BarbarousMexico JOHN KENNETH TURNER

DL\Z HIMSELF 313
revenge visited upon the town where his brother many
years later met a tragic death.
Accounts of the incident differ, but all authorities
agree that the massacre at juchitan, Oaxaca, was done
in cold blood, indiscriminately and out of revenge. On
becoming president, Diaz installed his brother "Chato"
as governor of Oaxaca. "Chato" was a drunkard and
a libertine and lie was killed while over-riding the personal
liberties of the people of the town of Juchitan.
Many weeks later, long after the uprising of a day had
passed, President Diaz sent troops to Juchitan who,
according to one writer, suddenly appeared one evening
in the public square where the people had gathered to
listen to the music of a band, and poured volley after
volley into the crowd, continuing to fire until all the
people left in the square were dead or dying on the
ground.
Such killings have been a recognized policy of the
Diaz rule. The Rio Blanco massacre, the details of
which were set forth in a previous chapter, took place
after the town was entirely quiet. The executions in
Cananea were carried out with little discrimination and
after the alleged disturbance of the strikers was over.
The summary executions at Velardena in the Spring
of 1909 all took place after the so-called riot was over.
And other instances could be given. It may be suggested
that in some of these cases not Diaz, but an underling,
was responsible. But it is well known that
Diaz usually gave the orders for distributing indiscriminate
death. That he approves of such a policy as
a policy is shown by his remarkable toast to General
Bernardo Reyes, after the Montere y massacre in 1903.
when lie said: "Senor General, that is the way to govern."