BarbarousMexico JOHN KENNETH TURNER

AMERICAN PERSECUTION OF ENEMIES OF DIAZ 273
All of them were peaceful, respectable persons. The
law under no circumstances permits of deportation after
the immigrant has been a resident of this country for
more than three years. But several of this number had
lived here for longer than that time and Puente, who
was editing a paper in Douglas, claimed to have resided
in the United States continuously for thirteen years.
Still another crime of officials may be cited in this particular
case. When occasion arises for deportation the
immigrant in ordinary cases is merely returned to the
country whence he came. But in this case the group of
Mexican Liberals was delivered over to the Mexican police
in handcuffs, and the American handcuffs were not
removed until the prisoners arrived at the penitentiary of
Hermosillo, state of Sonora!
The Mexican government, by the way, found nothing
against these men after it had got them except that they
were members of the Liberal Party. Nevertheless, it
sent each and every one of them to long terms in prison.
Many Americans will remember the case of L. Gutierrez
De Lara, whom the Immigration Department
seized for deportation in October, 1909, accusing him
of being "an alien anarchist." De Lara had resided more
than three years in this country, yet undoubtedly he
would have been sent to his death had not the country
sent up such a protest that the conspirators were frightened.
It is supposed that De Lara's life was sought at
this particular time because he accompanied me to Mexico
and aided in securing material for my exposé of
Mexican conditions.
When Diaz fails to gain possession of his enemies in
the United States by other means lie does not hesitate
to resort to kidnapping and when he resorts to kidnap-