The Colorado statesman., 1916-03-25
ALMOST ESCAPES
ON VILLAS HORSE
Woman Ready to Mount When
She Is Caught.
HEARS HUSBAND IS SLAIN
Mrs. Wright Says Mexican Rebel Chief
Expected Help Of Germany and
Japan In Trouble With the
United States.

Ei Paso. Tex.AMrs. Maud Hawk
Wright. the American woman who
rode nine days with the villa troops
preceding the raid on Columbus. N.
M. learned that her baby. which had
been taken from her and given to
Mexican family. was safe at Pearson.
Mex. and that her husband had been
murdered by the soldiers short dis
tance from their home. Mrs. Wright
arrived In FL Paso with Mrs. Fl. ].
Slocum. wife of the 18th cavalry COM
mander.
81 want to go TO my baby" Mrs.
Wright said. 1T would only take me
three days to walk to Pearson
She was informed that the child
probably would be brought to Juarez
on the train which is to bring the
Mormon colonists.
Stoicai, She Tells Story.
Dry-eyed and stoicai after the terri.
Bile experience In which she had suf.
fered hunger. thirst. exposure. facing
almost Inevitable death. In addition to
the sorrow and worry over the loss
of her husband and child. Mrs. Wright
told her story to a representative OF
the Associated Press as though 1t
were commonplace. She had suffered
so much she apparently had lost all
sense OF fear. Because she suffered
in silence. never complaining, and
holding herself aloof from the horde
of soldiers. fugitives. derelcts and
vagabonds on the border. she was
called La Reyna." queen OF the vii
listas. by the troops. Villa had told
one OF the officers that he preferred to
have her die OF exhaustion rather than
to kill her outright-and because she
proved to be able to withstand hard
ships better than his own men he
promised he would release her after
he had sacked Columbus He also
agreed to give her 500 gold and per.
NIT to travel unmolested through any
part OF villa territory.
Villa Expected German Aid.
villa only talked to me twice." Mrs
Wright said. II avoided talking with
him because he would have thought
admired him and would have forced
me to accompany him. He told his
officers how he would wipe out the
town OF Columbus and when the Unit.
ed States tried to invade the Mexican
territory Germany and Japan would
step in to intervene Villa believed
this firmly. have overheard him
make such remarks from time to time
Whether agents OF these two coun
tries are making him believe this or
whether It Is an idea which came to
him | do not know. But he is con
yinced that he will be assisted In the
fight he has started
How I wanted to escape to tell the
people of Columbus about the attack
But was watched all the time. The
first night ! was allowed to sleep In an
abandoned cdobe hut which was pre-
pared-for me About thirty saddles
were piled In front OF the door The
guards slept with their heads to the
door and their feet to fire Just be
yond
Tries to Flee on Villas Horse.
''I lay down. but not to sleep. About
midnight. I heard the snoring of the
Mexican guards. | peered through the
opening OF the saddles and spied Vii
las charger. a splendid steed. about
fifty feet from the hut One by one !
removed the saddles and stepped over
the sleeping forms until | reached the
horse.
THE horse was tangled In his rope
began to untangle the horse and
then one OF the Mexicans turned over
He saw something was wrong | stood
behind the horse. But the horse re
fused to stand still and II kept me
busy keeping behind the animal. Final
Iy the guard came out to where tn,
horse was.
what are you doing here? I asked
What are you doing here?' he asked.
"'Untangling this horse. | replied
Then he finished the task started. !
longed for a hatpin. a dagger. a pen
knife. anything to kill the man. |
could have shot him had | had gun
But II could have killed him could
have escaped. since none of the other
horses could have overtaken me.
IL returned to the hut. From then
on was watched constantly. For
three days and nights we were without
fire In the frost-covered mountain
country OF northern Chihuahua. Fo'
thirty hours we we're without water
But the soldiers often did without
rather than see my canteen empty
when we neared Columbus Major
Nicholas Hernandez one of the mean
est men have ever known, said
Averaoa Aoe Iprreaejon