The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-13

near Cnlnudnud Dy MeAlCdH DdnulLS | and calling upon the head of the de facto government for the immediate pursuit, capture and punishment of the perpetrators of the deed.
 The note urged the sending of troops to other districts where Americans are in danger of losing their lives or prop erty.
 At the same time the state depart ment ordered an investigation of the murders with a view of determining whether they resulted from the fail ure of the de facto government to give proper protection in a zone known by Lit to be dangerous or whether the men lost their lives as the result of bandit outbreak which could not have been foreseen.
 Instructions to seek information on this point were telegraphed to con sular representatives in Mexico and along the border.
 WAS DASTARDLY CRIME
 In the note to General Carranza the killing of the Americans was de- scribed as a dastardly crime, commit ted in territory announced to be in the control of the Carranza forces. The men were killsd, General Carranza was informed, because they were Ameri- cans, after they had gone into the country with the consent of the Car ranZa military dulHOTllleS.
 Following is the text of Secretary Lansing's communication to Consul Siliiman at Queretaro for presentation to General Carranza:
 "On January 10, c. R. Watson chair man of the Mine and Shelter Oper- ators' association of Chihuahua, and the general manager of Cosihuirachic Mining company, with 15 of his asso- ciates, all representative Americans, while en route from Chihuahua to their mine at Cosihurachic, were taken off the train 40 miles west of Chihuahua City by bands operating un- der the direction of General Villa, stripped naked and deliberately shot and killed. Their bodies are being brought to Fl Paso.
 'It is stated these men were mur- dered because they were Americans and were killed in accordance with the general policy publicly announced recently by Villa. This atrocious act occurred within a few miles of Chi huahua City, in territory announced to be in control of the Carranza forces. The Villa bands roaming about in western Chihuahua publicly threaten all Americans with death and destruc- ton of their property. Following the occupation of Chihuahua by Obregon's S forces many Americans returned to Chihuahua to resume operations with the consent of the military authorities of the de facto government.
 PUNISHMENT DEMANDED
 Urgently bring the foregoing to the attention of General CarranSa and re- quest that he order immediate and ef- ficient pursuit, capture and punish ment of the perpetrators of the das- tardly crime above mentioned. Also strongly urge immediate dispatch of adequate forces to the various mining camps in the state of Chihuahua.
 Request to be informed of action taken"
 Arrangements for bringing the bodies of the slain men to the United States were made early in the day. Aft CT several messages had been ex- changed Secretary Lansing was advised from El Paso that General Gavira and Consul Garcia of the de facto govern ment had arranged for a special fu- neral train
 Dispatches from Fl Paso also said that Carranza troops already were in pursuit of the bandits. General Ga- vira it was stated, had sent soldiers to the south from JuareZ, while Gen. eral Trevino was said to have sent another force west from Chihuahua.