KILL MEXICAN TRAIN BANDITS.

    Mexico City, Jan. 11.--(AP)--G. M. Wynkoop of Berryville, Va., representative of the Buick Motor company and one of the two Americans aboard the train attacked by bandits Saturday night, when at least fifty persons were butchered and $150,000 stolen, gave a graphic account of the ghastly affair. He was the first survivor to reach Mexico City.
    "I saw nine soldier guards dead," he said. "I believe all the guards and most of the crew were killed. The number of murdered Mexican passengers I do not know, but some of my companions estimated them all the way from twenty to fifty."

    [Dispatches received by The Tribune, Sunday night said Robert C. Russell, an American, had been murdered by the bandits, but later reports, indicate all foreigners escaped injury.]

    "About dark Saturday I noticed twenty suspicious appearing men carrying rifles concealed under their cloaks, who boarded the train as passengers at a small station near Gundalajara," Mr. Wynkoop continued. "Presently they stationed themselves at the doors of each coach, and without warning opened fire upon the passengers in the second and third class coaches. They continued firing without mercy, killing many of the passengers and all the soldier guards.
    "I saw several dead Mexican woman and children, in addition to men, how many I do not know. It was a ruthless massacre and a most terrible sight. Even now I can hardly believe that such an awful thing happened.
    "I doubt if anybody will ever accurately know the number of dead and wounded. I saw wounded men die, and others killed instantly. I saw one aged woman writhing in horrible agony, her body shot open. I saw a little baby shot through the heart. I saw bodies so burned as to be almost indistinguishable from the charred timbers of the coaches. Altogether it was a perfect nightmare of incredibly wanton bloodthirstiness.

    "The sole and only mercy, which I cannot explain, was shown to foreigners. Not a foreigner was killed. A number of Germans in the Pullman, together with passengers of other nationalities, escaped unhurt.
    "We are all busted, but thank God we got away alive.
    "Although the bandits did not harm any foreigners in the Pullman, they took all valuables from the men, but did not rob the foreign women. After they had done their work of massacre and robbery, the bandits, who had with them an expert engineer, ran the train to Yurecuar station, looted the town, wrecked the depot, destroyed telegraph wires, shot more Mexicans, disembarked all the foreigners and ran the train for a short distance. They then burned and wrecked every coach, stripping the express baggage car of all valuables. Many of the bodies of the murdered Mexicans were cremated.
    "The bandits next boarded the engine after loading it with the loot and made their escape. Not a single shot was fired at them, for the soldier guards were killed on the first attack and the passengers were too fearful to attempt resistance.
    "I heard the bandits shout 'we are not bandits; we are revolutionists.'
    "I asked one of them: 'Who are you rebelling against?' He answered: Calles. You watch developments. The revolution is not over.'"

Source:

Unknown, "Kill Mexican Train Bandits," Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago, Illinois, Tuesday, 12 January, 1926, Page 1.