Chihuahua, and it was more of an antiforeign demonstration than anything else; and that grew into the Madero revolution.

Senator SMITH. Did they show bias against any special nationality?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Bias has always been shown against Americans. Senator SMITH. Who were the prime movers in that revolution? Mr. HOUGHTON. I could not give you their names.

Senator SMITH. Can you name any of them? Was Orozco in it? Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes; Orozco was one. In our immediate vicinity there was a family by the name of Quivedo, another family by the name of Ponce, the Casaras, Salazar-those are from our immediate neighborhood. Those are all I recall.

Senator SMITH. Do you know of any Europeans or Americans who were in it?

Mr. HOUGHTON. No.

Senator SMITH. Was a man by the name of Parker in it?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Not in that revolution. There were a number of Americans engaged in the revolution afterwards, as soldiers of fortune-men in the ranks but I do not know anything about them. Senator SMITH. In that revolution was any special tribute exacted from your company or were any special burdens laid on you?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes; we lost quite a good many horses, quite a number of cattle, and in exporting cattle we were obliged to pay quite a heavy export tax-an illegal tax.

Senator SMITH. How extensive was that?

Mr. HOUGHTON. The entire losses of the Corralitos Co. during the Madero revolution would not exceed $20,000.

Senator SMITH. Did you ever have any talk with Madero about it yourself?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Only with reference to the export tax. I tried to talk them out of that, and succeeded in getting a reduction, but had to pay a tax.

Senator SMITH. Do you know whether any demands were made on any member of your company in New York, or in any other place, for assistance in carrying on that revolution?

Mr. HOUGHTON. I think not. I am as sure as any person can be and not know positively that there was not.

Senator SMITH. So far as you are able to say, the only tribute you paid that was excessive or burdensome or irregular was this export tax on cattle?

Mr. HOUGHTON. And the confiscating of horses, the killing of cattle, burning of corrals, destruction of wire fences, and things of that kind.

Senator SMITH. Did you ever take up that question with any of the officials of Mexico besides Madero?

Mr. HOUGHTON. At the end of the revolution we filed a claim. Senator SMITH. Did you ever talk with President Diaz about the situation?

Mr. HOUGHTON. No, sir; I never did.

Senator SMITH. After the revolution had apparently succeeded and Madero was inaugurated President were any excessive dues of any kind imposed upon you?

Mr. HOUGHTON. No. I will say this, however: That our portion of Chihuahua has been in a state of revolution ever since the incep

tion of the Madero revolution. It has never entirely ceased. They went directly from the Madero revolution into the Orozco revolution. Madero was hardly ever in full control of that section of country. Senator SMITH. Have you any idea how completely he was in peaceful control of it?

Mr. HOUGHTON. No; I could not answer that question.

Senator SMITH. But the revolution continued as it had been inaugurated?

Mr. HOUGHTON. No; the revolution has not continued as it was inaugurated, but the dissatisfaction with Madero started immediately after he took the chair, and that dissatisfaction continued and grew into the present revolution.

Senator SMITH. Who is supposed to be the leader of the present revolution?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Pascual Orozco.

Senator SMITH. Have you had any dealings with him?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH. Have he or his followers made any exactions of money or property from you?

Mr. HOUGHTON. No; only in tax lexies and export taxes and helping themselves to property wherever they found it or wherever they needed it.

Senator SMITH. How generally have they exceeded the ordinary tax levy?

Mr. HOUGHTON. I could not answer that offhand. It would be quite an amount.

Senator SMITH. In your case particularly?

Mr. HOUGHTON. That is what I mean. I could not give you the figures.

Senator SMITH. Have they anticipated the taxes for a number of years to come?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Not for a number of years, but for a number of months.

Senator SMITH. How often do you pay taxes down there, normally?

Mr. HOUGHTON. We pay our taxes monthly.

Senator SMITH. Is that the custom generally?

Mr. HOUGHTON. I think so.

Senator SMITH. And what do your taxes amount to each month? Mr. HOUGHTON. About 1.000 or 1.200 pesos.

Senator SMITH. Does that continue throughout the year?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes.

Senator SMITH. How far have your taxes been anticipated in the future?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Six months.

Senator SMITH. Who made that exaction?

Mr. HOUGHTON. The Orozco tax collector at Casas Grandes. Senator SMITH. What was the penalty in case you did not comply with it?

Mr. HOUGHTON. We did not wait to see what the penalty might be. We paid rather than get in wrong with them and have them attempt to collect the taxes forcibly.

Senator SMITH. Did they threaten force?

Mr. HOUGHTON. They threatened to take property in lieu of taxes.

Senator SMITH. Altogether, how much money have you paid them as a peace offering?

Mr. HOUGHTON. In the way of taxes, $8,000 or $10,000 Mexican money.

Senator SMITH. In consideration of that payment did they let you alone?

Mr. HOUGHTON. They did not.

Senator SMITH. Did the same men who exacted the payment continue to misuse the property and ignore your rights?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Not the same men, but men of the same party. Senator SMITH. Under the same control?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Under the same control.

Senator SMITH. And that has continued for how long?

Mr. HOUGHTON. That has continued all through the present year. Senator SMITH. At what do you estimate your losses?

Mr. HOUGHTON. About $80,000 gold.

Senator SMITH. What proportion of that money or property have they converted to their own use?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Practically all of it. Five or six thousand dollars went to cover the taxes we paid in advance, and those taxes we will not have to pay again, so that is a legitimate expense; but I figure that our actual losses are $80,000.

Senator SMITH. During the year?

Mr. HOUGHTON. During the year.

Senator SMITH. Have others in the same vicinity suffered?
Mr. HOUGHTON. Almost everyone.

Senator SMITH. Who?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Look, a neighbor south of us; the Mormon colonies, south; A. B. Urmston, at San Pedro, and the Warren people; and also Benton on the west; north of us the Palomas Land & Cattle Co.; the Candelaria Mining Co. on our own property, and all the Mormon colonies in the State of Chihuahua, as well as a great many Mexican ranchers.

Senator SMITH. Are all the people you refer to located in the State of Chihuahua?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes. There is a family just north of us named Azcarate. I do not know whether they claim to be American citi

zens or not.

Senator SMITH. What would you estimate the actual losses in the aggregate, in money value in dollars and cents, of the people and companies to whom you have just referred during the past year? Mr. HOUGHTON. That is a difficult question.

Senator SMITH. Can you approximate it?

Mr. HOUGHTON. I should say not less than $1,000,000 gold; that is, actual loss of property.

Senator SMITH. Actual loss of property converted to the use of some one else?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes. That does not take into account the loss of time, loss of opportunity, and anything of that kind.

Senator SMITH. Or prospective profits?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Or prospective profits, or anything of that char

acter.

Senator SMITH. That deals with tangible property?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes.

Senator SMITH. Property that has been converted to the uses of the revolutionary party, and of which you and your neighbors have been deprived?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH. Have you had any talk with any of the Mexican officials about that?

Mr. HOUGHTON. No; I have not.

Senator SMITH. Have you made any representations to any officials of the United States Government at Washington?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes; representations have been made through the New York office to the officials in Washington.

Senator SMITH. To what department?

Mr. HOUGHTON. To the Department of State.
Senator SMITH. How long ago?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Within the past 30 days.

Senator SMITH. Have you made any special request upon the Mexican authorities for protection?

Mr. HOUGHTON. I asked Gen. Sanjinez for a detail of troops to protect Corralitos from roving bands after he had taken possession of Casas Grandes. He refused, saying that he needed every man he had; that he was crowded on all sides by rebels and could not spare

a man.

Senator SMITH. Did you offer to pay him for any service of that kind?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Not at that time; no. I asked afterwards for two men with authority to act as police, and to make arrests, and offered to pay them. This request was made of the jefe politico at Casas Grandes.

Senator SMITH. He has supervision of the police in that town?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes. He said he would be glad to make the ap-, pointment, but that he had no man under him whom he could recommend-whom he could trust.

Senator SMITH. Was he an official of the revolutionary party?
Mr. HOUGHTON. No; he was a federal official.

Senator SMITH. They later gave way, did they not, to the revolutionists?

Mr. HOUGHTON. No; I am talking now of the time since the federals took possession of Casas Grandes.

Senator SMITH. Prior to that time, and when Chihuahua was in possession of the revolutionists, did you make any effort to have your property spared?

Mr. HOUGHTON. No: because we were suffering no losses, and had little or no trouble. The Orozco revolutionary forces were respecting foreign property, and we were not bothered. It is only within the last 60 or 90 days that they have again depredated on Americans in our part of the country.

Senator SMITH. Are they specially directing their efforts against American property?

Mr. HOUGHTON. It seems so.

Senator SMITH. American property, as distinguished from the property of other nationalities?

Mr. HOUGHTON. As distinguished from the property of Mexicans. Senator SMITH. Do they seem to distinguish between the property of English and Germans and Americans?

Mr. HOUGHTON. No; not in our neighborhood.

Senator SMITH. Have you had any personal talk with Orozco about that particular phase of it?

Mr. HOUGHTON. No; I have not.

Senator SMITH. Have you had any communications from him or from any subordinate relating to your property?

Mr. HOUGHTON. At the time it became evident that the revolutionists were going to take horses and riding stock wherever they could find them I moved the principal part of the Corralitos saddle stock into the United States-brought them to this side-and immediately afterwards I was arrested by order of Gen. Salazar and taken to Casas Grandes and fined 500 pesos for not acquainting them with the fact that I was going to bring my horses into the States.

Senator SMITH. By "the States" you mean the United States? Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes; and at that time I was told by Salazar that it had become so evident that the United States Government and the American people had aligned themselves with Madero to beat the liberal cause that he would cease to respect American or foreign property; that the American Government and the Americans were fighting their cause and that he would do everything in his power to force them to fight in the open.

Senator SMITH. Did he give any reasons for that opinion?

Mr. HOUGHTON. The fact that during the Madero revolution they were allowed to import arms and ammunition, to bring them across the border at will, to come across themselves, and, in fact, that there were no strings on them at all: they were recognized as belligerents from the first, although the official recognition did not come until after the taking of the town of Juarez.

Senator SMITH. Did that seem to be his reason for this opinion? Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes; it was.

Senator SMITH. That was after the passage of the act forbidding the exportation of arms or ammunition?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes.

Senator SMITH. Did you notice any difference in your treatment after that time?

Mr. HOUGHTON. A very decided difference. I noticed it with all Mexicans. Even our ranch employees became impudent and refused to work. Those who did work worked as they saw fit, and the former respect and good will that seemed to have existed between the employer and the employee was gone.

Senator SMITH. What about the former followers of Diaz? Did you notice any difference in their conduct?

Mr. HOUGHTON. The former followers of Diaz are not found in the laboring classes. You find the revolutionists made up almost entirely of the peon and laborer or middle class.

Senator SMITH. To your knowledge was that class impressed with the apparent discrimination that had been made between the Madero right and the Orozco right to import arms?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Yes. You are alluding now to the peon or laborer class?

Senator SMITH. Yes. Do you give it as your opinion that they felt that that act was a discrimination against them?

Mr. HOUGHTON. Against them, and that it was a threat on the part of the United States of taking a hand.