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"Apparently the work of destruction was deliberately planned and deliberately carried out. It was a crusade of vengeance for the execution two weeks ago of Catholic plotters in Guadalajara. The Rev. J. M. Vega, a priest well known in Guadalajara, who led the hills-men, said to passengers who spoke to him while the pillage was continuing: 'The hand of God has descended upon this train. The Almighty has smitten it.'
"It is to appeals like this that the Mexican Indians respond. . . .
"It reminds one of the raids by Indians in the United States upon white settlements. The same more on less primitive Indian reasoning inspired both. . . ."
From a Cabinet Minister, such a Deadwood Dick account was white hot news. But what of the Presidential announcement of the burning to death of Senora Refugia Obregon Ponce de Leon? That confessed War Minister Amaro, had been a slightly premature announcement. The Senora Ponce de Leon had been expected to travel by the attacked train but, actually, she remained safe at Guadalajara. Disgusted correspondents who had cabled this news as fact throughout the world, resolved to cable no more until eye-witness refugee's arrived from the scene of atrocity. They came on a special train which steamed into Mexico City amid sorrowing crowds at 3 a. .m.
Air-brakes hissed, and as the train stopped a young man stepped off, greeted his mother on the platform with a laugh, told her, still laughing and grimacing, how the Indians had shot down his wife and mother-in-law, and mangled their three children with dumdum bullets. "Ha! Hahaha!" cried the demented man, "Hahahahaha. . . ." The dead included all but three of the armed train guards. Some 50 adults and children were murdered; but it was established that the Indians did not set fire to the train until all non-wounded passengers had climbed out. As the cars blazed in a great pyre, the wounded, slowly roasting to death, shrieked and groaned piteously.
"Don't mention my name," said a man whom newsgatherers described as a U. S. citizen, "but I want the folks back home to know one thing that happened. . . .
"There was a good-looking young woman in the seat next to me. A big Indian thug who appeared to be a sort of officer seized her by the arm and ordered her out of the car. I drew my belt containing 2,000 pesos and offered it to him if he would let her alone. When the bandit saw all that money, his eyes glistened, he held out his hand, called me a gentleman and went on his way gloating. The girl fainted."
Later the State Department at Washington announced that the only U. S. citizens on the train (all safe) were: "Alfonso Rosales, and Mr. & Mrs. Herman Dock."
The Mexican Government informed newsgatherers, late in the week, that it possessed proof of the ordering of the atrocity by the Mexican Episcopate of the Roman Catholic Church. Next day the Archbishop of Mexico, the Most Reverend Jose Mora y del Rio, one other archbishop and four bishops, were escorted by police to a train which left for the U. S. border. The Mexican Government then added a finishing touch to this deportation by issuing a statement: