Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-29
CARRIZAL BATTLE
BLAME PUT ON U. S.
TROOPS BY GUIDE
Trevino Sends Spilsbury's
Report of Carrizal Fight
to Carranza
CAPTAIN BOYD WAS WARY
"Gave the Order to Advance and
Shooting Began Shortly
Afterward"

MEXICO CITY, June 2s.--In reply 70
Chief Executive Carranza's request for a
full report on the Carrizal battles, General
| JacInto 3. Trevino has transmitted from
Chihuahua City statement which he says
was sworn to by Lemuel H. Spilsbury,
the civilian interpreter who accompanied
the American forces to Carrizal In this
statement spisbury holds the American
soldiers are responsible for the conflict;
that General Gomez, the Mexican com
mander, was courteous in his warnings
| to the 10th Cavalry, and that Captain
Charles T. Boyd thought the Mexlcans were
''blufhng."
TEXT OF STATEMENT.
Following is the full text of Spilsbury's
statement as sent by General Trevino:
"My name is Lemuel II. Spilsbury and
I have been interpreter for General Per-
shing since the troops entered Mexico I
was without employment and stone broke
through no work going on around Pearson,
near which place live
II speak good Spanish, having been
raised here. left Casas Grandes Sunday
morning as Interpreter for Captain Boyd.
There were 81 all told, being II OF c Troop
and As Of X Troop. Captain Morey and
Lieutenant Adair were with the men, all
OF the 10th Cavalry.
Captain Boyd sent into Carrizal a mes
senger yesterday morning to the jefe politco
saying he was on peaceful mission and
asking permission to pass through Villa
Ahumada and for him, to advise the mill
tary authorities.
General Gomez sent out Lieutenant Col
onel Rivas with an escort of 80 men to tell
us that he had orders to stop us there
until he heard further.
WERE SEEKING BANDITS.
Captain Boyd said he had heard of a
robbery in Santo Domingo and the pres
ence OF bandits there, and he wanted to
run them down. He wanted also to re-
capture deserter who had got away.
Lieutenant Colonel Rivas replied that
there were no bandits in that place and
that they would have to pass over their
dead bodies.
After further talk he retired to the town
and General Gomez sent a note asking the
Americans to come in the town for a con-
ference.
Captain Boyd did not like the idea and
said so whereupon General Gomez called
personally and repeated his orders that they
could not pass there. He said that his
instructions from General Trevino were that
II Americans moved to the east, west or
south Of their old positions, they were to
be attacked; General PershIng must know
this, and that he ought also to know it.
BOYD OBEYED ORDERS
Captain Boyd admitted that he was
aware of the orders. but his own orders
were to get through Villa Ahumada and
he had to obey. f w
General Gomez repeated his refusal, and
said that II the Americans advanced he
would az once fire on them Captain Boyd
then said all right, but I think he thought
that General Gomez was only trying to
comply with his orders from his superior |
and would not really attack. .,
General Gomez had retired to his men,
who had lined up on the outside Of the |
-own, when Captain Boyd gave the order
10 advance. Shortly after the firing com
and our men started to drop, Cap |
-ain Boyd and Lieutenant Adair were killed |
and Captain Morey was wounded in the
shoulder, but / think he got away
THE 10 men who were holding our |
lorses fed with the lot and we were sur
and had to surrender. I saw the |
lead bodies of Boyd and Adair. also the |
bodies of IL negroes, although there might
Nexicans were killed besides General
iomez.
GOMEZ WAS COURTEOUS
"I consider that the entire fault of the
light belongs to the Americans as General
iomez was very courteous In his insist
nee that they retire and frequently pointed
'ut that he must be loyal to his supe-
lor's orders and fire on them II they per-
listed to advance. But, as I said before
,aptain Boyd seemed to think they were
My bluffing and seemed to think he could
orce passage In any case.
'T have been trying to get away from
~ employment for some time. because I
My accepted work from General Pershing
, help catch villa, II possible, and as soon
8 I saw that the Americans were likely
, cause war with Mexico tried repeatedly
get away. because I have many more
Iexican friends than American ones But
eneral Pershing would not let me go and
was afraid TO try to escape and return
my peoples ranch near Casas Grandes
trough fear that they might punish me.
"LEMUEL SPILSBURY.
witnesses:
Felix Pageira,
al. Floys"