The Watchman And Southron

OF OUTBREAK
Reports of Revolutionary Outbreaks Reach Capital City From All Sections of Country
Mexico City, Jan. 4.--Mexico City is deluged with tales of revolutionary disturbances in various parts of the republic. Within the last three days there has been one murder and two holdups by bandits only a few miles from the capital, and one train and six automobiles have been attacked and the passengers robbed within 40 miles of the city. Newspaper dispatches assert that revolutionary uprisings in towns in three different states have been suppressed by federal soldiers and 11 of the leaders executed at Leon, state of Guanajuato.
Not all the rumors can be confirmed. Mexico City is a hot bed most of the time for alarming reports of disturbances in other parts of the country, but they have been more persistent than usual, and picture a grave condition of general unrest, with numerous clashes occurring at various places.
Reports that Catholics, as such, are involved in any of the revolutionary disorders or that Catholic leaders were among the revolutionaries executed at Leon were denied today by the Catholic episcopate, which added that the episcopate has not altered its attitude in refusing to sanction armed opposition over the religious situation.
The war department declares that the federal army is in control of the situation throughout the country, is suppressing and will continue promptly to suppress all uprisings.
The war department denies that there is any general revolutionary movement under way, explaining that any such operations are the work of local bandits or groups of so-called revolutionaries, which the federals are exterminating.
The boldness of the bandits in coming as near as ten miles to Mexico City has caused considerable excitement in the capital. Yesterday bandits kidnapped six Mexican hunters returning to the city and killed one who resisted and severely wounded another. The bandits released the remaining four after robbing them. The same day, presumably, the same band, held up several automobiles near Tlalpam, a suburb, robbing the passengers.
Two hundred revolutionaries attacked the military garrison at Leon Monday, but were repulsed by the federals, who killed ten of them, and executed 11 of the leaders, who are said to have been prominent citizens of the place.
Reports have been current here that they were prominent Catholics, but the episcopate is without such information.
Sunday afternoon 35 or more armed men, described by the authorities as bandits, but who themselves shouted that they were revolutionists needing supplies for their operations, robbed the passengers of six automobiles near the place where Jacob Rosenthal, a retired business man of Woodmere, Long Island (New York), was kidnapped last September and later killed by his captors.
This place lies between Mexico City and Cuernavaca.
Not long afterwards a railroad train near the town of Ajusco, 30 miles from Mexico City, was boarded by bandits and robbed.
Late dispatches say that the federals put down rebel risings at Conception Del Oro, state Zacatecas, executing several of the leaders. The specials also report, but without confirmation, that there was a rising of Catholics at Parras de la Fuente, state of Coahuila, and that they "seized the municipal authorities."
Gen. Arnulfo Gomez, military commander at Vera Cruz, is reported to have revolted. But this rumor bobs up periodically in Mexico City, and thus far has not been confirmed from Vera Cruz.
Apparently the discontented elements throughout the republic are without central leadership or coordination, and have no dominant figure to rally around.