The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-20
Captured by Mexican Outlaws,
He WAS Obliged to Aid
Them in Crimes.


BoouMIAs iTex Feb. 10.-Joe
Hatcher. a yotlns American mining
man WIN bas arrived here. owes his
lIfe Ia the devotion Of senorita Jose
fIna Praeda. a beautiful young Mex
lean. AZ great personal risk she en-
abled Fletcher 10 escape bandits
life, to which he had appeared to be
doomed after being captured by them.
"When revolutionary conditions got
bad in the more remote parts OF Du-
range many q The mines closed down
among them being the one with which
was connected, said Fletcher Dur
ing my long stay there / had made
many acouaintances among the Mex
lean ranchmen and other well to do
people Of the surrounding country.
Ono of these. Don Enrique Praeda.
lived over the mountains about sixty
miles. His vast landed estate is sit
uated in a beautiful valley, where in
ordinary times It would seem that only
peace could prevail. Instead Of hik-
Ing back to the good old United States.
az most of the Americans Of my sec
tion did. / packed I'm a few Of my per-
sonal belongings and went to the home
Of nv friend. Don Enrique, where l
thought / would find security and
happiness: yes, happiness, because l
willingly admit that there was an at
traction at the praeda home in the
person OF Don Dnrique's beautiful
daughter. senorita Joseflna, that made
INV prospective stay there an endless
source Of delight to me.
Surprised by Bandits.
"For several months everything
went along smoothly on the Praeda
ranch. Occasionally visitor from
the outside world would bring us
news Of stirring evolutionary events
that were transpiring in other parts
of the state and country, but our little
valley seemed so far removed from
the region of turmoil that we felt that
1t would never extend to US. with
Josefina almost constantly at my side,
| had little thought Of what was nap
pening in the outside world.
Then one day, just when the early
summer sun was beginning to make
all nature abloonl in that high valley
paradise, we were given q horrible
awakening. In the uncertain Hsht oi
the evenings gathering darkness we
heard the tramp OF many horses rect
and the terrifying yell OF many men
down by the corral, and in another
moment Chico Lerma and his band or
twenty cut throat brigands were upon
us. We had no time to offer resist
ance, even had We been prepared 10
do SO. In twlnkling my arms were
bound behind me and was thrown
across one Of the saddle horses. Don
Enrique was made, at the point OF
pistols, to tell where he kept his
money and yaluables and these were
gathered together and divided among
the outlaws on the spot.
"Josetina was in the patio when she
hanrd the cummotlon. One glance told
her what 1t all meant, and in another
instant she had fled into the back and
climbed over the stone wall that sur
rounded the ranch buildings. BY for
tunate chance sho made her escape
from the spot and thus saved herself
from a fate that would be indescrib-
ahlr
BIND AdOpted Him.
"Haying secured all the money and
va,uables that Don Enrique had in
the house, the brlgands set fire to
the building. While it was burning,
tho loader. Chico, turned his attention
TO mo, / told him | was an American
and demanded my rights as foreign
or. He laughed and told me ] would
moi be hornSed IL behaved myself. l
Ion,t know whv, but he seemed to
| like INV looks for, after talking to me
n Minute and learning that had been
contacted with n mining company at
Sam Dimas he informed me that he
needed the services of some one who
know the mountain country around
Gan D,mas az thew intended to eX-
fend their oneratlons into that sec
finn and that I was the very man
%, ,,n No iob
W. ~ saw that n would be useless to
,r,,e that question with him. but l
resolyed that 7, would 90 with them
md vhen the onnnrtunity offered,
WOW make nv escane Little did /
r "o then what n close watch would
bc kent over me. When we got away
c =. N.Y. ~ Pr pr,ado ranch Chico ordered
,,S hands united md T was given the
some y freedom as the other men so
ssra ridine the horse was concerned.
iat at H. that time on event followed
o,,ant n muck succession. was
,, ,oa, - Give the names and location
. ~ Son =, honses and Of mines and to
Siro a"S Tho hrigands as to roads and
tna;,s on nanslty Of death. was
tiaie, ,.,do tel thor, in all