Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

304 HISTORY OF THE BANKhouse for five days with nothing to eat but a few crusts,and when the bank staff reassembled at the office afterthe fighting was over he looked like a ghost. In this apartmenthouse many were killed, because a battery of machinegunson an adjoining building constantly drew the fire of theopposing side. During all this destruction and bloodshed, thebank's premises escaped without other damage than wascaused by a rule bullet which passed through one of the frontwindows and the screen of the manager's room.In these stormy circumstances Huerta assumed power,of financial experiments, which cul-and commenced a seriesminated in December, 1913, in his making Mexican bank-noteslegal tender, from which time allmetallic currency ceased tocirculate. Despite the political excitement the business of thebank continued to increase, but trouble began again in April,1914, when the Americans decided to occupy Vera Cruz.Anti-American feeling ran so high in Mexico that all persons ofthat nationality tried to get away to Vera Cruz on specialtrains. The bank's stenographer, Mr. E. D. Doster, appliedfor his furlough, inasmuch as he was an American and wishedto do a little work as a newspaper correspondent. As businesswas at a standstill, the furlough was granted, but the decisionwas unfortunate for him. He was arrested on a pretext thathe was sending out false news, taken to police head-quarters,and never heard of afterwards. Although the authoritiesclaimed that he was "released," there is no doubt in the mindsof his friends as to the nature of the release.The flight of Huerta on the approachof the Carranzaforces in July, 1914, brought about further political changes,with alternate occupations of the city by Villistas, Zapatistas,Carrancistas and other "istas," until at last in August, 1915,Carranza obtained something like stable control. Duringthese days of frequent upheavals the staff of the bank wasoccasionally without water and light, so that the branch wouldsometimes be closed for a week at a time. At other times themails would cease for a month, or the telegraphic lines be