Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-08-10
GUARD OFFICER
MADE SLAVE
BY REBELS !: |
WILLIAM bender, LIEUTENANT IN
NINTH new YORK Infantry WAS
held PRISONER IN MEXICO WITH
OUT REDRESS
RhTTLESNAkES IN
HIS Vile PRISON

San Francisco, Calf, Aug. 10--A
tale of adventure and suffering in
Mexico, was told here yesterday by
William Bender, who said he arrived
from the southern republic, by way
OF Nogales, Ariz. He told of his cap
ture as a spy. Of having been held
as a prisoner by his rebel captors,
who made a slave OF him; of being
condemned to death by a court mar
tial; of his escape and a tramp of 400
miles to reach the United States.
Bender said he was born in Ger
many, but became an American when
his father was naturalized. He was
sent to Cornell university, he contin-
ued, and was graduated with the de-
gree of civil engineer He Joined the
national guard, after his graduation,
and became a first lieutenant in the
Ninth regiment of New York. Later
he returned to Germany and spent
year Of voluntary service in the Ger
man army. Bender, according to his
account, returned to Mexico, and went
on prospecting trip in chihuahua.
In the mountains near Sandimes, he
was stopped and searched by rebels.
They found his national guard uni
form and arrested him as an Ameri-
can SPY. The rebels held him cap
tive for eight months, he said, and
made him do the menial work when
ever they went into a camp.
q had heard of the foulness of
Mexican prisons, but I never imagin-
ed that there could be a place so aw-
full as that into which l was thrown,''
he said. One day the guards threw
into my cell, two rattlesnakes with
the hope that they would kill me.
killed the snakes. The same per-
formance was repeated a few days
later"
Finally, said Bender, he was con.
demned to be shot. Bender made
friends with one of his guards. who
aided him to escape. In making his
way to the west coast, he had to
cross a river on a log, but the cur
I rent carried, hi1 along for ghteen
hours before he succeeded in reach.
ing the banks. Bender said that af-
ter many hardships he reached Mazat-
Ian, but being unable to obtain work,
tramped to NOgales, where he earned
enough money TO pay his railway fare
to this city.
Mexico City, Mex, Aug. 10,-The
status of Emilio Zapata leader, of the
rebels in the south, is unchanged.
The government commission which
went to FL Jilguero to counsel peace
terms with him, returned today, bear
ing a report of failure.
( The commission warned Zapata that
on August %, measures providing for
the suspension of personal guaran-
tees would go into effect and the gov
ernment would renew its campaign
against him.
San Antonio, Texas, Aug. 10.-Troop
l. of the third United States cavalry,
was sent from Fort Sam Houston to-
day to Sierra Blanca and a squad of
cavalry was ordered from Fort Clark
to Del Rio to protect American inter-
ests there. Troop l. is equipped for
field service.
Washington, d. c., Aug. 10.-Ap-
preparation of $4,000 for support of
American refugees from Mexico in
Arizona, was authorized today under a
resolution by Senator Smith of that
state. The money would be deducted
from the 100000 already appropria-
ted for the transportation of Ameri-
can refugees in Ell Paso, Texas, to
their homes in this country.
Austin, Texas, Aug. 10-The secre
tary of war sent today reply to the
message of Governor Colquitt of Tex
as, which described reported raiding
by rebels along the Mexican border
The governor had declared that ii
the United States did not offer aid to
protect the people of the state OF
Texas then state troops would be or
dered out to inferno the marauders
OF drive them back across the border
Sheriff Edwards of El Paso county
who headed posse to Sierra Blanca
wired the governor that several bands
of MeXicans had crossed the border
and that mounted men would be re
quired to control them. Four troop
of state cavalry are at New Braun
fels, waiting the governors orders.
i Juarez, Aug. 10.-On reading the
| dispatch from Mexico City that hi
1 made oyertures for peace if allowed
: to escape from Mexico unprosecutet
4 General Pascual Orozeo, commando
2 in chief of rebel forces, today made
e fiat denial of the whole story. Still
0 maintaining that he had made nj
peace proposition to Rafael Herman
dez, minister of fomento of Madero'
= cabinet, who left FL Paso yesterday
y Orozco declared the whole report wa
y q ruse on the part of the federal GOV
\ ernment to create the impression thf
y he was weak.
y 81 am tired of repeating that tn
\ rebels will only stop fighting at tn
\ resignation of President Madero an
\ of his cabinet" said the rebel cor
\ mander.
\ ut is false that ! ever had admitte
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