Arizona republican., 1915-07-30
MEXICAN WAR BY EYEWITNESS"
James O'COnnOr Was at Cananea When Two Op- posing Armies Passed Through the Camp in Two Days

James O'Connor, who had for some time been bookkeeper for the Can anea Consolidated Copper Company, arrived in town yesterday, direct from Cananea or SIS direct as one can come with the uncertain means of travel below the border line MT O'Connor was at Cananea q week ago last Monday when the Maytor- ena troops after the defeat at Ara vanichi Pass entered the town. They were hungry and pitiable looking lot and they were as hungry as they looked but any pity bestowed upon them would have been wasted. They began at once footing the town and after the manner of the second chief of the republic, Villa, they went about it in regular brigand style. They took $1G00 from a Chinaman and then murdered him. Two of them held up a railroad ticket agent whom they met on the street and with revolvers pointed at his person they took what money he had, $415. They burned one block of the town took what they could carry and hur- ried away for a force of Carranza troops under General Gales was in pursuit. There were fifteen hundred of the Villistas and all were afoot The next day, Gales column of twenty five hundred men. infantry, cavalry and artillery arrived It was a well equipped force and fairly or derly. The men were well dressed, the arms including the cannon shown with the care that had been be- slowed upon them. There was a mil itary band of sixty-five pieces in ga was an American surgeon and three or four American negro troopers.
 There was no footing, probably for the reason that there was little to loot Gales visited the saloons and though he did not order the destruc- tion of the stocks of liquors. as he had done at Naco, he told the pro- prietors that if he caught them dis pensing any he would administer a punishment that they would remem- Der After he left. none was sold during the stay of Mir. O'Connor. Gales inflicted no punishment on the Maytorena civil officials at Can anea but he permitted some of them to continue their duties.
 Instead of hotly pursuing the weary VilIistas, the Carranza troops spent the day at Canean resting and then took up the trail of the enemy in. his flight toward Nogales, sixty five miles distant.
 Private soldiers of the Carranza army are paid seventy-five cents a day gold. That is more than the American private soldier gets but the American gets his rations in addi- tion. The Mexican soldier must pay for his food or steal it.
 It is understood among Americans on the other side of the border and MeXicans in private life, that the Carranza campaign is being financed by England, not the government of Great Britain, but private citizens of Great Britain, the Pearsons for in stance It is also understood there that the United States is favorable to Villa and that the oil interests of this country are especially favorable to him.
 It is the general impression in Sonora, though the sentiment is in favor of Maytorena and therefore of Villa, that Carranza now has the best of the war and will win unless this country interferes
 Illustrating the Mexican method of doing things. MT. O'Connor said that when he arrived at the border on his way out he was held up by the cus- toms officials who opened his suit case and took out of it whatever might be of service to them individu- ally They left him only such ar ticles as they could not use.
 The mines and furnaces at Cananea are in operation though not to full capacity They were not interfered with by the passing armies"