Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-04-21
SHOOTING AT U.S.. BIPLANE
BY MExICANS ATTRIBUTED
TO MISTAKE IMPRESSION
Continued from page ~

sion that the plane was a Nillista.
I'VE regret exceedingly that this has oc-
Cured. ] have reported the result Of my
investigation 10 Colonel Block~om. aud m
behalf of General Naiarrate have apollo
glzed for the act If the sub lieutenant.
who admitted that he himself fired five
shots"
One bullet from the various vollcv> fired
from across the Rio Grande struck the
radio tower At Fort Brown. and another
steel bullet, which II l. believed was 4 de-
Elected bullet. fell on the west side Of the
city hall where II was picked up BY q
policeman.
An American who Witnessed some of the
shooting from n building on the American
side. opposite Santa Cruz. the Mexican
end of the international ferry. said that
upon the first appearance of the plane near
the river two or three men came out from
u shed at the ear terminals. and fired their
pistols. apparently IN the direction Of the
bplane. They retired. and when the plane
appeared the second time, the American
sand that he saw the men come ont again.
this time with 1920. which they directed
at the plane and fired several shots. The
third time the plane appeared near the
river, the American sand. what apparently
wa an eighty millimcter fire. the machine
gun, was turned loose. lie could not see
from where this fire came but II appar-
emily was somewhere ia the direction of the
plaza IA M~atamoros.
Reports from men stationed along the
river front for q distance Of about one
mile would indicate shooting from quite \
number OF points. One man said he was
certain that some shots were fired III or
near the trenches located t. the west II
Matamorus.
The 3 o'clock flight by Lieutenant Mil
ings and Jones was the second IT the dav.
the earlier flight having been al noon.
TN tins flight the avIator~ rose to Il hcight
of about $500 feet. but did not 20 ~ near
the Rio Grandc n they did on the flight of
the afternoon. No shot, were fired during
the first flight Of the plane. Three quarter
of an hour were spent IL the air ~ the
birdmen IN the late afternoon. 4 second
afternoons flight about 5:I5 having been
of ten minutes duration. The plane did not
go near the river on the last flight.
Army men say that II J. hardly probable
that the hiplane would nave been struck
by the bullets ~ the Mexican soldier. WI
IT j. most difficult to lat an object FLYING
in the air. al great height and ~prcd. ann
being altogether uncertain. However. they
declare. there IL always the chance that
one bullet would hit the mark. The
range can only be- guessed at. and there
j. not only the rapid movement Of the
planes, AT sixty 10 seventy miles an hour
10 deal with. but al the same time the
planes are usually taking I'm zap and down
course.
General Natarrate returned 10 Malta
moros al . o'clock tins morning. al which
time Consul CARA communicated 10 him
the occurrence ot Tuesday afternoon. aud
reported the result nf the Investigation w.
had made. General Natarratc had To leave
Matamoro- again tor Camargo. - miles
away. but approved the actions ct Consul
CARA. stating that upon hi return u Ma
iamoro~ he will make 2 general inve~tiga-
lions of the occurrence Measures have
been taken ia Matanoro~ a. prevent
further similar occurrences.
United States Consul J. II. Johnson will
also make a report of the firing L. General
Nafarrate upon the %lattcr'~ return IL Ma
tamoro~.
The biplane suffered a slight accident
Yesterday afternoon after the flight had
been completed ~ the ~aviatorS were pre-
pairing 10 run il Ia the hangar. The ma
chine was travelling along the ground IL
slow speed when a ditch partly covered
by grass and not seen by the a%viators was
struck. The bounding ot the machine
caused some body parts Of the plane 70
become sprung. Spare parts are III hand.
and the repairs were easily made.
Colonel 4. 4. Block~om said today that
further flights will not be- intcrtercd with
80 far n he knows. The matter was fully
reported Ia Major General Frederick Fun
ston, but up 10 noon Colonel Blocksom
had received no word from the department
i'm connection with the occurrence.
George r.. Walker. a Brownsville bu-i-
ness man. wa~ al the railroad station in
Matamoros al the time the biplane was
making it, flight. Near him were three
or four Carranci~ta soldiers with their
rifles. IN command of a sub lieutenant.
When the hiplane appeared Mr.. Walker
heard one Of the men eNclaim. "Nilli>ta
lie immediately told them II was an Amer
lean plane. The men merely watched the
machine and did not fire upon it, Mr..
Walker said. He said the actions of the
., ,,l,.ot.l .I.arl,- tho, dnl MT lp.u,