The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-03-10
Other Raids by Villas Bandits are Expected to
Occur, With Warm Welcome for
the Cut Throats.
FROM FIFTY TO TWO HUNDRED KILLED
Columbus Fears Second Attack ON Town Which
Villa Threatened to Wreck and Burn
All Citizens.

, who was captured By VNla In ths
Casas Grandes district March / and
released previous to the attack on
Columbus.
Mrs. Wright. guest ut Colonel
Slocum's headquarters today. reiter-
ated that Villa told his men Just be-
fore the Columbus raid: I'VE will
lay the town in waste and make
torches OF every man, woman and
child to be found"
While she was q prisoner, Mrs.
Wright said Vfllistas told her villa
expected to lay the whole United
States in waste with the help Of Jap
an and Germany. They said he was
bitter over Cerranza's recognition by
the American government and hoped
to force intervention to unite oil
Mexican factions against the invading
United States troops.
Mrs. Wright also retold of tho dis
appearance of her husband and Frank
Hayden, an American youth, both OF
whom are believed to have been kill
ed by the Villistas.
Mrs. Wright was separated from her
baby, who she believes was given to
a Mexican family.
Tho villistas' alleged determination
to make a torch OF every American
they encountered, quailed before the
bravery Of Mrs. s. T. F. Ryan, wife
Of the captain OF e troop.
Attempting to make her escape dur
ing the height of the Columbus fight
ing, a Mexican grasped her arm and
demanded where she was going. Mrs.
Ryan replied calmly, that she was
going for her auto. The Mexican re-
leased her. Mrs. Ryan crouched In
the auto throughout the remainder OF
the battle and escaped unhurt. Tho
action of Mrs. A. l.. Riggs, wife OF a
customs officer. in sitting her infants
cries as the Mextcans were shooting
outside her home, was another OF the
numerous instances Of heroism on the
part OF the American women Of Co
lumbus. The Riggs house was rid
died with Mexican bullets but she and
her two babes escaped injury.
The cooIness with which the Mex-
leans sought out their victims and
stood around the bodies Of the dead
Americans IN the height of the battle
was still commented on today. Cav
airy officers estimated there were fver
1000 Villistas in the attacking party
Against this force Colonel Slocum
had about $50 troopers with two ma
chine guns. It was rumored. but not
officially confirmed, that one OF tbs
American machine guns failed to work
properly in the midst Of the fighting.
The reason more Americans were
not killed, 1t WAS agreed today, was
due to the Vfllista's loottng. S. H.
Burchafield. whom a squad Of MeXi-
cans robbed. escaped while they were
arguing over the division Of the spoils.
The Mexicans abandoned a part OF
their loot on their retreat, closely
pressed by the American troops.
While citizens today were inclined
to berate the unpreparedness OF tho
Thirteenth cavalry troops, asleep
when the villistas stole up and rush
ed shrieking into the center OF the
town, all praised the brave fighting
by the out-num5ered American sol
diers. Colonel Siocum's pistol was
shot out Of his hand as he directed
his men.
Two officers were among the eight
cavalrymen wounded. Captain G.
Williams suffered flesh wound and
Lieutenant c. C, Benson was shot in
the left arm.
Private z. NJ. Johnson, Of the hos
pital corps. without regard to army
weapons. let fly with an axe at the
oncoming Villistas, Draining one
Pablo Lopez, leader of the Villistas
who slaughtered eighteen helpless
American mining men at Santa Ysa-
bel, January TO- was among the Mex
(Continued on page "a