New-York tribune., 1916-07-18

impressment into the ranks OF the
Carranzistas. 1t is brogue at which
the versatile typewriter balks. Trans,
lated. this story of Tomaso the Red
ran like this:
"Three months ago l weighed 165
pounds. and was hard as nails. Now
I'm lust getting up over the 100 marx,
which is not right for an American
citizen-and ] am citizen, though |
was born in Dublin-and loyal clti-
zen. too. When | went to Brownsville
a year ago | didn't have any trouble
getting a Job as fireman, for | spent
wears in the engine rooms OF the steam
ers. IT,
Firing was rotten job in TINS
country and | used TO go swimming
every evening in the RIO Grande, leaV-
ing my clothes on the levee. one
evening ! swan too long, got cramp
and went under When ! came 20 !
was on the Mexican side with dlrty
blanked wrapped around me and black
faced boy sitting at my side. HOW l
got there don't know, for never
learned the lingo we'll enough 10 go
out of here.
Meets Bigbug Bandit
"Well. the Mexican that had me ir
tow put me behind him on his horse
and rode south for couple of hours.
We stopped AT an adobe house and out
of il walked Juan Losnevada-no less.
| didn't know who he was then, but
was sure he was some bigbug. lie
wore boots
"Losnevada, who's about the busiest
bandit in these parts. sputtered at me,
while making motions couldn't fail 70
understand. He meant ! was TO JOIN
his gang or get shot. ! joined, you
bet !.
"They gave me tenth-hand pair OF
pants, ventilated straw hat, goat
hide sandals and q rife. but | didn't
get any ammunition until one OF the
bandits kicked off, a couple Of days
later Over there every man gets his
own ammunition and keeps It.
IL went along on lot of raids, where
the whole bunch of pretty near nifty
didn't get enough to buy a square
meal-and stealing it from their own
people, at that.
Next Carranzista.
"By and by they began to call
me what means in Mexican Tommy
the Red Everywhere ! went the poems
took off their hats and said the name.
Maybe they gave it to me on account
of my hair.
"Ridng along near Matamoros one
day, we ran into a column OF Carran-
zistas, and they gobbled US up just like
| had been goDbled up. 1t was join the
Carranzistas or get shot, and we ali
joined.
"After that got two pesos day. but
you couldn't buy two cents, worth OF
grub with il. We STAYED in Matamoros
two weeks and then ! was sent TO Mon
terey. The best | got there for M,
two pesos was a handful OF drleo
corn. At first the food got better
but some one who was sore on me be
gan filling mine with pepper and salt
so | could not eat II.
I'D been all right as bandit, but
as a Carranza soldier | was not 1t
They couldn't forget | was gringoo,'
and they made it hard for me all
round. After six weeks or so they
sent me TO Reynosa. across from here,
and the first thing the Reynosa fois
did was TO take my gun away ana
chuck me in the military jail. Iney
said ] was a spy. One torrilla day
got, and no more.
"Kid" ails to Aid.
"But a Mexican kid named Ala-
mada took a fancy to me. lie used 20
sit outside the Jail at night and talk
about his home and his people IN
Leon. He consented finally TO take
note over to the Americans for me.
The night | gave it TO him he got full
of mescal talked too much, and was
nabbed. They put him in the next
cell 20 me and he sang half the night
Next morning the cell was empty;
| The guard told me that Alamada had
been taken away and shot, and that |
was next on the programme.
Last night the ringing OF the hre
bells took the guards and everybody
else in Reynosa racing to the east end
of the town. 1t was not any trick al
all busting open the doors. lay down
while a couple of soldiers passed and
then started for the river. omebody
fired a couple of shots at me, but
swan under water most OF the way
across-and here | am"
News of Tomaso the Reds presence
in Hidalgo reached camp this afternoon
and some of the officers plan TO take
a trip TO the river and hear his story