Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-07-23
MORE FEDERALS
HAVE ESCAPED
TWO FLED BETWEEN TWO AND
THREE THIS MORNING-SEV-
ENTH ESCAPE-THREE SHOTS
FIRED At FLEEING MEN.
SCOUTING PARTY OUT TO APPRE
IlEND THEM MEN FINED FOR
ALLOWING PRISONERS TO ES-
CAPE. But CAN'T SHOOT THEM

At 2:i5 this morning three rifle shots
rang out at the post. An investigation
showed that two more of the Mexican fed
erals in detention had managed I'd IS
cape. The guard had seen the fleeing
men TOO late To aDprehend them: but. new
trthcicSS, thrs- shots were fired over
their heads III an attempt ID cause the
men to halt and give themselves up
again. The MeXicans, realizing that the
soldiers would not shoot to kill. sped ON
their way and got safely 10 cover.
detachment was sent out from the
fort early this morning in an endeavor
Az find thc iugitiveS. and mounted men
fully armed were riding the streets for
several hours in quest Of them
1t was soon found that this was not
the way to recover the escaped men. as
they evidently sought cover as soon as
they cot out-and they evidently knew
where they were going so the men were
dSm0untcd and were sent i'm scouting
parties throughout the city. The local
officers were notified also, and they have
Kept watchout for the escaped men. but
up to this afternoon the search had pro-
ven in vain. This makes seven of the
prisoners that have escaped The men
on guard at the post have very knotty
before them. They are sub
iect to reprimand. suspension or even
fine il q prisoner escapes On the other
hand they are not allowed to shoot to kill
and if they should happen 10 wound
prisoner or to kill one they would be
subject to trial for murder in the courts.
These prisoners are held under orders
from the war department are not prison
ers of war nor are they prisoners in any
sense of the word.
They are merely held in detention.
Their status j. not clearly defined and
the BOYS are uD against it when ID comes
70 guarding them and keeping them in
right There are now 93 prisoners.
A guard Of eight or ten men is on duty
ut all times and they are doing what they
can TO keep the prisoners in and to keep
the regulations from being violated. but
they would just a. soon that someone
would come and relieve them of the re-
sponsibility.
From all reports. il appears that the
war department at Washington has or
lercd the men To be held and have not
been in a hurry to see that they were
disposed Of
What the intention Of tls, department
IL regarding these men j. not known here
They may he held for months TO come,
perhaps. until he war is finally settled
in Mexico. or an order may come any day
to set them free.
The United States is ut no expense in
the matter with the exception that is fur.
niSheS quarters for the detained men and
also furnishes 4 guard to look after thgir
detention day and night.
One unpleasant duty to be performed
bv the men OH guard is to see that the
prisoners are carefully locked in i'm close
quarters each night. This has been made
because of the former escapes,
and the guard j. held responsible for the
loss Of any Of the prisoners.
VI none had escaped from the detention
prison, the rules governing the handling
of the prisoners would have been very
much less 4igidlv enforced. and the de-
tanned men would have considerable more
liberty than they now enjoy.