Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-06-18
FUNST0N'S men
FIGHT MEx|CANS
ACROSS BORDER
American Troops Pass Line on
"Hot Trail' and Engage Band
of Carranza Soldiers or
Villa Bandits. ~
1T ISN'T KNOWN
De Facto Force Rumored Sef FROM
Matamoras to Head Off
Invading Troops.
THIS HASN'T BEEN CONFIRMED

Mercedes, Tex, June IA report
reached here this afternoon that Car
rama soldiers have been sent from
Matamoros to intercept American
troops reported to have crossed the
border following "hot trail" This
report, however, has not been con-
firmed,
Brownsville, Tex, June l7-Tele-
phone reports received here at 3
o'clock this afternoon from Villa
Nueva said that firing had been heard
in the direction of the Naranjos
ranch, about four miles up the river
from Villa Nueva. ~
Lieutenant A. D. Newman of Troop
H of the Thirteenth cavalry crossed
into Mexico, opposite Villa Neuva, at
9 o'clock this morning on hot trail"
San Antonio, Tex, June l7.-Amer-
ican troops crossed the border below
Brownsville this afternoon and mime
diately were engaged in fighting, ac-
cording to report from General
Parker to General Funston.
The brief report did not state
whethther the force opposed to the
a lericans were bandits or Mexican
troops. 1at
The American troops engaged are
those of the Second squadron of the
Third cavalry under Major Anderson.
The troop under Captain Newman,
who was the first dispatched towards
San Benito in pursuit of the bandits
that attacked there last night, de-
tachment of the! !Twenty-sixth infan-
try, was first to'cross, that troop be-
ing followed within short time by
Major Anderson with the remainder
of the squadron. ......E
Troops Take the Trail.
Brownsville, Tex, June ia Sec
ond squadron of the Third cavalry.
commanded by Major Edward Ander-
sen, left Fort Brown at l:30 o'clock
today for point ten miles up the
Rio Grande river to reinforce Lieu
tenant A. D. Newman, pursuing a
"hot trail" of the Mexican bandits
who attacked near San Benito last
night. The command includes 9290
men, every available mount being
used. The machine gun troop of the
Third cavalry also was ordered out
Reports that three bandits were
killed in fight with American troops
ten miles east of San Benito last
night were untrue, according to re-
ports received here today. The Amer
! ms believe they wounded several of
the band.
Details of the fight say that a de-
tachment of the Twenty-sixth United
: ltes infantry were fired on from the
brush IL twenty-five or, thirty ban
dts. The soldiers dropped to the
ground and returned the fire. After
the first few volleys the Americans
rushed the bandits, who scattered in
the brush and escaped.
The fight followed the kidnapping
by bandits during the afternoon of
Mexican farmer named Lugar. Lu-
gar's nephew, who was with him at
the time, escaped and gave the alarm.
Word from the vicinity in which
the bandits were said to have been
located positively stated that the trail
was hot" and that the swift expedi-
ton Of cavalry would probably result
in the Mexicans being apprehended
before or shortly after they crossed
the Rio Grande river.
Assertions were made by Sam Rob-
ertson, president of the San Benito &
Rio Grande railroad and resident
of San Benito, that three Mexicans
in the attacking patty were partici-
pants in last summers raids, which
were believed to have been led by
Aniceto Piano and Luis de La Rose.