Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-11-06
VILLA HOLDING FOUR
MENREPORTEDDEAD
Belief Expressed Chieftsin Kid
naped Physicians to Attend to
Wounded in His Army.
COMPANY REQUESTS RELEASE

DOUGLAS, Ariz., Nov. 5,-General
Villa has ordered the release of Doc
tors Thigpen and Miller and the two
American chauffeurs whom he re-
ported dead yesterday, according to
a message received this afternoon.
The men we're prisoners Mt Ca
nanea. The doctors, however. will
remain at Cananea to care for the
wounded. Villa says he was mis-
taken when he reported the foru
killed.
He said he now believed the men
slain southwest OF Aqua Prieta
Wednesday were four American
teamsters. who came with him from
chihuahua. Pylant and Wilson, the
chauffeurs, will return to the border.
DOUGLAS, Ariz.. Nov. 5.-Infor-
nation from several reliable sources
today definitely contradicted Fran
cisco Villas statement to General
Frederick Funston and other Amer
lean army officers at Naco. AriE.,
yesterday that DIR. II. r. Thigpen.
chief surgeon of the Cananea Con-
solidated Copper company; his as
sistant. DR.. James Miller. and two
American chauffeurs, J. d. Pylant
and A. L. Wilson. had been killed
Wednesday by CarranEa riflemen
near Aqua Prieta,
The four men are declared held
prisoners at Villa Verde, twenty
miles south Of Naco. and the belief
is generally expressed that Villa de-
liberately told the story OF their
death in order that he might hold
them and supply his urgent need OF
surgeons without being subject to
inquiry or the necessity OF giving
them up.
The Cananea Consolidated company Of
ficials automatically assumed, however
that villa merely had been mistaken and
went to the Mexican outlaw chief today
with q request that they be released.
Villa was preparing TO leave Naco this
morning and did not Immediately reply
story Told by villa.
NACO, Ariz., Nov. 4.-Francisco villa
reached the border across from here to-
day with 1900 OF the army defeated by
the CarranEa forces Monday at Aqua
Prieta and told American army officers
that DR.. r. II. Thighen. chief surgeon Of
the Cananea Consolidated Copper com
pany; his assistant. DR.. Miller. and two
AVnarfnan rhanffanEa II n pIa nj and
A. l. Wilson. had been killed yesterday
morning by Gales fire In front OF Aqua
Prieta.
They were succoring wounded at the
time and wandering into the line of fire
and were all shot down while under the
Red Cross flag. They were buried whore
they fell. but Villa. while formally ex-
pressing regret at their death. declined
tonight to say where they were buried.
He could not permit any bodies to be
disinterred. even TO clear a doubt that
they actually had been Aiiied.
Under Death Watch.
This doubt was caused by the statement
OF Or. Frederick II. Wickman of ST..
Louis. NO.. who dashed across the line
this afternoon shouting that he was about
TO be shot and afterWard declared that
he had seen Drs. Thighen and Miller at .
o'clock last night. wickham, however,
appeared TO be somewhat dazed from fa-
tigue and the experience which he de-
clares he underwent while under a death
watch awaiting execution for some un-
known offense.
Four thousand OF Villas men are at
Villaverde, watering station and cattle
center. twenty-five miles south on the
Naco-Cananea railroad. Another detach-
ment was reported tonight TO be looting
stores and residences at Cananea. Mrs.
Thighen. wife OF the m ssing doctor, and
her daughter were refugees here today
from Cananea. .....
villa began receiving supplies as soon
as he reached Naco and stated that he
personally intended to leave tonight.
Shortly after he appeared at Naco with
detachment bringing more than 1OJ
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