Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-27
Rescue Party Crosses Border
and Four Others Are
Drowned.
GEN. FUNSTON PLACES
OFFICERS UNDER ARREST
Commander Reports to Washington
That Carranza Officials Are Look.
ing for Missing Men. I

BROWNSVILLE. Tex. January sI.-
Three American artillerymen and one
oavalryman were drowned yesterday
when three United States Army lieu
tenants and fourteen privates crossed
into Mexico opposite Progreso. Tex, in
an unsuccessful attempt to rescue Pri-
Yates William q. Wheeler and Biggo
Peterson of Battery ID. 4th Field Ar
tillery, who swan across the Rio
Grande while bathing and were cap
tured by two armed Mexican civilians.
The Americans crossed under fire
from the American and Mexican sides,
but no one was killed or wounded by
the gunfire. Lieut.. ]. +. Mort. COM
manding Battery u, 4th Field Artillery.
and Lieuts. Payton and waldron of the
same battery were ordered arrested by
Maj. Gen. Frederick Funston.
Four Enlisted Men Drown.
The Americans drowned were: Sergt.
owen Clements. Corp. Michael f. King.
Private Harry a. Rhode. all OF Battery
d. 4th Field Artillery. and Private
Charles ID. Wiltenbest. Troop A. Icth
Cavalry
Maj. Gen Funston said the blame ap-
parently rested with persons on tho
American side of the border, and that
he had issued the strictest orders OF
officers and men not to cross the Rio
Grande under any circumstances.
Bad feeling has existed between
MeXicans and Americans in the Pro-
greso district since last summer. when
there were many conflicts there during
Mexican bandit operations. Two Ameri-
can soldiers were killed in that vicinity.
Gen. Funston Reports.
Mai. Gen. Funston reported to the
War Department today the drowning
of four and the capture of two Amer
lean soldiers near Brownsville. Tex.
yesterday. His dispatch. dated yester-
day. contained report By Maj. Ander-
son. commander of the 18th Cavalry, as
follows:
-Four men of Battery ID. 4th Field
Artillery. swan across the Rio Grande
while bathing in the river at Progreso
about $3.50 pm. today. Two were made
prisoners by two Mexicans with rif1es
and taken back into interior from river.
other two men of battery swan back:
some two or three shots fired at them
while returning.
Lieut. j. E. Mort, commanding bat
terry, with Lieuts. Peyton and Wal
dron, with about fourteen men OF bat
terry and one man from 18th Cavalry.
crossed river about three e-auarters OF
an hour later. went about three-quar-
ters of a mile back into the interior
from river, searched two houses, did
not find comrades. They were nred
upon, ten or twelve times by men ia
brush They remained on other side
a bout one hour. When they returned
the crossing was covered by our men
on bank of this side, who fired some
200 shots. None of our men killed or
wounded.
List of\the Drowned.
THE following men were drowned
while swimming to other side:
"Sergt owen Clement, Corp. Michael
r. King, Private Harry A. Rohde,
all of Battery d. 4th Field Artillery.
and Private Charles ID. Wilton-Be
Troop A. 18th Cavalry.
"All bodies carried away by swift.
muddy current and not yet recov-
cred. Search being made
The following named men still in
ha nds of Mexicans on other side:
Private William {. Wheeler and Pri-
vate Biggo Peterson. Battery -, attn
Field Artillery.
Gen. Funston IN transmitting lHe re-
port said:
Col. Blocksom has ordered Lieuts.
Mort Peyton and Waldron to be placed
in arrest, and Capt. McBroom, 2Sth
Infantry. has been placed in command
of camp. | have directed Col. Plum
mer. 2Sth Infantry. to send one of his
field officers to investigate. Mr. CARA.
Mexican consul, has been informed of
exact contents of Maj. Anderson's tele-
gram and of arrest of three officers
EIa hnS or tn fon pnN
to inform commanding general there
and to ask that immediate search he
made for Privates Wheeler and Peder-
son. The MeXicans on other side were
not in uniform
No Word at Mexican Embassy.
The Mexican embassy here had re-
ceived no word of the capture OF the
Americans but have asked report
from Carranza Consul Garza.
Secretary Garrison declined to COM
ment upon the arrest of the officers.
The military forces on the border. he
said. were entirely at the disposition
of GEN Funston. He stated that an
of the incident would be
made and until the facts were known
he would not be informed as to the
which caused the ar
rest.
Records of the Men
War Department records snow that
Clements came from Rays Mills. Ga:
Michael F. Ring. Incorrectly trans
nitted as King. came from New York
city and that his mother resides at
.enox Mass: Rohde came from Cherry
Creek, n. Y; Best from Portland, Ore:
" heeler from East Boston, Mass, and
yigeo Petersen, incorrectly transmitted
IS Piggo Peterson. from Chicago.
1t was indicated at the State Depart
nent today that for American troops
lnder arms to cross the Mexican bor-
,ar eyen in pursuit of ba ndits who NAV