Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-02
AMERICANS WIN
PRAISE AT WAR
SIX YANKEES KNOWN TO BE
AIDING ESTRADA
NOVEL sIpELloHTs THROWN ON
REVOLUTION
Life of Soldiers 5ravely Arrayed
Against zeIaya Marked by Dram
attic Incldents-AIl Prove
Real Heroes
Associated Pressl

BLUEFIELDS, Dec. % (via New Or
leans, Jan. D.-Of real Americans
there have been handful in the ranks
OF the PROFESSIONALS so far, and these
have acquitted themselves with credit.
Many in the fight have claimed
American citizenship for the protec-
tion it affords, but investigation has
shown that this claim is too remote
to ,be seriously considered.
So far as ascertalned there were but
six who came from the United States
to Bluefields for the purpose of aiding
the revolt against Zelaya. These were
Ralph Lees of New Orleans, Matthew
Finnegan of Denver, q Philippine vet
eran; G. e. Fowler of Texas, and also
late of the Philippines; Pat Dolan,
who hailed from Nebraska many years
ago; Phil Craven. a trick pistol shot
who for fifteen years was a demon
strator for one of the worlds best
arms manufacturers, and Gabriel
Conrad of New iberia, La, who has
a medal for aiding the English against
the Beers, and. who before that chased
the "Apache Kid" with the western
regulars some twelve or fifteen years
ago.
To these may be added James
Bransfeld, said to have been a mem-
ber Of the Panama constabulary and
the only foreigner wounded at Recreo,
and James Edwards, an American who
has been so long in Central America
t1at he pronounces the letter "a as
though it were short "o," the name
being distinguishing mark. in the
various methods of handling the Eng
lish language on this coast.
Shot by Natives
Bransfield is of the opinion that he
was shot first by exiled natives
amongst his own men. but at the hos
pital established by Captain Shipley
where Bransfeld was successfully
cared for, it is believed from the ma
ture of his wounds that he was in the
line of a small caliber automatic.
Three flesh wounds, all close together.
in his right leg seemingly indicate
that he stood in the line of the guns
sweep and received three bullets be-
fore the swep of the gun passed him.
His own idea is. however, that he
was shot accidentally from behind,
and that the other two wounds were
received. curiously in the same place,
from Zelayans. However that may be,
ne now has the best cot in the hos
pital, and by lying on his left side is
able to play endless solitaire with a
pack of cards furnished by Finnegan.
While the combat generally seems to
have been, proportionately to the men
engaged, one of the most bloody in
history, squads of enemies met each
other without engaging. Bransfield,
for instance, was passed by a number
of Zelayans, who seemed content TO
spare his life, seeing that he was in
capacitated.
Aqua! Aguai" pleaded Bransfleld,
whose wounds made him feverish for
water, to one of the Zelayans.
Para uno; para uno peso" said the
Zelayan, who wanted the money for
the food it would buy.
No Peso, No Aqua
The peso was not forthcoming. and
neither was the water as a conse-
quence; but 1t is to be noted that the
Zelayan did not rob the helpless man
who was completely at his mercy.
AS for Finnegan, he has been in the
Philippines. Small blue eyes that
show keenness of sight, a short
cropped, partly gray moustache,
shoulders like a wrestler and a mouth
that is grim except when he smiles
He lugged rifle with some fifty ma
tives through eight miles of kneedeep
clay, bushes, over fallen trees and un-
der them; flea-bitten, ant-bitten. mos
quito bitten, foodless and tired, only
to miss the battle. The native guide
mistook a creek running into the Sc
quia river for one running into the
Mico, a very easy error to fall into,
and missed the fight, which was along
the ,Mico.
When night fell, in retracing their
steps, Finnegan and the others became
separated in the jungle. The Denver
adventurer. however, captured a Ze-
layan, who, in his starving condition,
was glad to be a prisoner, and made
a guide of him back to the base at
Rama. The Zelayan is a good Estrada
man now and Finnegan has promised
to get him job. They are the best
of friends.
Eyes Are Bright
Craven is prematurely gray, but his
eye is an anachronism. 1t is young
and shoots sparks. AS a pistol sales
man for years it was his business to
show what could be done with the
short arm, from shooting off the ashes
of a cigar to doing other tricks COM
mon to the stage. By preference he
uses a big shooter that was more
common a generation ago than now.
He was given charge of a rapid
firer but being unable to keep the
bearers of the various parts, tripod
and cartridges anywhere near each
other he gave up the artillery job and
went to work with his pistol. 1t is re-
lated to his credit that although he
handled this arm with an expertness
seldom seen, he never killed his man.
Most of them he shot in the trigger
hand, as generally that was all that
yas visible above the cover taken.
sMy life work has been the handling
9f pistols" said Craven before going
to the front. II can do all the tricks
but 1 don't believe too much in my
self at that. A mans arm and eye are
good with a target; shooting at a man
who is cunning for you is a different
thing.
Wanted to Help
Il don't want to kill anybody, but ]
do want to help these people, because
l think they need it. If / prove true
to target form / won't have to kill
sent out only want peace; they are
forced into the fight and 1 don't wani
to take their lives. Zelaya personally
would he a different matter"
Craven does not use the trigger oi
his pistol, but shoots on the draw from
his hip by swapping back the hammer
This accounts for his use of the ole
style gun, the big hammer OF which
lends itself to the manipulation.
Lees and Dolan came down together
Lees because he saw a chance under
new government of working out &
mining claim, and Dolan, ex-cowboy
and ex-sailor, because nothing better
was engaging his attention at the time
Lees and DOlan became separated
during the fight, Dolan attaching him.
self to Craven, with whom he stayed
through thick and thin, while Lees fel
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