Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-09

| Columbus had dug few rifle pits for
| the fifty Carranza soldiers who fled
Palomas when Villa appeared in the
vicinity several days ago.
Death List Grows.
| Mr.. and Mrs. Milton James and J. S.
| Dean, merchant, were later added to
! the list of Americans killed. Villas
men came over the line at this point
apparently and the Carranza soldiers
are reported to have joined them. De-
ploying his men in open order, Villa
sent his men up deep ditch running
up from the border and paralleling
| the road skirting the United States ar
my camp, the customs house and the
railroad station. The fight began here
| in town and the families of A. L.
Riggs, customs officer and that of L.
jaeger, station agent of the Ell Paso
! and Southwestern railroad, was in
| the midst of it but no member of eth
er was hurt. M. Puche, a merchant,
was wounded in the hand. Riggs, his
wife and two children, barricaded
| themselves in the living quarters of
the customs house.
L. jaeger, his wife and two children,
barricaded themselves in the railroad
| station.
II MeXicanS Killed.
| Colonel Slocum early today an
nounced that four American soldiers
! had been killed and seven wounded.
Fourteen dead MeXicans were counted
near the army camp. Lieutenant
| Casteman, officer Of the day, turned
out all the men remaining in the
camp. Raising battle cries the MeXi-
! cans in overwhelming numbers rushed
! savagely into the town north of the
railroad tracks A courier was sent to
Major Lindsey at Gibbons ranch, Is
miles east, to bring up the troopers
posted there. The first volley of rifles
woke up all the townspeople.
Villa is said to have been seen by
several Americans urging on his men.
He cut the telegraph wires east to Ell
Paso to prevent any call for American
troops stationed there. The telephones
also went out of commission. While
part of his forces fought the hastily
rallied American troops, Villa is said
to have detailed snipers and house
burners who flew to task. Houses
throughout the town were riddled with
bullets.
In the section house nearby. Fore
man S. H. Mccullough and his wife
and their four children sought safety
by lying fiat on the floor. Bullets flew
over their heads.
| A bullet wrecked the station clock.
All who remained inside were compar-
atively safe.
c. c. Miller was shot as he dashed
from his drug store to the Hoover hotel,
across the street. He fell with his
head inside the door.
A woman, dragging little girl by
the hand, was wounded and stumbled
over the druggists body.
! Shippers posted in front of frame
buildings set on fire, shot at the Amer
lean inmates as they sought refuge
from the flames. These Mexican snip
ers concealed themselves in the dark.
The lighting of lamps by householders
and hotel guests, startled out of sound
sleep by the rife fusillade, promptly
brought shower Of bullets. Every
house in town and nearly every WIN
dow appeared to have been hit from
once to dozen times.
Civilians armed themselves and from
vantage points within their homes, an
swered the shots of the MeXicans.
Some of the bandits sought to entice
Americans out into the streets by
| speaking English. ]. S. Dean was
caught in this way. A Mexican, who
spoke excellent English, called to him.
Dean emerged from doorway and his
reply in English betrayed him to be an
American and brought his death.
Five Soldiers Killed.
| FL Paso, Tex, March 9-Five Amer
ican soldiers were killed this morning
early at Columbus. n. NJ, in a battle
with Mexican bandits, according to a
message received early today at the
| general Offices of the Ell Paso and
| Southwestern railroad in Ell Paso The