
nitely by Rear Admiral Mayo af
ter communication with Wash
ington and1 after representatives
were made to the Hiterta Govern
ment ami the Atlantic and
Pacific, fleets disr-atched to Mex
ican waters.
The President told those who
conferred with him tli'at there
hail been no notification to the
fleet of any prohibition against
lun.l'iiip where the bluejacikets
doeked, .iiiil while pliiicing mo?
cm phasic on the Tampieo inci
lent, he reviewed other offensi
siu-h' as the arrest of an American
orderly carrying mail at Vera
CVuto, the attenupt to exercise
censorship and delay of official
me.ige and other epiwodcH de
signed to slww a studied attempt
on the part of tlue Uuerta Giw
ernnient to offend the United
States. But for the fact that no
( ioverrnnent haul been recub-Hl
in Mexico ami tnat a state of
anarchy existed the Pnwident i
said to lwive ib-claped to mem-In-rs
of Congress he would have
Charge O'Shanghntssy prompt l
No nieriftion was made by the
President f the niorement of
the Army and this was interpret
ed generally as the result of a
desire to maintain a statu quo
on the Texas Ivorder.
We the niwlersigned List Tak
ers for Wards N. 1 and 2, of
Mt. Airy township, will sit at.
Banner's Warehou on the 6-7-8
and tth. of May for the pur
pose of listing the property of
the Tax payers inside the city.
It is important that you come
ami list your proerty on the
d lys ;.-t, as a failure to list will
subject you to double tax.
-J. R. Patterson.
I.Ut tpker Ward No. 1.
UK tch. r SauiMleir.
List taker Ward No. 2.