The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-13
NEW YORKER KILLED.
A MEXICAN BANDIT
A.. Ward Butler Brings Back
Slain Mans Rifle as Trophy
Of Wild Ride.
BORDER SITUATION BAD

"1f the people OF tho United States
knew how bad the situation is on the
Texas border public sentiment would
demand drastic action from the Federal
authorities"
This liz what A. Ward Butler. superin-
tendent for Hoggson Bros. contracting
designers. 4s5 Fifth avenue. said y~ester-
day upon his return from Brownsville.
Tex. where for the past four weeks he
has been engaged In refitting = bank
building for his firm. He describes con-
ditlons on the border as passing belief.
Mr.. Butler himself was attacked by
Mexican bandits as he vas riding on the
United States side Of the line with a
Texas anger. In the ensuing fire he
killed a Mexican. and one OF the priced
, trophies which he has brought back
with him IL "A Winchester rifle from the
body OF the man he killed. The rife
was loaded with a soft nosed bullet.
almost the first thing I was asked
after I registered at n hotel said he,
was whether ] was armed. I said no
that thought IL would be against the
United States laws for me to carry
arms.
Never mind the United States
laws" they told me. The laws OF
Brownsville order you to carry a gun -
From that stage on Mr.. Butler was
never without a 1890 rifle II a 10 shot
automatic.
After the bandits under De la
Rosa wrecked the Frisco train and
killed three passengers feeling be
came even more strong. Abou a week
after that .er. Butler. accompanied by q
ranger: had occasion to go to some oil
wells seven miles from brownsville,
near where the train had been wrecked
They started back to town after dark
iu an automobile. Both were we'll armed
They had gone about "A mile and "A hali
when flashes of fire burst from the
brush near them. Mr.. Butler had his
5000 across his knee, the ranger Was
driving the automobile. That cal
travelled faster than any Ford ever
travelled before. Mr.. Butler hrnly De
lieves. while he WAS pumping lead AZ th'
bushes where the flashes had come from
The next morning my ranger frlenC
gave me a Winchester rife and said tina
1. was mine. He and other rangers hac
gone out Ia where we had the shooting
the night before and had found IA deat
Mexican with this rife beside him.
The big danger AT present IN Browns
willie is OF a race riot. ne alu iner'
are 10000 MeN!cans and 5000 whit
men in the town.
almost, every day a soldier who ha'
been killed by the bandits is buried.
continued Mr.. Butler. THE funerals
are military. OF course. and the towns
folk line the streets. The Americans al
doT their hats as the coriege passe'
along. but there are almost Away sofh'
M,Nicans who won't do II.
This OF course i~nfuriatc. the Amer
leans and there is always somebody u
knock the hats of the Mexicans. Some
times the Mexicans replace them, AN
there are frequent lights about this
one of these days one of these stree
brawls over this question Will lead TO
general riot.
The rangers. the people OF Texas
even the Federal troops along the Dor
d.r, ar. eager to end this impossibl
situation. They want TO roll the Mex
cans all the way back to Panama !
the Federal authorities o want I
do it the rangers are willing 10 do
themselves. even though there are onl,
zoo Of them.
Texans don't feel that CarranZa ca
ever control the situation and they he
lieye that eventually the United state
will have to take "a hand In Things dow
there. 1'exans ar. getting killed on TIN
sid OF the line; ranches are bein
ra!ded business Ia demoral.zed. Why
things are so bad that many rancher
are simply giving back their ranches I
their mortgagors and leaving the boz
der"