Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-18
FIGHTING BEGINS
AS FORCES START
ON hot TRAIL
Men, Boys and Girls in Mat
amoros Armed When Ri.
caut Hears of Crossing.
AUTHORITIES PREPARED
FOR ANY EVENI.UALITYs
Pershing Refuses to Recognize
Carranza Authority Over u. S. #
Troop Movements. M
BACKED UP BY WASHINGTON
Lansing Says Policy of Administers.
ton Is Unchanged by Tre-
vino Threat.
AUTHORITIES PREPARED
FOR ANY EVENIUALITY
BACKED UP BY WASHINGTON
Lansing Says Policy of ADMINISTERS.
ton Is Unchanged by Tre-
vino Threat.

BROWNSVILLE. TEXAS. Juno 17.-
The second squadron OF tho Third y
United States Cavalry. upwards ~of 400
strong. after n skirmish with border \
bandits, is sleeping tonight on Mex
lean soil. less than ten miles from Mata-
moros. the Mexican town opposite here,Sl
where the Mexican population. fulIySS
armed with pistols and rifles, Is await
ing developments with anxiety. The &
soldiers crossing was occasioned BY
the pursuit by the cavalry, under conl-I
mand of Major Edward Anderson and
Lieutenant A. D. Newman, on a hot
trair' OF about thirty Mexican maraud -;t
ers who attacked detachm ents OF the
Twenty-slxth Infantry near San Be-.
nito last night. 3ls.Se,Pg
Crossing, which was started at L Al
NJ, had finished at sundown, without
mlshap. at Naranjos. a small Mexican s
river settlement about ton miles from Z
here. .'sSea
Within half an hour after the first
troops had crossed, volleys Of shots
were heard from the brushy ambushes
on the Mexican side OF the river. irsA
dicating that at least a party OF ban
dts had been encountered. They were
known to have been chased across theg
river by Lieutenant Newman. and Troop
II. OF the third. tttsS
No casualty on either side attended,
the crossing. A field wireless appara.S
tus has been established on the Amer.
lean side OF the river tonight. which
Will keep In close touch with the, fourth
punitive expedition nto Mexico. s
FIRST SOLDIERS TO CROSS
EXCHANGE SHOTS WITH BANDITS
Troop Fl. the first body Of soldiers
to cross. exchanged a number OF shots
with the bandits, but the sole "casu,S
atty" was one Mexican bandits horse.
which was captured. After an ALL
night chase, Lieutenant Newman,ss
troops ran the bandits from a poin.s
east Of the sleeping town Of San Be-
nito. fifteen miles to the bank Of the
Rio Grande near San Pedro ramch.sS
Here the band apparently split In two
sections. one crossing the river abovss
the ranch. and the other below. The
cavalry followed by the northern ford
Al IL o'clock this morning, after
spending one hour on Mexican soil.
Lieutenant Newmans command came In;
contact with the marauders, and a.
liVely. though bloodIess skirmish on
sued. neither being able to SEQ tho
go "NNOdtl OI ln6 QeQSe brush. !
After crossing the river, Newman
dispatched a messenger to inform, hA.a.a
quarters at Fort Brown of his crossin -
The messenger, a private Of Troop H.e
lost his horse in the middle Of the
Rio Grande and swan to the Other
side, almost losing his own life
The trail OF blood followed last night
by the cavalry led to the body OF 81
Mexican peon. His only possessfonsf Il !
were two bullet holes. a rife and some
ammunition. He carried no paueras
which might have disclosed his mama
or affiliations s..si
SITUATION IN MATAMoRos
REGARDED AS SERIOUS
The situation in Matamoros to.nishtg
was serious. Every business house {tr,@
the town was closed. with the ercep-s -s;
ton OF one saloon. In this rendezvous
were gathered army officers, who gave
out threats calculated to arouse the
already alarmed populace into a.
frenzy. w
General Alfredo Ricaut, commander
or the Matamoros garrison, did not
learn OF tho crossing OF AmericanI
troops into Mexico until early In .the.l
afternoon He then called the popula.S
tion OF the town together at his head.
quarters, where he distributed rifles.
pistols and ammunition TO men, boya@
and even girls BY midafternoon at.
least $500 men were patrollins the
streets under full arms. at-ts
Consul j. j. Cara, who has BEEN;
making efforts to avoid a clash be-
tween Americans and Mexicans on the
Mexican side, tonight held a conferssl
eace with General James Parker. Tbes
result OF this conference was not diss4
closed here.
1t was reported tonight that Anicstoy;
Pizana, the alleged bandit leader. said
to have been implicated In last suulys I
mer's raids. who was held In Mata4Sl
moros. had disappeared. fsy
COURSE OF PRESIDENT