Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-01-25
MEXICAN BANDITS SHOT ID DEATH IN
 JUAREz CEMETERY
Duran Brothers, Murderers of Akers, Die Cursing
 Americans.


 com tery at 6:07 this morning for the murder cn Friday afternoon of Bert l. Akers, an Am srican rancher of Ysleta, Texas. Bernardo and Freq erico Duran, the executed men. went to thsir death standing shoulder to shoulder against the whitewaslr:d d adobe wall of tho cen etery. They faced ',he firing squad with undaunt- Cd bravery, refused to be blindfolded and fell tog ther at the first volley.
 Almost their last wcrds was this challenge flung at the small group Of American newspapermen and friends of the murdered Akers:
 Watch and see how Mexicans die, ycu Amsricans"-
 The only plea of any sort was made by Bernardo Duran, the cid sr brother. a few n inutes before the end. .i :.
 .; anding beside the cem: :tery gate hc said in Spanish to the Interna- t'cnal News Service correspondent. ile only American wh, talked to the prisoners:
 Dying for Americans.
 eve are dying for you Americans. Tell the world that. l shot the Amer ican because he, was trying to force entrance to, my home. l was defend ing ny rights az any man Would have done.
 My brother here is entirely inno- cent. He didn't fire shot, but they are going to kill him. too. Tell me, is that justice? He is being sacrificed to your American public opinion, We are not afraid to die, but why should an innocent man be killed?" He Is cnly 2,2 years old. I am "A. Some day we will be avenged"
 While the elder talked the younger brother s'.cod bsside him, hands pocketed and lips quivsring slightly. but saving nothing. The prisoners were bound tcgether by ropes. <4,
 The Juarez celretery is a mile and dcrned men spen. their last night
 The morning air was cold, but they were no coats when they emerged at 5:30 a. m., from ,he prison and took their place between six silent guards ard set out afoot for the place of dealth. Besides the ,s:ring squad rcde it's mander. Capt. Alfredo Ortiz.
 Comforts Younger Brother.
 With heads bent the brothers tS rodc along. talking softly to each Other. Their guards, untitled in 'gaully colored blankets, shuffled be- side them Once or twice the elder brothers arm went caressingly over th- younger's shoulder and he whis- pered a word of comfort.
 The road to the cemetery is 2 gloomy one. It leads over plain dotted with sickly mesquite and cac- tus. The last half mile before the cemetery gate tn, road straightens cut and the white crosses are visible long before the gate is reached. Ne glec/ has made the bury.ng ground even more desolate than usual. The crosses stand awry over many graves. Few are erect. Standing thus at grotesque angles thsy make weird shadows on the weed-covereu turf and marble slabs.
 Slowly the little procession ap- preached the gate waich stands at he crest of gentle rise.
 Through that gate have gone hun- dreds of prisoners sentenced to dea,h. mosI of them war captives. The Americans waiting at the entrance involuntarily shrank back as tn, prisoners and their guards ar rived at the gate, which was swung open by the deaf old sexton, who has guarded it for years. It is of iron and it creaked upon it's hinges as it opened. b.
 March to Death House.
 Halt" said Capt. Oritz when the squad had advanced about 10 feet within the cemetery. The gate was closed and the spectators leaned cver # Then the International Newa Service presentative was permitted to enter and interview the prisoners The order to advance once more wal given and the little group marched toward the death house" in the center of the graveyard, 100 yards away.
 The white walls of this one-room hut shcne in the moonlight. The gate was opened to admit the witnesses, who crowded clos, to the execution CTS.
 It was nearly daylight now. The moon. hanging lew in the west. struck full upon the west wall of the death house, against which tae pris- cners took their stand. All about l them were the wood:n crosses of the dead. Twenty feet in front Of them | stood five soldiers with rifles ready. It was o'clock. The church bells tolled in Fl Paso and reverberated over the plains. Faintly then, but clear. came the sound of reveille buglers in the camps of American regin ents along the border and at T1rt Bliss. Suddenly the dawn broke.
 Capt. Oritz advanced and placed a soiled handkerchief over the younger mans eyes, but as soon as the officer stepped away he slipped it to his fcrhead and muttered:
 q will die like Fernando. with my eyes cpen."
 l BernardO Abuses Americans Bernardo. who had stood quietly until now, broke out in torrent ol atuse directed at the American spec. tators.
 "Oh! For carbine now in m, hands," he shouted. "Id show yo,
 Americans scmething. Our deatl
 will rot go unavenged An! Watcl