Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-18
BUT LITTLE KNOWN
HERE OF MEXICO
FORMER oTTUMWAN WRITES OF
CONDITIONS PREVAILING IN
HUNT FOR VILLA.
NEWS SUPPRESSED
Reports Restricted TO Prevent Break
With carranza, Says Byron
uteeht In Letter To
Wife's Mother.

The following interesting account OF
conditions that have prevailed In Mex
leo since the punitive expedition under
Gen. ]. J. Pershing was sent out from
Columbus, N. M, Is taken from re-
cent Issue Of the Cedar Falls Gazette
1t Is a'letter from Byron Utecht, a for
mer Ottumwan, who has been doing
newspaper work in Texas for several
years, to his mother-in-law who re-
sides in Cedar Falls.
Cedar Falls, July 7. That the
people of the north do not realize or
know the real situation in Mexico due
to military censorship of stories sent
out, Is declared by B. G. Utecht Of Fort
Worth, Tex, in letter to Mrs. j. d.
Brodie of this city.
Utecht Is a newspaperman, at pres
ent Mexican correspondent for Dial.
las newspaper and several others.
He has been with both Villa and Car
rama armies during the last two years
and has interviewed both the bandit
leader and the Mexican first chief at
various times. He was present at the
uprising at Vera Cruz and at present
is with the American punitive expedi'
tlon into Mexico.
Utecht declares that the Carranza
soldiers have never, at any. time, co
operated with American troops, but on
the contrary, have time and time again
treacherously attacked, them, many
times that never have been publicly
reported. That the recent Carrizal bat
tie was the fifth attack of note upon
American soldiers in Mexico is averred
by Utecht.
"The betrayal and massacre of
American troops at Carrizal by Car
ranzista soldiers is but the last of a
long series Of treacherous acts on the
part of Mexican forces" says Utecht,
"and four times before Carranza' s
men-not bandits-attacked bodies OF
the American expeditionary force. The
other attacks were at Cusihuirachic,
Chihuahua, Parral and Satevo. At the
time these fights occurred it was
thought necessary by General Perish
ing to restrict reports Of the betrayals
in order to cause no break with Car,
rama. The United States and the de
facto government were then supposed
to be allies in the pursuit of Villa and
bandits, but the allies never gave any
cooperation, active or passive.
The public may be somewhat famil.
lar with the Parral incident of April
~, when 100 cavalrymen, under Major
Tompkins, were invited and escorted
into the town by the civil and military
authorities and then attacked in the
streets. Tompkins had halted several
miles from the city and had no inten.
nf hut o<E
came up and told him he and the
troops would be welcome. Why
shouldn't they be welcome? They
were allies and the Americans were
hunting the worst enemy Of Carranza.
THE president and his officers re-
ceived Major Tompkins cordially and
there was nothing to indicate that
they were hostile. There were Car
ranzs troops all around the little
American force which was expecting
assistance not attack.
But after the Americans were at
the plaza for less than half an hour
the Mexicans opened fire on the troops
Our soldiers did not reply. Major
Tompkins wished to avoid battle with
the allies. So he ordered the men to
leave town, stick together and not fire.
"The Mexicans mistook this for re-
treat and defeat, so they became more
violent in their attack and bullets be-
came thicker. Three American sol.
diers fell and two Of them were killed.
One died three weeks later. Six 9th.
ers were wounded.
1T was only after this that the
Americans returned the fire and then
only to cover their retreat. Had Ma.
jor Tomjkins so ordered they probably
would have caused great havoc in the
ranks of the enemy, the friendly Car.
ranzistas who perhaps thought 1t a
fine practical joke to play on the
gringoes. During the march OF
eighteen miles to camp the Mexicans