Rafael's Mother Letter addressed to Rey L. Pratt

Letter sent by Maria Jesus Perez Mera Vda.of Monroy, mother of Rafael Monroy Mera, addressed to Rey Lucero Pratt President of the Mexican Mission, where she relate all the facts of the execution of Rafael Monroy and Vicente Morales on July 17, 1915.

“Vda.” is the abbreviation for Viuda (widow). She was widow from January 25, 1903 when her husband Jose Silvano de Jesús Monroy Vera died.

It is unknown whether this letter was written in handwriting by the author. Namely it was the custom at that time write the letters and messages in handwriting and important documents on a typewriter, anyway the author's daughters were teachers of elementary education and have the knowledge to write the letter typed.

I have seen two versions of this letter, written on a typewriter, none includes a signature in the footer but both versions include the name in the bottom of the document. Both include exactly the same words, but with 4 notable differences:

a) Version “Two legal-size paper”:

1) Where who writes or transcribes allows or typed spelling errors, is dated August 27, 1915.

2) The mention of the time of the execution of Rafael Monroy and Vicente Morales is at 8 pm.

3) Has a note typed in the header that says "COPY OF ORIGINAL LETTER FROM SISTER JESUS M. VDA. of Monroy, giving the account of the killing of her son Rafael”. There is no date or who put their additional note.

4)Moreover, this version has corrections of accents, typo correction made in ink, because at that time there was no correction tapes, once typed, corrections were made with a pen on the same document.

b) Version “Three letter-size paper”:

1) Who transcribes the letter corrects the most misspellings, is dated August 27, 1918.

2) The mentions of the time of the execution Rafael Monroy and Vicente Morales is at 6 pm.

3) Also has a header like the previous one, but above of this note there is another extra note two handwritten lines that says in spanish: "Conchita pensé que podría ser de interés para Ud. tener este importante documento 8-22-88 . Efrain" "Conchita (The daughter of Rafael) I thought that could be interesed to have this important document,August 22, 1988. Efrain"

Regarding the discrepancy of dates between both versions, in the manuscript titled : "Como llegó el Evangelio restaurado al pueblo de San Marcos, Tula de Allende, Estado de Hidalgo", (How arrived the Restored Gospel to the town of San Marcos, Tula of Allende, State of Hidalgo)” by Guadalupe Monroy Mera (Rafael’s sister). This document is in Spanish only. she wrote:

"On October 28, 1915 we received a letter from President Pratt, answering a letter that my mother had written dated August 27".

This letter gives solace to the sister Jesusita and answered the specific questions she had made about a possible change of city to US so that it follows the date of the letter of the version 2 is incorrect.

The following transcript was made using the first version.

The transcript is to a PDF file was on September 2, 2009, Extracting information from 2 images of the original letter that I have in my possession.

Document is formatted with spaces, paragraphs, etc. for readability. Spanish version keeps misspells and typos to respect the words exactly as they were written. For the english version, all misspells and typos were corrected.

August 27, 1915, San Marcos, Tula E. de Hidalgo.

Mister Rey L. Pratt

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Very dear brother in the faith of Christ:

With my heart pierced with grief that overwhelms me, am writing this, yes, only to you because I do not have who would dissipate my sorrow. Brother, as our political situation day by day grew worse came to such an extent division that in the town of San Miguel was held by the “Zapatistas” army and Tula by the “Constitutionalist” army, San Marcos was on the line dividing the two armies and was very sad time for us because we had to see combats and pretend to be it (without not be it) allied of Zapatistas or Carranzistas (Constitutionalist) depend where you go, and so we stayed for three months until the Zapatistas were rejected and then we was under the other army.

But in San Miguel people joined up with the Zapatistas and during his permanency made a lot of abuses and revenge, pursued Mr. McVey and my daughter Natalia, she cannot resist more these people and run away to this place leaving the house to the brother Casimiro Gutierrez (ordered Elder by my son), however this brother was threatened and run away to Tepeji leaving the house alone which was immediately sacked by the Zapatistas.

All this had already happened (Mr. McVey went to USA when He saw the horrible situation that is happening) when a sad afternoon we listened a firefight that lasted two hours in Tula, and the city was recovered by the Zapatistas.

Oh! Brother how sad I feel to remember those events! Three days after that day more people came from Tula and as they did not fit in that city then a portion of their army came to this town and in this part came those people that did run away my daughter Natalia, seeking the Gringo, her husband, and so many calumnies had been raised saying that the Gringo and my son Rafael were Carranzistas colonels and they were in the combat (I have referred previously), these men came very angry and toook my son ( My son of my soul!) who never carry more guns than their New Testament in his pocket and also they arrested the husband of Eulalia, Brother Vicente Morales, they were cruelly tortured in order to reveal where were the weapons , but Brother Pratt, what weapons were to deliver them?, if you know us perfectly, you know the life we lead.

Then my daughters wanted to talk with them, but these men without conscience did not would listen, they took prisoners to Natalia, Jovita and Lupe, this happened at 10 am then they came from the main square to this house to search the weapons but although they search exhaustively the did not found weapons, why? Because we have not guns, and they were very upset because we said only the truth! Then they went to the store we have, Do you remember that? Then soldiers looting what little things we had there.

So this way I spend the 17th of July, up and down to secure the freedom of my children, but I did not get it because my son Rafael and Vicente were shot at 8 pm. Imagine you my pain when I staying with the dead bodies lying on the ground and my three daughters prisoners without permission for raise the bodies in the night, no coat Brother! Because they all refused to help me, even the brethren, they hide by fear and I was protected by no more protection than my Heavenly Father and asked him to give me strength and could take my daughters from the hands of those men.

The next day I went and talked to the General that He would allow me to raise the bodies of my children and implored him enough in order he can give the freedom to my daughters, which gave me, and at six in the morning they came to me clean of worldly filth in that they were involved.

So on Sunday we were into the deepest sadness, my daughter in law and her little daughter, my niece Eulalia was pregnant, hopefully next month she give birth. The days pass slowly we are aware that even in this town there were false witnesses who helped convict my son to the death saying the perverted people that He learned a strange religion and that He was a Mormon and this word as they have not never heard is interpreted as a great evil, and their lies and ill will continues with their stories as I have told you.

I should also note that after three weeks, the Constitutionalists returned to Tula, now we are under that government.

For all the suffering we go through we want to get out of this town, asking God to inspire us to where and after Him we want to ask you give us some advice. Brother you know us, you has learned our character more or less, I want to refer you our idea, we want go to U.S. to a border state where weather be comfortable for us, may be the strongest - in health members of the family can work for the other weak memeber of the family, but you can study this problem and give an exact resolution that we will obey.

We want to rent our lands or leave them in charge with someone trust man that stand in front of the properties, we think that Brothers Bernabé and Daniel will be fine, but the blindness of the heart of this town is big and tough can continue pursuing them and building plan as explained above . Brother nobody better than you can say whether we should leave this Republic, in case you agree and despite of the exchange rate is very high we would do an effort.

Some friend who has just left this place to the U.S., Mr. Cavoly, He advise us that San Antonio, Texas, would be a good place for us. There is train to Laredo, Texas already, although with great risks yet. You know several places in your Republic, we don't know because we are Mexicans; perhaps maybe you know a suitable place there.

My relatives have written to me that if I think we go out there with them, other has adviced me not go out to anywhere they are saying have patience and do not abandon our home, but I do not want to go to my relatives because we will not be well accepted upon these little villages since there is no tolerance of religion and all peoples are idolaters, also I must search some place to educate my grandaughter, my Conchita, gem of my dear son and also my niece Carlota.

This branch is presided by Elder Casimiro Gutierrez helping Gabriel Rosales and the brother Ysauro Monroy. I am in charge of one sister of Ixtacalco, Ana Paez, she arrived to this town six months ago, she comes with the Rodriguez brothers Anacleto and Francisco, they were enrolled in Tula with the Constitutionalists in the band of musicians and we don’t know of them until to date.

Please write to Mr. McVey and tell the events has happened since I do not want it nor his wife because our hearts are very sore, that may be due his bad temper my son and Vicente were dead. Well I know there is a second commandment that is to forgive your enemies, this Brother, we will do and are working to remove all kinds of hate and when this feeling disappear we will write him, but before please you write him because we know absolutely nothing about him.

From you we have not received news; the latest letters that you sent was dated April 9, 1915.

I send you greetings from my great love and affection for your estimable wife, sister and children and you accept all the appreciation from me and my family that although the afflictions have been great but greater still is our faith and we will not falter

.

Your Sister in the Faith,

Jesus M. Vda. Monroy