Ruffo, J. B.

Rosales, Francisco Arturo. Chicano!: the history of the Mexican American civil rights movement, 1997, pp. 65-66: ... In the spring of 1912 Dr. J.B. Ruffo, chief surgeon in Francisco I. Madero's army, defected to Pascual Orozco in the anti-Madero rebellion. When Orozco's fortunes declined, Ruffo fled to the U.S. and in October of 1912 was recruiting support for the rebels in Arizona. At the behest of Phoenix Consul Francisco Olivares, he was arrested in Tucson and jailed. Ruffo's imprisonment prompted founding in Phoenix of La Liga Protectora de Refugiados (The Refugee Protection League) by Pedro de la Lama and others who two years later started La Liga Protectora Latina (The Latin Protective League). ...

Arizona Daily Star, October 20, 1912: Phoenix, Ariz. - Under the direction of Dr. J.B. Ruffo, chief surgeon under General Campa, the Mexican revolutionary leader, the Protective League of Political Refugees has been organized in Phoenix. This is merely the first unit of a society which is planned to be established throughout the southwest. Its object is to aid refugees from Mexico, give them and their families any assistance necessary and to keep them from violating the neutrality laws. Dr. Ruffo has been made national organizer for the society. He will leave in three or four days for Washington, where he will interview President Taft, Secretary of State Knox and other high officials in an effort to obtain recognition for the league from the United States government. He has various diplomatic connections which should make it easy for him to do this. "A great many refugees come across the border from Mexico without money or any means of earning a living," Dr. Ruffo said this morning. "It will be our aim to assist many refugees, find them work, furnish them medical assistance, or, if necessary, lawyers. Some of them are liable to violate the neutrality laws without knowing they are doing so; such persons we will endeavor to prevent doing anything that will get them into trouble with this government. "Peace is what we desire most of all. We wish to cool the fever of Mexico and persuade all Mexicans to go quietly back to their work. This league is to be an organization in which graft be not possible. There are to be no salaries, and all who handle funds must be under bond." The officers and committees of the local unit are as follows: President, P. G. de Lama; vice president, J. S. Lindsey; secretary, G. Coman; treasurer, T. Olea; committee on by-laws, Mancillas, Melendrez, S. Lindhey, Olea and de Lama; committee on propaganda, V. Cimmaruato, J. J. Buckley, C. Zungia, and I. Robles; executive committee, J. M. Melendrez, A. C. Bernal and Pedro Barragan.