BarbarousMexico JOHN KENNETH TURNER

REPRESSIVE ELEMENTS OF THE DIAZ MACHINE 151
city in the country. Before the Liberal rebellion of 1906
the government, through spies, secured the detailed
plans of the rebels, as well as the names of hundreds
of the participants, and a large number of these were
killed. What was done by the acordada in Mexico City
at that time may be guessed by a statement made to me
by a well known newspaperman of Mexico City. Said
he: "I have it from the most reliable source that during
the week preceding September 16 not less than 2,000
suspects were made away with quietly by the secret police
and special deputies—the acordada—so quietly that
not a line in regard to it has ever been published to this
day!"
I hesitate to print this statement because it is too colossal
for me to believe, and I do not expect the reader
to believe it. But I have no doubt whatever that it
was partially true; that, say, several score were killed
at this time and in this way. Liberals whom I have
met have often spoken to me of friends who had suddenly
disappeared and never been heard of again and
many of these were supposed to have been done away
with by the acordada.
The Lev Fuqa, or law of flight, is a method of killing
resorted to by all branches of the Mexican police power.
It was originated by order of General Diaz, who decreed
that his police might shoot any prisoners who
should try to escape while under guard. While it may
not have originated for that purpose, this rule came to
be used as one of the means of putting to death persons
against whom the government had not the shadow of
another excuse for killing. The marked man is simply
arrested, taken to a lonely spot and there shot. The
matter is kept quiet, if possible, but if a situation should
arise that demands an explanation, the report is given