Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-11-18

United States Senator Thomas y.
Catron was In Albuquerque this morn
ing for several hours on his way TO
Santa Fe from El Paso, where he has
been for number of days In con-
nectiun with the taking of testimony
in the New Mexico Texas boundary
dispute now under way there. Sena-
tor Catron was awakened early Sat
urday morning by the firing on Juar-
~ when General "Pancho' villa and
his rebel forces surprised and cap
tured the town, driving out the fedor-
al garrison. Saturday morning whcI
the battle was over rumors of the cN-
ccutions OF federal officers began 10
come In To- El Paso. the stories being
at that time greatly exaggerated. II
was stated that wholesale executions
were under way and that the whole
garrison. or those who failed To es-
cape. were being butchercd.
Senator Catron. entirely ir an un-
official capacity. went 90 Juarez ear
~ In the day go see General villa In
the hope that he might be able to
prevent further executions of the
prisoners Tho senator says that ne
was shown every courtesy, that tho
town was IN comparatively good or
der. that an stores ana saloons had
been closed by Villa's order and that
there wRs no looting.
"Up to the time I had finished my
talk with General Villa suid Scnntur
Catrou this morning. eight cNocu-
tions had taken place, Including tho
killing Of ono federal prisoner wh"
was trying 90 escape from grave
digging gang am advised tha'
since that time three additional KILL
iugs have taken place.
"Pcforc reaching General villa I
was shown about the town hy Off
Gers at the r"bol army which
should say numbers not over 1000
men The vlctors captured one ma
chine gun. ana two pieces of light ar
tincrv. the most modern equipment
of Hs kind have seen, along with a
considerable quantity of ammunition
for these guns variousiy estimated ai
from eighty To- three hundred ana six
~ rounds They also captured from
eighty Ia ninety thouF1ni rounds oi
small arms ammunition and consid-
erable quantity of clothing ana other
supplies.
- was taken to the spot whore tho
executions Of the morning had takcH
plaCr. This WIS Ia the patio ot q
small brick house adjoining the bar
racks. and the blood still remained
ON the cement floor where TIA" bodiei
had lain The bodies had all been re-
moved when ! reached the scene.
while the majority of the cXecu
tiona were nothing less than murder
| am OF the opinion, from all that
could lenrn from villa and others
that one or two would have been jus
titled under ordinary military pro
ceedure Captain Torres. for instance
wna twice "a dcseTtor from the rebe
ranks lie had been a major undo
Carrnnza ana deserted to the fedora
forces at chihuahua whore he wa
made a captain. In our own arm
such case undoubtedly would hav
been punished hy death, although W.
would have proceeded in less sum
mary way. ] am told the same con
dltlona applied in the case Of Colone
portIlo. one of tho others kiile
was shot while trying to escape. "
had heon led ont with gang Of fod
ornl prisoners 10 dig graves tn
men believed they were digging thei
own graves and this particular cha
evidently thought h better to b" kli
ed ON the run than standing still. tn
others I think can be classed as On
tIrpIy uuiuptlfIpd