BarbarousMexico JOHN KENNETH TURNER

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BARBAROUS MEXICO
cratic papers at Guadalajara, was taken to Belem prison,
where he remains at this writing, though so far no
formal charge has been filed against him.
In October, 1909, Manuel M. Oviedo, editor of La
Hoja Suel.a and president of the Anti-re-electionist
Club of Torreon, was sent to prison and his paper was
suppressed. Action was taken because Oviedo asked
for a fair state election following the forced retirement
of Governor Cardenas.
In November, 1909, Martin Stecker, a native of Germany,
editor of El Trueno, Linares, Nuevo Leon, was
jailed on a charge of "defamation" and his newspaper
was suppressed. Stecker was only a very mild Reyist.
The real reason for his arrest was that Linares is a
good newspaper field and members of the Diaz machine
wished the sole privilege of exploiting it. Just previous
to the suppression of El Trueno Governor Reyes had
been banished from the country and his friends put out
of the municipal government at' Linares.
In November, 1909, Revista de Merida, of Merida,
Yucatan, was suppressed by the government. Editor
Menendez and other writers were imprisoned on the
charge of sedition.
About the same time two other Merida newspapers
were suppressed. One was Yucatan Nuevo. Its editors,
Fernando M. Estrada and Ramon Peovide, are
at this writing still in jail. The other was La Defensa
Nacional. Its editors, Calixto M. Maldonada and
Caesar A. Gonzalez, were charged with "provocation of
rebellion." The evidence produced in court against them
consisted of copies of a circular sent out by the National
Anti-re-electionist Club, which they were passing among
their friends.
In February, 1910, Fleriberto Frias, editor of El