815.00 Revolutions/29: Telegram
The Minister in Honduras (Lay) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 25—10:45 a.m.]
72. No combat engagements have been reported in the last 24 hours. Military headquarters here estimates the present total number of rebels in the entire country as 1,000. The bulk of these are to the west of San Pedro Sula, retiring west and southwest apparently followed but not pursued by the Government forces in several columns.
An American citizen, John Edward Wright, time-keeper on the Lerida farm of the United Fruit Company was murdered this morning by an unknown assailant. Lerida is about 50 miles up the Truxillo Railroad from Puerto Castilla. The Legation’s information does not indicate whether this murder was an act of the rebels or was merely another of the fairly frequent crimes normally occurring in this lawless region.
The fruit companies have resumed normal operations in all the banana districts except in one section to the south of San Pedro Sula.