Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-02-12
j. S, SOLDIERS HUNT
MEXICAN FEDERALS
WHO CROSSED RIVER
Headed Across Rio Crande From
American Side With Arms
and Supplies
VIOLATED NEUTRALITY LAWS
More Than 100 Automobiles Were
Used in Making Trip Over
the Border
VIOLATED NEUTRALITY LAWS
Ru l4tSoetotsd PYess

Ell Paso, Tex, Feb. 12.-Troopers of
the United States at dawn to-day re-
sumed search for the Mexicans who.
last night headed across the Rio
Grande from the American side, carry
ing arms and supplies in violation OF
the neutrality laws, to join the fed
eral forces at some point unknown or
to harass the, rebel garrison at Ju-
arez, across the river from Ell Paso.
So far as the American cavalry Of
ficers could learn in the course of the
night the plot was to capture coral
of horses and saddles at Ysleta, thir-
teen miles east of here and about a
mile from the river bank and rush
them across.
In some way this part of the plan
miscarried, for the rush to the other
side, as reported by citizens of Ysleta,
was precipitated before many IL any,
of the horses could be stolen.
The alarm reached General Hugh
l.. Scott, in command at Fort Bliss,
about 10 o'clock last night. Ranchers
and others whose homes are scattered
along the road near Ysleta telephoned
into the city to find out the cause of
an unusual number of automobiles,
some of which were covered with can
vas and apparently carried boxes.
Counts of the number of these varied
from ten to fifty but inquiry at Ysleta
early in the morning indicated that
there We're more than hundred.
Autos Laden With Boxes
Mrs. Mary O'Neill, the night tele-
phone operator at Ysleta, saw six of
them, seemingly with boxes under
their canvas covers, turned toward the
river. They were without lights and
"a
knowledge of the roads and the lay of
the land generally that the machines
disappeared in some of the numerous
corrals In Ysleta, and were there un-
loaded.
Five of them she saw later, this was
at o'clock this morning when with
lights out and their loads discharged,
they suddenly reappeared and dashed
toward Ell Paso.
The only soldier so far known
to have seen any of the alleged HUI
erta recruits was Corporal Kaufman,
of Troop A.. Fifteenth Cavalry The
corporal had been stationed at a viii
lage east of Ysleta and when the alarm
sounded he was dispatched to Ysleta
to guide other troops being rushed to
that point.
Rush Toward River
He arrived ahead of the reinforce
mentS ana lay IN Qltcn from Which
he says he saw the detachments of
about fifteen men each make a rush
toward the river. When the other SOL
diers arrived they had disappeared
and while there was bright starlight,
it was still too dark to trail the fugi-
tiveS.'
All night the Americans searched
among the bushes and stunted cot
tonwood trees which dot the sandy
plain and watched the three principal
fords between Ysleta and Socorro a
hamlet three miles east of Ysleta but
not not catch sight of their quarry
To all appearances the latter had
escaped. According to Mrs O'Nei1
and the few citizens who could be
routed from their beds last night
strange Mexicans had been COLLECTING
there since Tuesday. They struggled
in in ones and twos and threes and
were reticent about their business
Refugees are not uncommon in this
part of the country but the number
was unusual.
General Francisco Villa, command
ing the rebel forces and now at Ju-
arez,, received an intimation of the
situation at Ysleta early In the even
ing and sent small detachments of his
men east along the Mexican bank OF
the river to capture the invaders