The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-30
TROOPERS TELL
own STORY OF
THEIR CAPTURE
Mexicans Trapped Them Thru
Treachery, They Say.
DuSky Heroes Relate Details OF
Fight and Surrender.
MEN SAVED MOREY'S LIFE
Bill Harris Shot General Gomez
for His Corporal.
Negro Deserter Was a Big Help
to the Prisoners.

Fl Paso. Tex. June 80 By the
grace of a Mexican named Carranza
the United states has been enabled to
claim its own-the twenty-three
American troopers and one civilian
scout captured in the Ca-rizal fight
1T was treachery," they cried; I'VE
thought they were friendly. They
pretended to be until they had us sur
rounded. Then the slaughter began.
We didn't have a chance. The MeNl-
cans even killed our wounded men
when the fight was over.
This last statement-one OF tnt
eravest charges that can grow out OF
civilized warfare-was corroborateo
nv three of the American soldiers
These we're Privates William D. GID
son and Luther Alexander of troop
and Private Archie Jones OF Troop r.
THE Mexicans-those who spoke
E.n-lish-brag ged before US of having
killed our wounded men,, declared
Gibson. They got out their long
s<nives and demonstrated now they
had cut the Threats of the fallen
Americans after the battle was over
> ragged and dirty band it was,
uunctured by bullets and gaunt from
prison privation- But nobody better
than themselves know how glad they
were to get back to United States soil.
No more appropriate memento of
Carrizal could Mexico have presented
10 the American government
Little Ceremony.
There was but a film of ceremony.
\ Mexican general marched from his
side of the border to the exact center
If the international bridge. He hand
ID to an American general who met
hin, there nlain sheet of
Names were typed on it.
column Of Mexican troops had
drawn up behind their general. From
within their folds. one by one. twenty
three American troopers stepped over
from the side of Mexico to that of the
United States. The American gen.
erals aide checked off their names
from the sheet of paper
- When the last had passed. the
american general signed the paper
IS receipt-and passed it back to the
Mexican general. 1t was over. Mex
leo had returned the prisoners she had
taken with victory based on treachery.
The scene now changes. Again the
battle RACES A brave little band of
American soldiers. lured by treach-
erous parley. are encircled ny a vast
horde of hostile Mexicans They are
being moved down by leaden showers
from machine gun and rifles There
is no alternative from death.
It is Americas own back home
again. re-enacting the affair at Car
RIAL
How 1t Happened.
The little squad had been marched
to the basement of the immigrant ton
station at The American entrance to
. the bridge for fumigation AS thew
rubbed down their bodies with vinegar
and oil. they spoke. It was the first
time since the eventful morning of
p wednesday. June 21, that they had
: had chance to speak freely, for a
hostile Mexican guard always vas ar
their elbows.
Yes. and I passed some of our
wounded troops on the field during
the battle. said Alexander After
wards l saw that their Threats had
peen cut. wondered how their
tnroats mad been cut until heard the
mexican soldiers Dragging about hav~
ing done it afterward. '''-'
NOT a man among them threw down
ms gun. or held up his hands at can
ture. Not until they had been Iaanad
upon and simply overpowered did
E they give up. iO
Heroism which may be rivaled b,,t
never surpassed, was shown bv Can
tain Boyd of Troop K ACCORDING 10 a.
eyewitness to his death. Amone +ba
group also were soldiers who accom-
panied Capt Lewis Morey Troon G,
into the little adope hut where thew
LOOK shelter from the whitening fire
know that Captain Morey had escaped
death. Shouts of joy rang out when
they learned of it,
Among the group was the America
trooper who killed the Carranzista
general Gomez Another told of kill
ing the two operators of the deadly
machine gun. silencing it finally.
Stripped of Clothes.
Not one of them was fully clothed
They described the frenzied glee with
which the Mexicans stripped their uni.
forms from their bodies and marched
them through the streets of Chihua-
hua City. clad only in their under
wear.
Except for this" said Private
James VI. Stokes of Troop X. ''the
Mexican soldiers treated us very well
But when we marched through the
streets to the Chihuahua penitentiarN
we were nearly mobbed. Thousands
Of civilians followed us and stoned
us
Fifteen beans, served three times q
day. was the only food the prisoner.
were given. They had to sleep on bare
concrete floors in small, i'll ventilated
cells A dingy corridor provided What
EXERCISE room they were allowed.
Not until an hour before did we