The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-03
ONLY 3 COWBOYS
Innocent Americans Thought
To Be Bandits.
Militiaman Thought He Saw a
Bad Band of $50.
RUSHED SPECIAL TRAINS THERE
Commander Took No Chances
of Border Raid.
Women and Children Hid While
Fathers Took Arms.
SPECIAL TRAINS THERE

Ell Paso, Tex, Aug. "a militia
mans optical powers. which enabled
him to see $50 Mexican bandits,
whereas, in reality, there were only
three cowboys, explained away the
borders latest war scare "wednesday.
To Corporal Franklin King. Com
pany C, Eighth Massachusetts infan-
try, belongs the glory of such powers.
His eagle eye detected the bandits
while he was on outpost duty below
FinIay, Tex, which is about seventy
five miles east of here. He counted
$50 of them galloping on American
soil towards Finlay.
Corporal King reported his find
to Capt. H. d. Duncan, his comman-
der at Fort Hancock. The latter inn
mediately transmitted it to Gen.
George Bell, jr., here with a shout for
help.
Corporal Kings imagination was IN
fictitious. While General Bell was SUN
eyeing suspiciously the corporaPs re-
port. knowing full well the weakness
of militiamen for eXaggeration, Sergt-
Harry F. Smith, in command or KING
outpost notified Captain Duncan, ne,
too, had seen the Mexicans. Smith
declared a detachment of them was
headed toward Sierra Blanca.
Upon receipt of the second report.
General Bell accepted both as fact and
issued immediate orders. special
train was rushed to Finlay, carrying
four companies of the Eighth United
States cavalry, Maj. William Kelly, jr..
in command. Fourteen trucks, bear
ing a battalion of the Twenty-third in
fantry with Maj. Stuart Lee in COM
mand started for the same point. Thls
was about o'clock this morning
In the meantime, Corporal King
report had been spread among little
militia outposts all along the river
Thoroughly aroused, the guardsmen
began firing promiscuously at every
thing that might under darkness
cover even so family resemble a
bandit Captain Duncan, hearing the
| firing, rushed a little squad of men
| from the fort to the scene. They, too,
becoming thoroughly alarmed, began
firing right and left Residents of
| and hurried to Ell Paso with the news
| of a bandit attack.
Hide Women and Children.
Again in the meantime, kilograms Of
warning that the bandits were ap-
preaching were sent TO F1nlay ana
Sierra Blanca All women and chill
dren in Finley were aroused from
their slumbers and taken to hiding
places in the mesquite, where they re-
manned in terror all night. The men
returned to the town, armed to the
teeth, prepared to fight the bandits.
Sierra Blanca the fire whistle was
blown All male residents gathered
at the depot, heavily armed Dividing
into four squads they set forth to
meet the bandits.
No bandits had yet been found
when the special cavalry train reached
Finlay. But heavy firing had been
heard along the border-the firing of
the militiamen. Captain Kelly i'm
mediately rushed out scouting 6etach-
ments The infantrymen arrived a
little later and rushed out scouting
attachments. But the scouts all re-
turned, banditless.
One party, however, brought in the
three cowboys. Comparisons showed
they were in exactly the spot where
the corporal declared his $50 Next
cans were. Fronted with this fact, the
corporal became wabbly and at last
admitted, so it is reported, that he
might have been mistaken. Sergeant
Smith could not be found.