New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-22
Wound Eight. Then Flee
Across Border, LeaV-
ing Five Dead.
BULLET DISABLES
WIRELESS OPERATOR
Americans, Outnumbered Five to
One. Aided by Fresh Troop
ers After Desperate Fight.

Brownsville. Tex, Oct. 2l.-Aboui
.evcntv-fve Nericans attacked fifteen
American soldiers at Ojo de Aqua
about sixty miles up the RIO Grande
20 . o'clock this morning Three sol
.ers were killed and eight wounded
.rd 40 least five Mexicans slain in the
sorty-minute battle which followed
one japanese lost his life
some Of the Mexicans fed across the
Rio Grande into Mexican territory
when American cavalry achievements
came I'd. The dead Mexicans had white
hatbands bearing the words viva
villa" -,
The killed and wounded were al
members Of Troop G, Sd Cavalry and
Company d. Signal Corps. The dead
are Sergeant Ernest shafer. Troop o.
Sd Cavalry. and FIRST class Privates
Martin F. Joyce and Herbert Neon
nell. Company D, Signal Corps
The wounded include Puvates BOW,
nor Rebr. Langlands, Shallenbaeh ana
Kuble. Troop G, Sd Cavalry, ana nrst
Lass Sergeant Smith, Corporal Gan
STALL and Private Stewart, Company ~
sbaFer's home was in Baltimore
Jovce enlisted from Springfield, Mass
and Mcconnell from Detroit.
Oio dc Aqua is near the river. Dense
brush. which even IN daylight limits
the range Of vision often 70 few leeV'
Afforded the Mexicans perfect cover as
thew scattered into small groups ana
made toward the Mexican boundary
BETRAYED by Moving Brush.
The fifteen American soldiers in camp
M Oio de Aqua received their first
warning Of the approach Of the pan
dits from screams Of Mexican women
Soon afterward, according 70 the story
of a trooper at Mission, sentry saw a
brush moving suSpiciously and shpPed
over beside the cot Of Sergeant Shaefer'
in command Of the detachment, saying
Things are looking bad out in the
" He had hardly finished speaking
when the bandits opened hre from an
sides One of the first volleys killed
Sergeant Shaefer. The attacking party
seemed 20 advance, to retreat, and 70
ranpuvre by bugle, like seasoned SOL
diers. The army wireless operator ran
70 his machine 10 send out call, but
bullet penetrated his arm and the
same bullet broke the wireless.
The fifteen soldiers, fighting hVe
AGAINST one. held their ground, al
though half Of them were put out OF
commission. until relief came from
Mission. seven miles away, where Cap
tain Frank r. Mccoy Of the Sd Cavalry
Nod considerable force in reserve
Captain Mccoy took two troops OF cav
alrv. comprising about sixty men, 10
The rescue. and the MeXicans ned.
To-day was the first time the bandits
have openlv adopted Villas name as
rallving cry. Heretofore they nave
been accustomed TO appropriate Car,
ranza's name, including IT IN printed
literature. which they distributed on
some of their raids.
To-day's fatalities brought the mum
her Of United States soldiers killed IN
0gbts with Mexicans in this section IN
ne last three months to ten. Today 5
casualties were the largest suffered Dy
the troops in any fight. The reld wire
loss station at 90 dc aqua was DIS
abled In the first volley Of shots.
Civil authorities tod. seAt urgent
messages from all pom along TINS
section Of the border asking Tor men
familiar with the Mexican methods oil
following trails in the brush. some
army officers said they believed more
t~oops would have TO be sent here II
The border is TO be made safe from
raids which develop on the river 'front.'
During the last month Captain Nc.
Gov has received several reports OF
bandits gathering on the Mexican side
If the river. On two or three occasions
Mexicans have come across TO warn the
soldiers that they had heard bandits
would cross that night to raid towns;
An these alarms proved unfounded. and
about three weeks ago, when a new
Carranza regiment took command at
Natamoras, an increase was made IN the
patrols OF Carranza troops opposite the