The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-10

| through the streets under the fire oi | Mexican troopers, who were lighted 1T their work by the flaming Commercial | hotel and other buildings. Lieut.. Johr P. Lucas disposed his men on the rail road skirting the southern side of the | town, with two machine guns, supported by ri1emen.
 Castleman, stationing his men in from of the hotel owned by Mayor w. C. Hoover. next door to the Columbus bank
 engaged many times the number of Mex jeans and drove the bandits westward They sought the cover of a hill in the
 rear of the customs house. 50 yards south east of the Fl Paso and Southwestern railroad station. Lucas machine gun troor caught them as they crossed the track
 and rifemen in ditch took them in flank as the Mexicans, practically all
 mounted, dashed southward.
 SLOCUM'S NARROW ESCAPE Colonel Slocum was out of his quarters uptown within 10 minutes after the first shot was fired and reached the Hoover hotel corner as the MeXicans approached bullet struck the barrel of his revolver and knocked it from his hand
 Villa men, according to the statement of Mrs. Wright, did not stand fire as Villa thought they should, and he raved and cursed and threatened as he followed them southwark striving vainly to rally them for another attack
 As they retreated southward the Mex leans stopped at the ranch of J. J. Moore long enough to kill Moore, wound his wife and loot the place. Moore was taken out or his house and murdered on the doorstep. His wife was found out in a field. American soldiers passing saw her wave handkerchief, and with Mrs Wright, who had been liberated by Villa. nearby, assisted her to an army ambu- lance. Sho was wounded in the thigh.
 Mrs. Maude Hauke Wright, an Amerl- can woman who said she was held cap- tive by Villa for nine days and was liberated in the midst of today's fight ing, declared that Villa announced on March 1 his intention to attack CoIum- bus and proceeded north under forced marching
 His men, with scAnt supplies, suf- fered severely, she said, and many dropped from their horses on the march to Boca Grande Villa, she declared ruled them by fear. and his officers with the flats of their swords beat the soldiers into animation sufficient to reach that point where they rested and prepared for the raid.
 Tuesday, Mrs. Wright related. Villa. bandits attacked employees of the Palo- mas Cattle company engaged in round- ing up cattle and killed four Ameri- cans.
 AMERICANS ARE KILLED
 Mrs. Wright said her husband Ed ward John Wright, formerly of Hous- ton, Tex, and Frank Hayden, a youth employed at the La Brooker sawnill. were taken from the Wright ranch March l and presumably killed. When she was taken prisoner and forced to ride away with detachment of Villa men under Col Nicholas Servantes. she said bandit ordered her to give her baby to Mexican family
 Mrs. Wright was cared for today at the home of Mrs. Slocum, wife of Colonel Slocum There she told the story of her capture and experiences from the time she was taken from the ranch at Colonia Hernandez, west of Pearson, where the de facto Mexican govern ment was reported to have maintained heavy garrison for the protection of Americans.
 Up to yesterday she said, Villa wore civilians clothing, a queer little round straw hat and rode a small mule but just before the fight this morning he appeared clad in trim military uni form and rode one of three handsome sorrel chargers which had not been used during the long march Mrs. Wright said Villa led nearly 1900 men upon the sleeping American town, at which were quartered less than 300 American troopers.
 She said that some of the men retained to guard her during the march north told ner that Villa had 5000 men and 6OO0 horses.
 Tt appeared to me as if he had twice that many men and horses" she added. RAIDED MORMON SETTLEMENT
 Just before she and her husband were taken prisoners with the Hayden boy, Mrs. Wright said, the Villa men told her they had raided Colonia Juarez, an American Mormon settlement west of Pearson. footed all the stores and had Killed some of the foreigners
 "Servantes, with 12 men, came to the ranch the night of March l." Mrs Wright said. They pretended to be Carranza soldiers and asked me if I had any food to sell My husband and Frank Heyden were at Pearson buying supplies I told them we had only little flour and meal Just enough for our family and the fam fly or a Mexican employe I was cook Ing, in expectation of my husbands ar- rival home, and Servantes asked if he might buy food for some of his men. told him I would give him and his men something to eat
 It was just about dark then, and my husband came into the yard with two pack mules which he unloaded As soon, as that was done some of the Mexicans caught and saddled the animals My hus- pand came into the house and said, That LOOKS bad l said we would have to put up with 1t and do the best we could. oervantes became impatient and de- manoed to see our stores of flour and meal AS soon as I opened the storeroom ne ordered some of his men to take all our supplies. Then they called my hus- band outside. The next I saw of him his hands had been tied behind his back. My husband called to Hayden and he also was tied Then I went with my baby in my arms to Servantes and told him that he had eaten our food and taken all of our Hour and meal, leaving us nothing, ana that l did not think it was just to make prisoner of my husband Mean Wnle the soldiers, evidently at Ser Vantes order, began stripping the house or everything. They took IS horses and every other animal on the ranch. I pro- tested again and Servantes said he would order the flour returned, but the men to whom ne gave the order never moved
 My husband was taken out to the gate of the ranch yard and tied there with Hayden. I went out with the paby to see him and saw that they nad also made prisoner of the Mex lcan who had been working about the place. A Mexican soldier ordered my nuspand not to talk. I said to my hus- pand: am sure they intend to kill you. The soldier told me to shut up and my husband said he thought ey- erything would be all right if I went Into the house. He said it was too cold Tor the baby outside.