The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-24
United States Sends Orders to
Mexican Government.
Captured Troopers Are Placed
in Penitentiary.
RELATE STORY OF ATTACK
Interpreter Is Said to Blame d.
S. Officer.
Anticipated Trouble and Tried
to Avert 1t.

Washington. June 24-This gov
ernment has dema nded release of the
colored troopers captured in the Car
rizal battle and now held by the Car
ranzistas at Chihuahua City II be-
came known today that the demand
is now on its way south Whether II
was given Ambassador ArredondO 10
forward. was sent to Consul Rodgers
and Their to be giver to Carranz4 or
whether it was made direct from the
state department 10 the Mexican mir
:ster Of foreign affairs was lot made
public
Assaulted by Civilians
! Chihuahua City. June 24-The
seventeen American negroes captured
in the Carrizal battle have been
placed in the penitentiary here There
| have been no arrangements made for
removing them to Juarez to be sur
/ rendered to the American authorities
Lem Spillsbury. the Mormon scout
captured at Carrizal, also is in prison
! The prisoners were ASA uIted by
Mexican civilians as the were being
transferred from the train to the Deni-
tentiary, but were landed safely be-
| hind the walls of the building and. ac-
cording to the authorities, are being
well treated.
The troopers brought here are Prt-
/ ~
Ward, Jones, Sockes, Marshall. Oliver
M Donald, Williams. Givens Stone.
Harris Lee and Graham of Troop h
and Hove and Alexander of c troop
| According to a statement said to
have been signed by SpilIsbury which
was made public today by. General
! Trevino, neither he nor the negroes
knew which side began the firing
SpiIlsbury's statement says that e
| troops was first to advance against
| the MeKicanG II - L.
all of the Americans who lost their
lives were killed when they advanced
to a deep ditch in which Mexicans
were stationed. and when other Mexi-
cans getting around to a deep ditch in
their rear, attacked them from the
flank
In his statement Spillsbury saws that
he never dreamed when ne left Casaz
Grandes in company with Captain
BOYD that there would be any trouble
feeling confident that previous friend
ly relations would continue
captain Morey and his men joine<d
them en- route and the statement
quotes Spillsbury as saying during the
conference with General Come he
was opposed to Captain Rovd.s oh
I stinacy, arguing that IL would be best
| to retire until General Trevino AT chi
nuahua had passed on their request TO
Gomez to be allowed to pass Gomez
explained. it is said that an ansv..r
would come in three hours.
Scout Feared Trouble
! The statement recounts A ss,ooossd
opinion by Spillsbury that Captain
Boyd was 1mbued with the ide4 thsr
an action would bring him quick pro-
motion and also that the Merica -
would back down on show of force
1t credits the scout with having ar
Sued with Lieutenant Adair on the
evening before against moving into
the Carrizal territory in search of
bandits and also says he admits hzv-
ling importuned Captain Boyd at least
to try to get around by some her
road It then gives Spillsbury's story
as follows:
The troops were about 200 yards
apart during the conference Cap
tains Boyd and Morey and I advanced
nalf way to meet General GOmez- II
was twenty minutes after We had re-
turned to our respective lines and
Boyd had given numerous orders TO
his men and those of Captain Morey.
who were stationed some distance
away in line. before Boyd gave the
order to advance.
The opposing sides zere within
$50 Yards of each other when the fir
ing began Neither tire nezroes nor
I knew who fired first 7 remained
ditch. where the Mexicans were
| placed Pra cticaTIv all who lost their
lives were there. including Boyd and
Adair- The Mexicans did heavy exc
= / Cut1On Win a ElaCnlnE Kun ana rfIEn.
getting around to 2 deep ditch in the
rear. attacked the Americans from
) that point.
Troop Entirely Surrounded
THE whole of Troop c was sur
, rounded and not many seemed to get
! ! away. The horse holders bclted with
! a few of the mounts but the remain
der were bottled up and captured
, There were two American pack mules
, along but they evidently got away AZ
: the very start. II troop apparently V
Jared better as it was further a-rav-
"A bullet took off my hat and an
other grazcd my arm One of the ne
/, groes who was captured is wounded
: In Jail here the negroes are very
2 bitter about being led into what they
E call dead fall They were entirely
in the open with natural defenses al
around them. such as brush and
bitches. which the Mexicans naturally
I took advantage of.
e The Mexicans engaged were about
8 ESQ in number.
d The statement concludes by credit
: ing SpiIlsbury with saying that in the
d first conference he told Lieutenzr NJ
y ! Colonel Rivas that If he personals