New Britain herald., 1916-03-20
MINE THEIR REFUGE
 IN FEAR OF BANDITS
Americans Gr0Vel in Darkness to
 Escape Villas PillaSers

IIl Paso, Tex. March 2O-Mrs. Wal lace Rogers, of Detroit, arrived here yesterday, with her fifteen months old infant, and told how she had hidden, with her baby, for two days in the shaft of an abandoned mine near Cananea, from Mexican bandits, Mrs. Rogers husband is interested in mining property near Cananea, but was away from home when the little colony fled.
 ''The whole country around where l was living" said Mrs. Rogers, was filled with abandoned mines, the shafts of some of which had been sunk 2,0OO feet or more. Most of the American men were away when we heard of the approach of tle bandits. We fled to one of the abar- doned mines, carrying whatever food we could snatch up. One of the men took my baby and we crawled down shaft ladders until we reached the 1.OOO-foot level. Here we remained for twenty-four hours.
 Finally, as we heard no shooting, one of the men ventured to the sur face. He reported everything quiet and we returned to our homes. We had hardly reached there, when we again heard the bandits were com ing. This time we went down to the 1,500-foot level, where we remained another day We were in a little slope about ten feet square. We had no lights of any kind, and l had only a couple of cans of condensed milk to feed my baby. We just sat there on the floor in the blackness and prayed. At last we could stand it no longer. I think we would have all gone mad if we had stayed there. We craWled up into the sunshine. There was no sign of the bandits, and VIC made our way. safely to Cananea. where we got train.''
 Flag Incitcs Outrages.
 Mrs Rogers declared that the Mex ican bandits not only had no respect | for the American flag, but that it actually incitCd them to outragcG. | The only flag that offered any pro- lection at all, she said, was the Brit 1 sh flag.
 ''I am bitterly ashamed to admit it. she said but whenever trouble l started we began to hunt for a Union Jack It was by no means a 1 oullet-proOf shield but it was the l
 
 MeXicans had any difference.
 'There was a young Englishman | who committed suicide where was The MeXicans thought he was m American, and they hurriedIy dug Il hallow hole and were going to put 1 i'm away without ceremony, when he officer in command overheard ome one say: wish we knew where is mother is, so we could notify her. he is somewhere in England, but I o not know Wherc.' Tho officer topped the burial and asked if the uicide was an Englishmnn. When e learned that he was he ordered he body preserved. and tried for our days to get in touch with an English consul"
 Another refugee who reached hero lad travelled 200 miles through Mex co on a motorcycle in search of safe y. He was employed on the o. r. 'anch, in Eastern Chihuahua.
 "There were three of us on the 'anch,'' he said, "When we heard that 1 l band of Mexican soldiers were go- ng to pay us a visit. We were told l hey were Carranza followers. but we 1 lid not stop to inquire politics or | anything else about them. I jumped l 0n my motorcycle and travelled about l ten miles in as many minutes. Then l got lost and wandered over the l for hours trying to find the | border. Twice I was pursued by l mounted Mexicans but my cycle Was 1 too fast for them. I was fired at a couple of times, but the bullets l went wild. My gasolene was al l most exhausted when l saw at last | Tho Rio Grande'