Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-03-10
AT Least Sixteen Americans
Are Slain and Large Part Of
Town Is Burnedi Battle Is
Fought in the Streets,
AMERICAN CAVALRY
CROSS BOUNDARY LINE
PanCho Makes Stand Five
Miles Below Border and u.
S, Troopers Are Fighting
Superior Numbers,

Columbus, n. NJ, March 9-l'ran-
cisco villa, outlawed Mexican bandit
raided United States territory today
With 1900 men he attacked Column
bus y. NJ, killed at least sixteen
Americans and fired many buildings
before he was driven back across the
international border.
At least $50 troops of the Thirteenth
United States cavalry followed the
Villa band into Mexico Reports to-
.Col. II. j. Slocum late today stated
that Villa had made a stand five miles
south of the border whore spirited
fighting cnsued. In this engagement
IAN unnamed private was Killed and
Capt Adj George Williams was
wounded,
Troops Make Stand
The small detachment OF troopers
under Majors Tompkns and Lindsey,
fighting dismounted, made deter
mined stand against the renewed villa
attack and at last reports were hold
ing their own.
The raid on American territory
proved costly TO the bandit chieftan.
THE bodies of eighteen Mexican ban
dts, including Pablo Lopez, second in
command, had been gathered and
burned before noon and troopers re-
ported an undetermined number of
dead still lying in the brush.
The Town Is Rushed
Led to the attack under the slogan,
Death to Americans" Villas follow
ers fought with desperation. They
crept along dtches skirting the Unit
ed States cavalry camp and rushed the
sleeping town, firing heavily The first
valley hTnnphf American intn
almost instant action. While a por-
tion Of the raiders engaged the caval-
rymen, others detailed by the bandit
chicftain, began applying the torch
and shooting American civilians, who
ventured from the buildings.
Targets for Shippers.
Lights In homes and public build
ings Immediately became targets for
snipers posted at Villas discretion. !
Other bandits, creeping close to Amer !
lean homes, cnticed number of ci |
villains into the open with English !
spoken invitations. A number of fa- |
talties arc attributed to this ruso. /
stores were looted, oil was poured
upon frame structures and the match
applied by other bandits. The postof- |
flee was raldcd and furniture smashed, |
but the looters secured only one small |
registered package Many civilians
barricaded themselves in their homes
and fired at the Mexicans as they dart. /
ed through the streets.
Retreat Is Sounded
The fighting In the town ended al 4
most as suddenly as it began. Less
than two hours after the first shot was
heard, Villas buglers sounded the re- \
treat and the invaders began n disor-
dered flight, closely followed by Amer
lean troopers.
Three troops of cavalry we're posted
on the boundary tonight. A battalion
Of infantry and a squadron of the
Eighth cavalry from Fort Bliss left
FL Paso today to reinforce the troops
here. With these forces, Colonel Slo-
cum said he could handle any further
attack Villa IN desperation might de-
eide to make.
Mrs. Maud Iiawleright, an American
woman held captive by villa for nine
days and liberated this morning, de-
clarcd late today that villa announced
March | his intention TO attack Colum
bus. and proceeded north under forced
march to carry out his purpose His
men were without water or meat.
They dropped from their horses often
before reaching tho Boca Grando river
but villa ruled them by fear and his
officers with the flats Of their swords
beat the soldiers into animation suffi-
cient to reach the point where they
rested and prepared for the raid and
meanwhile killed four Americans at
he Palomas cattle company roundup !
Tuesday
Mrs. Wrght's husband Edward
John Wright formerly OF Houston. ,
Tex, and youth named Frank Hay ,
len. employed by the La Booker saw
mill, were taken from the Wright
-anch March I. and presumably killed.
When they took her prisoner and
forced her to ride away with Them,
detchment Of Villas men under
col. Nicolas Seryantes gave her baby
o a Mexican family. &
Mrs Wright was cared for today at {
he home OF Mrs. Slocum wife Of the =,
'olonel commanding the Thirteenth
:avalry. There she told the story OF
Ter capture and experiences from the
ime she was taken from the ranch at :
,olonia Hernandez. west Of Pearson, |
4 here the Carranza government was
Presumed to maintain a heavy garri- g
on for the protection of Americans
Villa Changes Costume.
Up to yesterday, she said, villa wore
'itizen's clothes with a queer little
ound straw hat and rode a little mule,
,ut Just before the fight early today
he donned the trim military uniform :