The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-10
AMERICAN WOMAN
BATTLES WITH VILLA
Mrs. Wright. Prisoner Nine
Days. Tells Of Experience
in Raid.
HER HUSBAND KILLED

CoI.rMBs. y. NJ, March S.-Mrs. Maud
Hawk Wright. who was reported to have
been murdered when her husband. an
other American ard herself were taken
prisoners by villa. escaped from the
Mexicans during the hghting to-day.
on Tuesday. March :. Mrs. Wright
said, villa bandits attacked employees
Of the Palomas Cattle Company. killing
four Americans engaged in rounding up
Mrs. Wrigh, said her husband. edward
John Wright. formerly Of Houston, Tex.
and Frank Hayden. a youth employed
La Rocker sawmill. were faken
from the Wright ranch on Mar oh ] ana
presumably killed. When SHE was 'aken
prisoner md forced to ride away with
q detachment OF Villas men under col
Nicholas ~Servante. she said a bandit
ordered her tn give her baby 20 a Mexi-
can family.
rcIIs 81 Her Capture.
Ms. Wright was ca AIRED for TO-DAY At
the home Of Mrs. Slocum. wife OF Col.
Slocun. There she told the story u her
capture and experiences from the time
she was taken from the ranch at Colcnia
Hernandez. west OF Pearson. where the
de- facto Mexican Government was re-
ported 70 have maintained n heavy gar
rison for the protection OF Americans.
t'p 20 yeste rday. she said. Villa wore
civilian clothes. a queer little round
straw hat and rode a small male. but
jus, before the feht this morning he
appeared clad in a trim Ni,t,ary UNI
form and rode one % three handsome
- -.t III. Al -@N -. .A-l
during the long march. Mrs. Wright
sad villa led nearly 1900 men upon
the Sleeping American town. a. which
We're quJrtered less than 800 American
troopers.
She said tina, some OF the men de-
tailed TO guard her during the march
north told her tina villa had 5000 men
ard 5000 horses.
Just before she and her husband were
taken prisoners with the Hayden boys,
Mrs. Wright said. the villa men told
her they had rsided Co'onia Juarez.
an American Mormon settlement west
OF Pearson. looted all the stores and
killed some OF The foreigners
"Servan;rs. with twelve men came TO
the ranch the night Of March L. Mrs
Wrieh, said. They pretended to he
Carranza soldiers and asked me n I
had any food to sell. Ny husband and
Frank HAYDEN were AT Pearson buying
supplies. ! told them We had only a
little four II meal-just enough for
our family.
Husbs nd 10 caught.
at was just abou, dark then and my
husband came into the yard with two
pack mules which he un'oaded A. soon
az that was done some Of III. MeXicans
caught and saddled the animals,
"Scrvs ntes became impatient and de-
manded 10 see our stores Of -four and
meal. A. soon as | opened the store
room he ordered some Of his men to
take all our supplies. Then they called
my husband outside. The next ! saw OF
him his hands had been tied behind his
back. My husband called 10 Hayden
and he also was tied.
My husband was taken out 10 the
gate OF the ranch yard ami tied there
with Hayden.
When Went out the sold er guarding
the prisoners told me TO leave the labl
with the wife Of the MeAicau who had
also been taken prisunei ! did that. The
soldier and went out toSeth.r after he
told me that my husband Was at the top
OF a hill q shor, distance away
The soldier told me TO noun, behind
on his hol s.. When | refused lie put ne on
one OF the pack mules taken from my
husband. | was suspicious and said 50.
] did tot see my husband. When I called
he did NOT answer. Then ] sad I am
going back TO my baby.
The soldier replied. We have given
your baby to a Mexican family That
made me frantic and ! cried, I going
back to my baby whsreupon the soldier
drew his sword and declared that II ! did
he would kill me. |dismounted from the
mule. bu, he forced me back and knew
then vas a prisoner.
we cd. all that night ard reached
Jiminez. where We made vHinp Tor tire.
hours. Three hours was the longest We
eve stopped IN any t"sn;y-four until
We reached the oca Grande River.
i saw villa a; Imincz. but he refused
10 talk to me. I am too busy he would
Ia what they aar for Throughout
all the nine days was /, prisoner |
slept unly IN the saddl. or the camp a
little while, with MY head aeains, a tree
or stump
N~U Don't Like Niiia.
The men guarding me treated me
we'll, and one " them told me that
Villas men did not love him, but were
ruled entirely hy the fear he had in
stilled IN them. villa was protected from
assasslns throughout the march by his
of!crrs-s score Of Colonies and Cen
erals-aud by a picked body ~ men
krown as 'Dodaros, VIII, camped and
code by themselves"
Mrs. Wright then told of how the
meat supply and water gave out during
tho march northward through the deser,
region OF Chihuahua. and how men, their
tongues swollen, eyes glazed and en-
haus'ed. would drop from their horses,
only to be beaten and prodjed with
swords by villas officers. until the,
r%enouuted and joined the column
"Froin the frst ! knew thai villa
Intended Ia attack Columbus" Mrs
Wrigh, continued. at was freely dis
cussed by the men and the officers
Some Of the latter told me that villa
intended to kill every American They
could tind, but they pointed to me as
an example Of their decision not TO
hang women
Later, as We approached the border
from Boca Grande, these same officers
told me that Nlla-his rage growing az
he neared the boundary-would make
torches Of every aud child as
well AZ OF every man I'm C'olumhus