The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-05-11
MEXICANS CROSS LINE,
KILL FOUR AMERICANS:
KIDNAP TWO OTHERS
TROOPERS FIGHT FOR LIVES
NINE CAvAlRYMEN MAKE STAND
AGAINST 70 BANDITS.
Attack on Texas Settlement Vividly
Described In Dispatch - Adobe
House Set on Fire.

Alpine, Texas, May 9. - Mexican
bandits, some 70 in number forded
the Rio Grande Friday night and
sweeping Is miles inland on American
soil, raided the little settlement of
Glenn Springs and attacked a detach-
ment of American cavalry, consisting
of nine men of Troop A, Fourteenth
cavalry.
Three troopers and a little 10-year
old boy were killed, two cavairymen
were wounded and another is missing.
He is believed to be a prisoner of the
bandits who are now fleeing south
ward into Coahuila, Mexico.
Two American citizens, J. Deemer
and a man named Compton, according
to reports received here were carried
across the Rio Grande and reports
have it that their throats have been
cut. A posse of SO citizens of Mara
thon are in pursuit of the bandits, be-
lieved here to be Villistas.
Boy Believed Slain.
The dead troopers are William
Cohen, New York City; Stephen J.
Coloe. New York City, and Hudson
Rogers, Danville, Ky. The missing
trooper is Roscoe Tyres. The little
boy is the son of Compton. He was
deaf and dumb. The bandits are
thought to have killed him because
he would not answer their questions.
The two wounded troopers, Privates
]. Brick and Frank Defree were
brought here badly wounded. Bricks
body was filled with small brass pieces
of tacks fired from a shot gun. De-
free was burned about the head and
shoulders.
Make Fight For Life.
In a little adobe house, nine caval-
rymen made their fight for life
against the 70 or more bandits at
Glenn Springs. A hail of shot poured
for three hours into the single window
of the mud adobe, but the Americans
refused to give up. The cavalry kept
up a steady rifle fire in defiant an
swe Then the MeXicaps' leader or
dered fire balls to be thrown on the
roof, thickly matched with candelaria.
Unable to rout the Americans, the
leader of the Mexicans gave orders to
throw fire balls on the roof. Flaring
torches made Of torn cloth and weeds
We're dropped upon the roof, which
started to burn.
The heat became intense. Faces and
backs Of the soldiers, still firing spirit
ly through the window became bills.
cred and burnt.
Dashes for the Open.
Il can't stand it any longer" cried
Private Cohen, "Ill take another shot
and then try and make 1t through the
| window"
Cohen leaped into the window frame
to make his dash for the open A
bullet split his skull and he fell back
dead into the house.
Smyth, leading the other cavalry
men, turned to the left, the Mexicans
firing at them as they fled. Rogers
body was found not far from the
burned house, but Tyree could not be
accounted for when Smyth and his
men, who reached the hills in safety
investigated next morning.
When morning came the American
troors crept back to the settlement
and saw the main body of some so
Mexicans packing their loot upon their
cavalry mounts which they had cap
tured. Then with a cry they turned
towards the Rio Grande and started
for Boquillas. Here, the brigands car
ried Deemer and Compton across the
river and it is reported here that
their threats had been cut.