Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1916-01-13
Seventeen Americans Taken
From Train and Lined Up
to Be Executed.
ONE MAKES HIS GETAWAY
Breaks From in Front of Firing
Squad and Escapes Naked
Into The Desert.

III IdSO, texas, Jan. lI.-OeNel-
teen persons, all believed to have been
Americans, were killed by Mexican
bandits Monday after being taken from
Mexican Northwestern train, sol
miles west of Chihuahua City, robbed
and stripped of their clothing, accord
ing to a message received here by H.
| c. Myles, British vice-consul here,
from British Consul Scovell at Chi
huahua.
The train on which the Americans
were travelling carried thousands Of
dollars in currency and a large guam
tity of supplies sent by the American
Smelting and Refining company to its
mines in Cusihuiriachic.
1t is believed here that all Of the
eighteen American mining menknown
to have been in Chihuahua City were
on board the looted train.
Thomas NJ. Holmes, the only known
survivor, stated, however, in brief
telegram giving the first news Of the
raid that he counted but sixteen Amer
leans beside himself taken from the
train.
| OFFICIALS CONFIRM TRAGEDY.
Confirmation of news of the TRACE
dy was made by officials here of the
Carranza government,
According TO the de facto govern
ment's announcement, given to rep
resentativeS here of several mining
companies, the following sixteen were
reported killed:
C. r. Watson, William j. Wallace,
, E. L. Robinson, George w. Newman,
NJ. B. Rombo, T. NJ. Evans, r. T..
Mediation, Jack Hase, Charles Wad-
leigh, j. P. Coy, Alexander Hall, j.
w. Blomb, Charles A. Pringle, w. D.
Pierce, r. H. Simmons, Maurice An
derson.
Pringle lived in San Francisco and
Pierce in Los Angeles. The others
are believed to be residents of Ell
Paso.
GUARD OF SOLDIERS DENIED.
I A protest addressed to President
Wilson was signed by mining men,
; who are here in hundreds prepared
to enter Chihuahua state and open
, properties under the protection Of the
/ de facto government.
: 1t was learned that before the train
filed with employees left Chihuahua
t City for the mining camps a guard OF
- Carranza soldiers for the train had
A been refused
= Confirmation Of the shooting OF
/ Maurice Anderson, a clerk, was re,
= ceived 1t was a brief message from
!, his father, Rowland Anderson, at
p Chihuahua, to his mother, reading
: Maurice is no more. Hope to secure
e his body"
% According to the brief messages re-
, ceived here, the train bearing the
: Americans was stopped by the ban
p dts at kiloneter 90, about so miles
west of Chihuahua. The mining mer
q were taken from the train, robbed,
o stripped naked and lined up along the
!, cars for execution. Holmes, il is
1 said, was on the extreme end of the
line. AS the firing squad detailed by
= the bandit leaders took position, it is
n reported, Holmes broke away and
o fled into the desert for his life. Hi:
feet and body, cut and bleeding from
4 stones and sharp cactus, he ran with
f out looking back until he no Longer
g heard the whistle of bullets pass hin
! or the sound of firing. He succeeded
r in reaching friendly Indians, it is re
4 ported, and was aided back to Chi
v huahua.
The Americans, il was said, wer,
: sent to reopen the mines on assur
e ances Of protection to the smelling
company, given by the Carranza gov
eminent through the United State
) state department.
News of the raid caused consterna
ton here, as many of the families o
: the men supposed 10 have been OF
hoard the raided train reside here.