Arizona republican., 1914-02-20
RUbE HOPKINS
 COMES BACK
Guard of Mason Aeroplane, Who Went to Mexico, is Back to Face Charges Says He is Lieutenant | Colonel
(Special to The Republican(

'CBttldl lD l It INtIluDllCdAJ
 TUCSON, Feb. -Unmolested by United States officers, Rufus Hop l1ns. an officer in the constitution alist army and guard over the fam ous Didier Mason aeroplane at the tie that it was captured at Pike's ranch last spring, arrived in Tucson yesterday afternoon from Nogales on the "Burro,' walked the streets of the city, met his numerous friends and told entertaining stories of his varied adventures and experiences since he left Tucson last spring
 T have come back to settle this thing up," Hopkins said last even ing, and I expect to stay for awhile. So far I have not talked with any United States officers and I do not know whether there is anything against me or not
 So far as 1 am concerned I am perfectly ready to meet any charge in connection with the capture of the Mason aeroplane at the Pike ranch. 1 was never sworn in as a deputy marshal at the time and my position in the matter was simply that of a private citizen guarding property which did not belong to me. I had no authority to make any defense and when the body of armed men came on me. alone at the aeroplane l had nothing to do but submit. Had l been able to use my arms and shot anyone in defense of the aeroplane I would have been open to a charge of manslaughter
 '1 was with the cOnstitutionalist army for about seven months and stopped active service after severe spell of sickness. It is not true that I was hindered from returning to the United States by the constitutional ist. authorities. and I could have come back at any time"
 Deputy United States Marshal A. w. Forbes was at the train last evening and was informed of the arrival of Hopkins, but stated that he did not have any orders to arrest him.
 United States District Attorney J. F. Morrison, who is in the city try ing civil suit stated last evening that he had nothing further to do about the case.
 T heard earlier in the evening"" MT. Morrison said at the Santa Rita last night, that Hopkins had re- turned in the afternoon from Nogales to Tucson. I have only two days more to serve as United States dis trict attorney. I have nothing more to do with the matter I have com municated with my successor, Thos. Flynn, at Phoenix. this evening, and have laid before him all the facts in the case, and he can proceed as he wishes in the natter
 MT. Morrison refused to make any definite statement as to the status of Hopkins in the affair with the government, except that so far as he knew, there were no immediate orders for his arrest So far as could be learned last evening. it has never been made public what the exact charges, if any, against Hop kins were, and the inference from the statements of officers last even- ing was that it was very doubtful if any further proceedings against him would be carried out
 The general opinion was that the raising of the embargo had the ef- feet of making further proceedings against Hopkins ineffective, and the alleged fact that he had never been legally sworn in as a deputy would make it absolutely impossible to