Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1915-09-30
Former Natsrtown Man Describes
incidents ii Texas Regard.
Inc Mexican Affairs.

residing near San Benito, Texas 1t
I is suspected that Len WAS one of the
five citizens he speaks ofs but It III
|oniy snrmise. Len was kesnly dis
appointed In not being able to par
ticipate in events that transpired in
the Philippines some years ago. and
|it may be that he is getting q taste
OF the same kind Of goods inS his south
ern home. Under date Of September
|1e, at San Benito, Texas. he writes:
Dear Sister;
Your letter received ia due time
and in reply will say that We are still
living up so date. We have no In
tentions Of leaving the country for
the present at least,
10 be sure there have been some
citizens killed. also some soldiers, In
our immediate vicinity ais we'll as at
other points III the valley, even as
far away as sixty miles from here
and as close as half a mile from our
house. But we are not worrying any.
Some people have left here, MS you
saw in the papers, no doubt as many
as fifty families altogether: but there
are hundreds OF families still here
and are going to stay unless killed
and then 1 presume most Of those
will stay anyway,
Situation Critical.
Yes, the situation down here Is
very critical and the newspapers do
not get all the news By d long ways,
as it Is similar to getting war news
from Europe the most important
news doesn't set outside the war
zone. We that live right IN the midst
of It do not get It All Of course Me-
get some OF it as far as United States
soldiers and citizens getting killed is
concerned, but ON the other side the
Mexican we simply know that they
are getting scarcer all the time. Some
are crossing the rived called the Rio
Grande and some are crossing the
river called Death. sIss
Mexicans Not All to blame. 5I
@s ] feel sorry for some Of these Mex
leans as they are not to blame for
all this trouble, vet many are suffer
ing for IT. Even here In Texas they
dare not so out into the country to-
work for fear OF capture by bandits,
and they cannot shoot even rabbit
as all guns have been taken from
them. Those that work III town are;
better off as they are protected
II It would be a long letter to explain
all the ins and outs OF this matter SO
will not try. We pass through an
entirely Mexican settlement every
time we go TO town, and the children,
too on their way to school. We
have no fear of those around here,
none whatever.
Our only danger, as ] look at it, is,
II band of soldiers from across the
border should attack the city. But
in that case we are all heavily armed
and prepared to fight at any time,
night or day, as the bandits have3
found out to their sorrow. They
can and do sneak around here once
in a while and kill a citizen, Or
sometimes a soldier Or two; but in |
a regular fight our men get them
about twenty to one something Iikei
the first real battle we had On the I
King ranch about d month ago.
Texas Rangers and Bandits.
Word leaked out that the bandits
would attack the ranch that after
noon, and about dozen Texas
rangers" took themselves up there Ia I
see about IT, The foreman told them
he thought that II they went to, d
certain water.hole. twelve miles west 4
hey might meet the gang. They aid /
% but seeing no one, returned after 4,
lark and found the bandits had been
here and got their fill Of American Il
outlets bout an hour before dark. 4
light soldiers, and few, minutes:
ater, i've citizens from san Benito.I H
anne 70 the ranch. Then there Was VA /
ne foreman and his assistant fifteen i
lghting men and the negro cook who !
'ept the telephone which was on the 81
ront porch, busy during tho whole
'ght. call him g brave man. indeed ,st
About half an honr before dark, sixty
'andits rushed the place on horse I
'ack in regular battle array ARA ana di. i
'iding illtE three bands of abo5lt /