Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-01
Bransfield Hit Three Times.


Bransfield is of>the opinion that he was
shot first by excited natives among his
own men, but at the hospital eeta blished
by Capt. Shipley. where Bransfield was
successfully cared for, it is believed. from,
the nature 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 before the sweep OF
the gun passed him. His own idea Is,
from behind, and that the other two
| wounds were received, curiously, in the
same place from Zelayans However that
| may be, he now has the best cot In the
! hospital, and by lying on his left side is
able to play endless solitaire with pack
of cards furnished by FfnneEan.
While the combat generally seems TO
have been proportionately to the men en-
gagged one of the most bloody in history.
scattered squads of enemies met each
other without engaging. Bransfeld. for
| instance was passed by a number Of
| Zelayans, who seemed content to spare
his life. seeing that he was Incorporated.
| .'Dami aqua" pleaded Bransield, whose
wounds made him feverish for water, to
one of the Zelayans.
| Para ono: para ono peso said the
Zelayan. who wanted the money for the
food it would buy some time.
The peso was not Forthcoming and
neither was the water as q consequence.
/ but Ii Is to be noted that the Zelayan
did not rob the helpless man who was
completely at his mercy
Finnigan Wasn't in It.
AS for Finnigan, he has been in the
Philippines. Small blue eyes that show
keenness OF sight short cropped partly
gray mustache, shoulders like a wrestler
to- r.tSny, I1c
smiles-that's F1nnigan. His story is
simple. He lugged rife with some fifty
natives through eight miles of knee-deep
blue clay. bushes. over fallen trees and
under them, flea-bltten, ant-bitten, mos
quito-bitten, foodless and tired, only to
miss the battle. The native guide mis-
took creek running into the Sequoia
| river for one running into the Mico, q
very easy error to fall into, and missed
the fight, which was along the Mico.
When night fell. in retracins their steps,
Finnigan and the others became separated
in the jungle. The Denver adventurer,
however, captured Zelayan, 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 Finnigan
mas promised to give him job. They are
the best of friends.
Craven the Crack Shot.
Craven is prematurely gray, but fls
eye is an anachronisn. It's young and
shoots sparks. AS a pistol salesman 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 do
ing other tricks common to the stage BY
preference, he has a big shooter more
common a generation ago than now. He
! was given charge OF a rapid-f1rer. but
being unable to keep the bearers OF the
various parts, barrel. tripod and cart
i ridges. anywhere near each other, he
gave up the artillery job and went TO
work with his pistol. He handled this
arm with an experiences seldom seen, but
never killed his man. Most OF then,
be shot in the trigger hand, as generally
/ that was all that was visible above the
cover taken.
''My life work has been handling pis-
tolls said Craven before going to the
front. II can do all the tricks, but
don't believe too much In myself at that.
A mans arm and eye are good with a
target; shooting at a man who is gun
ming for you is another thing. I don't
want to kill anybody, but I do want to
help the people because think they need
1t. If l prove true to target form
won't have to. These poor Indians that
Zelaya has sent out only want peace
they were forced into the fight, but
don't want to take their lives. Zclaya
personally would be different
Doesn't use the Trigger.
Craven does not use the trigger or his
pistol but shoots on the draw from his
hip by swapping back the hammer This
accounts for his use of the old style gun
the big hammer o. which lends itself to
the manipulation.
Lees and Dolan came down together
, Lees because he saw a chance under 9
new government of working out min
ing claim and Dolan. eX-cowboy and ex
!, gaging his attention at the time. Lee,
and DOlan became separated during thu
, fight. Do.an attaching himself to Craven
with whom he stayed through the thicl
and thin, while Lees fell In with natives
firing his rifle with an accuracy laugh
! him years ago at the University OF Ala
r bama, at which school he was captain
of his company of cadets.
A Pair Of Veterans.
Conrad and Fowler are two OF the mos
soldierly figures who joined the Estrad;
N forces. Both had been lighting in til,
Philippines, and went into the brusl
, without illusions. Both were in charg,
of quick firers. and, according to Gen
$ Chamorro, handled them with n skill
E which went far in attaining victory. II
this connection it may be stated that, &C
coriing to DIR. Pugh, surgeon OF the u. S
: S. Des MOines, practically every wo,int
q dressed in the american hospital amons