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Show MORMONS SUFFERING FROM DEPREDATIONS Colonists In Mexico Arc Constantly t At the Mercy Of Bandits Who Rob and Despoil El Paso, Texas, April 10. When Mexicans got hungry In westo-n Chihuahua Chi-huahua they go to tho Mormon colonies col-onies and help themselves. This ha been the practice for tho past two years and now has becomo a custom For a time, after the exodus of most of tho colonists, there was not much In tho several colonics to tempt tho Mexicans, hnd only petty thefts wore Indulged in, but recently, upon On return of a number of hardy colonists' colon-ists' to their Mexican homes, tho raiding raid-ing ot colonies lias beon resumed. Periodical Raids Colonists arriving in El Faso Uils week toll of periodical raids by armed arm-ed Mexicans, who, though bandits, are operating under tho gulso of federal fed-eral scouting parties. At Colonlo Juarez armed Mexicans forced colonists col-onists to give them supplies of food and seized horses from several o' tho colonists. At other colonies similar sim-ilar outrages havo been perpetrated. Thus far none of tho colonists, havo been harmed but it Is merely because be-cause they have offered no reslstanco to the bandits In Uio opinion ot tho refugees arriving hero. Because of tho Torreon bflttlo nnd tho concentration to the sputh of both rebel and federal forcoa, thero ha3 been no recent fighting In tho colon country, but at tho samo time thero has been no rebel protection for the lroperty or lives of tho colonists. Onco Villa promised to have a guard In each ot Uio colonies to protect the properties of the colonists. This never nev-er has been done. There has been no protection ajt any point except at Casas Grandes and Neuvo Casas Gran-des, Gran-des, and it is thought rebel troops wero stationed thoro because It Is an Important strategic point and not for any aid tho troops might bo to tho colonists. Prospecti Are Blighted Somo of the colonists aro braving it out In Mexico In order to make a living on tho land which belongs to them but from which they fled when President Taft Issued his warning to Americans to get out of Mexico. Tholr task now in Mexico Is a difficult and dangerous one. Tho land Is as rich as ever, but the revoluUon has destroyed de-stroyed all railroad communication and has mado It Impossible to roach any market, with their farm productii. And thero Is no guarantee that when they havo mado a crop and gathered It, that somo band of Mexicans w'll not come along and take It all aiwny from them. This has been repeatedly repeated-ly dono. In all Mexico, It Is claimed, claim-ed, thero Is no moro striking exam-plo exam-plo of tho cost ot tho revolution to Americans than In tho dovastated Mormon colonies In western Chihuahua, Chihua-hua, and tho cost In money thero, though great, Is exceeded by tho cost in human anguish In blasted hopes and In ruined prospects. |
