The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-03-16
MACHINE GUNS FAIL TO
WORK WHEN VILLA ATTACKS

killing the 18th cavalry sentinel who
was stationed on the extreme edge
Of the 18th cavalry camp near town.
This was what Lieut.. G. G. Benson.
who was brought to I'll Paso from
Columbus Thursday afternoon on the
Golden State Limited, stated upon
his arrival here.
He said il seemed there were 1900
Villistas who swooped down on the
camp where less than 200 men were
encamped. As the sentinel was the
first one killed, il was impossible for
him to give the alarm and the Mex
leans were in the camp before the
other sentinels could give the alarm.
The lieutenant said there were
about "a Mexicans killed during the
fighting. How many more were
killed, he did not know, he said, as he
was wounded through the hand during
the early part of the fighting.
Civilians in Columbus as well as
cavalrymen participated in the battle
at dawn Thursday. Every American
who could get n pistol or rifle engaged
in the fighting and took part in the
running fight, according to the South
western trainmen. They said dead
Mexicans were to be found behind
every bush near the town and they
placed the estimate Of the dead much
higher than given in the official
reports.
That more Villistas were not killed
in the attack made by the bandit
leader at Columbus, was explained in
FL Paso Thursday afternoon. when
private Thomas Burtmon. sitting on
the back of an ambulance bearing
wounded soldiers to the hospital said
that the American machine guns
clogged up and could not be used
He also stated that instead of 1000
men as was originally reported, there
were not more than $50 in the 18th
in camp at Columbus and that the
troops had put up a wonderful fight
against great odds. Many of the men
were shot while getting up from their
beds, while the eight men killed were
largely the line men. Gee, but they
were fine lot Of fellows" he added.
The Wounded Men
The wounded men brought here
Thursday afternoon from Columbus
and taken in hospital ambulances to
Fort Bliss were: Lieut.. Clarence c.
Benson, wounded in the right arm;
John v. Marlborough, shot in the left
forearm; Theodore Katzorke, shot
through both thighs; James Venner.
gunshot wound in right breast; Jesse
+. Taylor, one scalp wound on left
side Of head and two wounds in right
thigh and right leg; Michel Barwinzel,
gunshot wound in the neck.
The men were brought TO FL Paso in
charge of privates Thomas Burtmon
and +. NJ. Johnson Of the 18th cavalry
Hospital corps. The men stood the
trip well and the one in the best con.
dition, Katzorke, as .ed what is
Wilson going tC do?" and added "Lct
him know that the 18th is not too
proud to fight"
Pursue Villistas Afoot
The Hospital corpse men say that
Villa took the camp by surprise and
that most of the men save the line
men were asleep. The horses and line
men were among the first to be shot
at by the Villistas. They also said that
the first pursuit of Villa and his men
was not on horseback, but afoot and
that the horse pursuit came later.
I'VE know that Villa was along"
Johnson said. "because an American
woman who had been captured by him
in lower Chihuahua and who escaped
TO the American side, said that Villa
had lead the raid"
Official Railroad Report
An official report to general mana
ger G.. +. Hawks of the FL Paso e.
Southwestern railroad by l.. jaeger,
station agent at Columbus, received
Thursday afternoon, was as follows:
Regarding the attack made by Villa
on Columbus last night. Villa in CHARGE
OF about 400 men came into town
from the west and began shooting lust
west Of the station and near the GUS
tom house. They passed down through
the army camp with the intention of
getting all the army horses possible
and passed back near the depot, shoot
ing most Of the window lights out.
They went down by pumper james
house, killing his wife and woundng
James very badly, looting every store
Romney store. also whole block for
Sam Ravel, which was used for
restaurant and a rooming house.
"At the present time we have found
eight civilians and seven soldiers dead
and four civilians and five soldiers
wounded and have gathered up 81
Mexicans in camp and town killed,
with about forty more in the country
yet to be gathered"
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