MEXICAN REVOLUTION

Hokitika Guardian, 22 April 1927, Page 2

MEXICAN REVOLUTION

RA I LAV AY HORROR. [Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.] MKX ICO CITY, April 211. Il i- e.-timated that the train carried six hundred passengers, and it is believed that later reports will show that oldv a lew escaped alive. A daughter of the cx-Prcsidcnt. Ohregotl. is among those identified as dead. The bandits are believed to be rebels who have been waging the guerilla warfare against the (Allies Government troops in this section for many months. It is understood that before firing the train ilu-y covered the waggons with oil. Most of the passengers were returning home from Holy Week. "Lith they had .-:pen at Guadalajara. Nurses and doctors have been sent Iront Iraquato to the scene of the tragedy.

A goods car. with L>9 bodies, has lie despatched to Mexico City. The Mini-ter of AYar. Amain, is expected shortly to arrive on the s> one oi Ihe outrage with a cavalry force to start, a pursuit of the rebels. A circular wars distributed hoi'' during Holy Week jjurpor! iug to be a warning from rebel headquarters against railway travel by the public after Faster. It staled it was determined to " reel; all trains to pro'out the Government using the linos tor the transport of troops. Ihe incident iexpected to cause a Government crisis. President Calles. immediately upon receiving the reports, convened the editors of all iho local papers. Ife diseussod with them tic advisability of suppressing all news ol tin- outiage. A Cabinet meeting lias been celled, and il is announced that the Government will issue a statement later. It is believed Hie outrage will necessitate a declaration ol martial law and a campaign on a large scale against the Revolution, which the Calles Government has up to now been attempting

LATER. President Calles has issued a statement that tin' attack was peiqietrated I v r- bels under the leadership of two Roman Catholic priests, under direct order- from a Roman Catholic episcopate in Mexico City. He addl'd that there was a military escort who fought for three hours with the bandits, who were led also by a member of the Mexican League for the Defence ol rejig: ms liken v . MEXICO CITY VERSION MEXICO CITY. April 20. A force of bandits, numbering live hundred, attacked a train near Guadeajapa killing approximately ISo pm---engers. They first derailed the train, quickly wiping out: fifteen Federal soldiers who were escorting it. and they llieii went through the train, robbing passengers, after which they locked waggon doors and set fire to the train. AAAnnen and children, shrieking vainly tried to escape through windows, hut were mowed down by bandits’ rifle fire. The victims mostly were business men with families. A few escaped to wire the news to Mexico City, describing the scene as atrocious. Large forces nt troops were despatched from Mexico City in an attempt to capture the bandits.

FURTHER, details. , MEXICO CITY. April 21. Fifty-one bodies and thirty-two injured 'were removed to-day from the charred coaches of the train derailed and burned at Jalisco by bandits, who are characterised in a Presidential office statement as “Catholic rebels. The military escort of fifty lought until tliev were dead or wounded. The total dead is unofficially estimated at one hundred.