The Postcard
A carte postale that was published by Pierre Bissonnier of Cherbourg. The card was posted in Marseille using a 10c stamp on Tuesday the 16th. May 1911. It was sent to:
Mrs. R. Haynes,
23, Park Road,
Dartford,
Kent,
England.
The message on the divided back was as follows:
"Tuesday.
Arrived yesterday
afternoon. All O.K.
Letter received.
Will write tonight.
Buck up.
Love to all,
R."
The Torreón Massacre
So what else happened on the day that the card was posted?
Well, on the 16th. May 1911, a group of 303 Chinese and five Japanese immigrants were killed in the Torreón massacre.
It happened when the forces of the Mexican Revolution, led by Francisco I. Madero's brother Emilio Madero, took the city of Torreón from the Federales.
After a three-day defense, government troops departed and twelve hours of rioting began. Among the victims was Dr. J. W. Lim, a wealthy Chinese-Mexican banker, who was dragged through the streets before being shot.
In all, 316 Chinese residents were murdered during the revolution, and China's ambassador to Mexico, Shung As Sune, demanded compensation from the Mexican government of $16,800,000 for the loss of lives and property.
Margaret A. Weller
The day also marked the death at the age of 68 of Margaret A. Weller.
Margaret was the first person to learn how to use the QWERTY keyboard. Mrs. Weller, the wife of a court reporter, tested the prototype of the typewriter invented by C. Latham Sholes in 1867.
