Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-09-18
Attacks on American Troop CTS Bring Sudden and
 Summary Response.
BROWNSVILLE E IS
 PREPARED FOR WAR
Women and Children Barricaded in
 Houses, While Men Are Armed in Anticipation of Attack by Mexi- : cans from Matamoras.

Brownsville, Texas, Sept. 17.-Be- tween 20 and 9 Carranzista soldiers are believed to have been killed 'clay by American troops in two battles along the Rio Grande. There were no American fatalities.
 Both battles were started by the Carranzis;as who fired on the Amer jeans. One took place before Mata- moras, the MeXioan town across the river from Brownsville, and the other
 at Los. Evasos. 10 milcs north. and
 vest of brownsville.
 As a result of the cttacks by Car ranzis' as, serious international eon,- plic2tions are feared. Feeling is high and the Mexicans in Matamoras are restiye. All American residents cf that town have CCm to BrownsHiIls' Other foreigners also are coming here 1 for refuge. They say that an anti American outbreak may occur a!t any moment.
 1 General Nafa"ctte, the Carranza comma nder at Matamoras. denies that
 his troops were responsible for the fighting. In statement to a cor respondent tonight, Nhe charged that the American troopers were the only
 ones who did any shooting. and de- clares that they fired without cause.
 Acting under instructions from the /, wa departn-nt at Washington, Col. {, \. p. Blockscm, commander Of the ! American fcrces at Fort Brown, has instituted a thorough investigation or
 the fight before Matamoras. LicH:.
 B. L. N. Rice, who commanded the troop of cavalrv which engaged the
 Mexicans, tonight made his report. He flatly denies .,Nafarette's state ,mcnt that Americans were the az gressors. His report, after recount
 ing that the Mexicans early in the I,day had fired number of shots into .American territory, shooting the
 horse from under an American peace 1 officer, who was on border patrol, and that his troop had been sent to inve estigate. continued:
 eve had barely dismounted when 1 rain of bulle's. coming from the
 Mexican side, fell all around us. 4 Looking up, I saw number of armed Carranzista soldiers hurrying to-
 wards a clump of mesquite brush. near the river, from which place they
 opened. fire on us again.
 "I and my men immediately took
 positions in the foremost of the trenches which had been dug along
 the river, and began to return the fire.
 "We could not see the Carranzistas,
 but we knew they were shooting from the mesquite brush, and we concen- trated our fire on that place. Twenty minutes after the fight began, man, whom took to be a Carranzista cf-
 ficer. rushed ro fbe river bank, way : ing 3 white handkerchief.
 'E q ordered my men Ito cease firing. "The officer yelled across the river that he was sorry his men mad snot ct us and that he was going to punish ! them for insubordinatlon. : "Then lne went back into the brusn and about twenty soldiers came out They returned to the brush ana ! brought out five hmp bodies. I could not tell from where stood whether :, the, men were dead or wounded. The'' 7 they all left the river side and re- II .urred 10; Matamoras." ] Tn e fight lasted hut twenty mlh- [utes. An apparent ouies relgns heFe tonight. :. The incident hes lashed lnto [ flame the hatred of Americans m [ MaTamoras. however. ard an attack on Brnwnsivlle is feared. :, { Authorities here have doubled the guard at the international bridge and other points along the river. F1ve : hundred extra troops tonight are pa : llroiling the Rio Grande.
 When the bodies Of the Carran' : zistas were brought into Matamoras b mob of seversl hundred men rushed ' to Nafarette's. headquarters and de-
 manded arms. The commander order ed bis troops to disband the mob, bu n scarcely had approxim'eFe ruiet beer | restored when a column of 400 Car ] ranza troops marched out of Mata moras and took positions in tn