El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-18
BLUE WHISTLER
RETURNED To
PIONEERS
McGinty Cannon to Be De
livered This Afternoon
to Pioneers

BLUE Whistler" the McGinty can
non, will be brought across the river
at o'clock this evening by Brig
will be formally returned to the GUS
tody of the Pioneers association at
the American side of the Santa Fe
street bridge. The Pioneers associ-
alton, Gen. Orozco and staff and
friends of the revolution in Ell Paso
will then form an escort for the his
toric old piece and it will be taken
to the city hall park by way Of Santa
Fe, Ell Paso and San Antonio streets.
It will be wheeled into position on
the identical spot where it stood the
night of March 16, when 1t was kid
naped and carried across the river Cor
the revolutionary army.
The cannon will be delivered TO the
association by Gen. Orozco or his rep
resentative, who Will make a short
speech in Spanish. DR.. I. j. Bush. one
of the kidnapers who took the cannon
from city hall park, will speak, and
W. NJ Coldwen. city attorney and
member Of the Pioneers association.
will make the reply for the city and
association.
McGinty's History.
Much has been written and related
about McGinty's eaHly history-how
1t was used in the battle of Val Verde
in New Mexico during the civil war,
captured by Maj. TELLS Confederates,
buried at Albuquerque and dug up ~
years ago and presented to the McGin-
ty club after it had been left in a eel
lar in Ell Paso. Its later history is
even more familiar, for it's kidnapping
from the city hall park on St Patrick's
day in the morning by Dr. i. J. Bush.
Ned Harper, Abe Molins and DR.. Frank
Thatcher and its trip down the valley
and later across the river for the rev.
dictionary army formed the source or
much talk at the time of the capture
of the famous old fighting piece
G. C. Jones, a former sergeant of the
Thirty third infantry and a member OF
the Mexican insurrecto army, tells OF
its history after it left Ell Paso for its
second baptism of fire with the revolu-
tionary army.
Jones says it was taken across the
river at Fort Hancock after 1T had
been buried in stable in Ell Paso for
many days. It was first taken to Oil
maya by a band Of 1S5 revolutionary
recruits, 25 of whom were Americans,
under command Of Antonio Villareal-
The first time the old cannon was
shot, according to the American SOL
der OF fortune, was at Banderas, about
70 miles down the river from Juarez
Cannon's First Use.
While the band which was escorting
the cannon, with Dynamite Slim
leading the American company, was
encamped at Banderas, foreigner
Joined the party and said he had
walked from Juarez- He was suspected
of being a spy and heavy guard
placed over him to prevent his escap-
ing during the first night he was IN
camp. The, man, who was thought to
have been sent by the federals to spy
on the revolutionists, succeeded in get
ting his hands loose and in getting
possession of two guns from two Mex
leans who were asleep in the same
house where he was a prisoner He
then shot two of the Mexicans and was
firing upon the guards outside when
old McGinty was unlimbered, wheeled
into position and fired for the first
time since the McGinties fired her to
celebrate the declaration of war with
Spain. The gun was loaded by Jones
with a can filled with scrap iron and
the side of the house was blown away,
but the man was not killed. AS soon
as it was daylight he was shot by one
of the men with a Mauser rifle.
Only Old Barrel Returns.
McGinty was then taken to Ojinaga,
where 1t was fired twice during the
siege of that town by the revolution
lists. The first shot demolished
house where the federals were seeking
shelter and the second shot tore the
portfolio of the breastworks away
and the cannon was out of commission.
1t was then taken over the mountains
to Santa Rosalia, where It was shot
number of times by the revolutionists,
although 1t bucked so bad when fired
that all the framework was destroyed
The McGinty that is returned to Ell
Paso will be the same only in its bar
rel A pecan tailpiece was put in the
cannon at the T. o. ranch on the way
to Ojinaga, a new set of wheels were
added at Santa Rosalia and only the