The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-02-24
CASTILLO SAYS
HE'S NOT GUILTY
DID NOT KILL AMERICANS IN
TUNNEL, AND DOES NOT AC.
CUSE VILLA.

World)
| With every appearance of fright
MaXimo Castillo arri.ed in FL Paso
this afternoon, closely guarded by
Major Greene and detachment Of
the Ninth United States Cavalry.
Anticipating an attempt to kill Cas-
tillo, a strong Gordon of the Twen-
tieth Infantry was thrown about the
station, which was jammed by 1000
persons of all classes, including a
large number of MeXicans. Castillo,
his wife, and Captain Garcia were
hurried into an auto truck and taken
to their cells in the stone guard house
at Fort Bliss, where Castillo was in
termed in a cell next to that occupied
by his former friend, Cen Jose Ynez
Sala2ar.
A correspondent accompanied Cas-
tillo from tIachita, and during the
trip the bandit talked freely.
Worn and wasted by hardships Of
his last two weeks desperate flight
with General Villas scouts, Castillo
trembled with nervousness.
1T is the waiting he said, that
is terrible. I see in all the papers
that the United States authorities will
hand me over to villa, to be shot
without trial. Not that am afraid
here he Strengthened up and his shriy
eled, white mustaChed face was lit
with gay smile "but ! Just want
to know if it is true. | don't think
it is possible thal any civilized ma
tion would send a man to certain
death without hearing.
II am not responsible for the Cum
bre tunnel disaster. | was not there
at the time, and | can prove it by
American citizens-Walter Cohen, of
Alama Hueco, the American admin
istrator of San Pedro; l.. A. Ross, of
Coralitos, and many others of my
American friends.
Since before Christmas | have not
been out of a territory roughly bound |
ed by Palomas, Ascencion, Coralitos |
and San Pedro. nave spent most of |
my time between Palomas and AS
cencion. | did not even hear of the |
Cumbre disaster until II days ago, |
when word was brought to me from
the American side at the same time |
that Villas soldiers began to press |
my men hard.
Il was shocked and horri!iCd-L |
who could not kill living tang, to
be accused of such an act!
"Who did it? Perhaps it was some |
of my own men. | do not know.
About the first of January two of
my trusted lieutenants-TOmas Peres |
and Manuel Gutierrez deserted me. ! |
hear Villa has just caught Gutierrez. |
There is, besides, band of 40 men |
under Jesus Manuel Carayeo at Co
lonia Chichupa, near the Cumbre. |
They have camped there for two |
are not allied to any party, |
hate Americans and have no princi- !
pies. And will also tell you a secret. |
Pascual OroZco, with 200 men, is in |
the mountains about 60 miles south, |
between Hachita and Columbus. Ask |
Charley White who lives near Alamo |
80 miles south of here He has |
been down there and seen Orozco.
Il have never killed any Americans |
| never have executed a prisoner, and |
my men will tell you of the quarrels |
| used to get into with Salazar and |
Rojas on that account when I was
with them"
Here the little group of ragged re-
fugees-six men and one woman
nodded eagerly.
THE only time | remember to have |
killed a human being was when two
of my men shot a pacifico. | had them
execute: that is all.
10 | accuse villa OF lHe CumDTe |
OF course not. This is ri
diculous. | have made no statements
about the Cumbre tunnel to anybody
in the world until now, except to Cap.
tain White, who commands the Unit
ed States soldiers here
General Castillo shook his head
with a whimsical smile
why do the newspapers of the
border want to make a holiday so all
FL Paso can come TO see me shot? |
knew Villa well once. At the call to
arms of the Madero revolution l en-
listed under him. never fought him.
| never turned against him.
He turned against me and he de-
serted the magnificent plan of the
great Madero-the plan of San Luis
follow Carranza and the
other refCrmerS | never wished TO