The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-05-11
Detachment Will Be Sent to
Scene of Raid, But Long
Pursuit Is Deemed
Impossible.
FOUR DEAD, THREE MISSING
Troopers Shot Down When
Routed From Adobe Hut
After Fighting Valiant
ly Against Odds.

FL Paso, Tex, May S.-With only
about 500 troops available to send after
the bandits who last Friday swept
across the Mexican border. raided Bo-
quillo and Glenn Springs, killing three
American soldiers. an American boy
and perhaps two civilians. military men
made no attempt to hide their embar-
rassment at not being able to meet the
emergency as they feel 1t should be
met.
The troops sent from Ell Paso have
been regarded as almost essential to
the garrison here, but 1t was decided
to use them rather than to draw on
the already attenuated forces at other
points.
II could use very easily $4,000 troops
In Arizona alone" said General Funs-
ton today, land there should be that
many In that one state The number
that should be along the long southern
border line OF Texas should be much
greater"
Some weeks ago the drain OF the
$1,000 troops in the southern depart
ment had become so great that General
Funston appealed for more troops and
failing that, for militia. The war de-
partment failed to grant his request.
The best disposition possible of the
troops has been made In many cases
where the inhabitants have asked for
troops.
Troops Reach Scene.
Captain Cole, Of the 14th cavalry had
arrived at Glenn Springs this morning
with part of one company and four
| troops Of cavalry sent from Forts
| Bliss and Clark were expected to de-
train early today at Marathon. from
| where they will march to the border.
1t was not expected that this force
would reach the border before Wednes-
day night and perhaps not before
! Thursday. The actual distance they
will have to march is ITO miles.
Whether the American troops actual
ly would cross the border into Mexico
was not known, but 1t was believed
that the possibility Of action taken be-
low Columbus might be repeated be-
low Glenn Springs, was pointed out to
| General Obregon. Whether they will
go into Mexico, will depend largely
upon the circumstances they find after
their arrival from Fort Clark and
| from here.
If the troops that have been sent into
| the Big Bend country are sent across
| the line, military men said today the
| dispatch OF more troops into Mexico
was essential or the expedition would
| have to be limited to a mere sortie.
| Army officers here are hopeful that
the Glenn Springs affair will serve to
| arouse the war department to the
pressing need of additional troops for
| border patrol duty.
The nine soldiers attacked a. Glenn
| Springs belonged to a regiment, the
Fourteenth cavalry, that has been at
| tempting to patrol a stretch Of nearly
400 miles Of the widest country along
| the entire Mexican border. Troops are
| spread out from Laredo also to Sierra
Blanca. The latter place is only 80
miles from FL Paso. Because of the i'm
mense territory to be covered 1t was
necessary to divide the regiment into
many small attachments.
| Marathon on the Southern Pacific
railway almost 100 miles north Of the
| international line, will be the base of
operations, General Funston announced
today from there a field telegraph line
will be run to the advanced base.
| Asked today If he intended sending
troops into the big bend district addi-
tional to those already on their way
| General Funston said:
Il have not any to send"
| Funston Is Evasive.
| General Funston said today, 1T would
not be proper" for him to disclose
whether or not an expeditionary force
was going into Coachuila in pursuit Of
the Mexican bandits. He did not deny
that there would be such a movement.
He said, however, he believed that
troops had not yet" crossed the border.
General Funston said that the forces
| which arrived at Marathon today to-
tailed only about 800 men and that with
stray detachments available along the
border Col. Frederick w. Sibley, in
command would have less than 500 men
at his disposal
The general Is anxious to get back
to San Antonio and will hurry back as
soon as the conference is ended.