The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-07-23
mexican BANDIT
WON'T BETRAY
THE GANG"
Captured by "GringOeS," He
MaryeIS That He is Not
Shot or Tortured.

SAN BENlTO, Tex, July 22.-Ho
thought that death was going to reach
out its hand and grab him. Then they
brought him a cup Of coffee, He, the
man, had been bandit until now.
About four feet and half tall, cmR-
Ciated STOPPING like a monkey us he
ran with belts OF cartridges weighing
him down, he had been captured.
The rancher who took him prisoner
had tied him up to a tree, like a dog
Then he had teephoned TO the sol
diors that he had captured bandit
The soldiers got there at daybreak
The soldiers gathered around in cir.
Gle and gazed at him curiously
Trcmbingly the little old man for
his monkey face was wrinklcd and his
monkey hair was gray gazed back at
them. He seemed dumb. lie shook
his head when they asked him ques-
tons. He was a peon and bandit
and he had been told that if gringocs
took him he would surely die,
Huu oluTNGu ON DulNs
Then they had brought him a cup
of coffee, stcaming hot and black. The
old man drank it eagerly and spoke
for the first time.
"Mucha gracious, senior" was what
he said.
How long since you haze caten?"
a soldier asked him in Spanish.
six days" came the reply Then
in childlikc sentences. his story was
tol. The band of border raiders to
which he belonged had been lodging
hithcr and thther in the brush for
six days and nights, and in all this
time the only thing that passed his
lips was mesquite beans-and the wa
ter he found.
Mesquite bcansl The mesquite Is
a distant cousin of the locust tree.
II bears pods with seeds in them. The
seeds are as inviting as dry sawdust
and about as soft rs bean shaped mar
blos. The greatest virtue they have
is puckcr. They taste bitter, like
wild crabapple. Maybe they make the
stomach smaller and thus decrease
he pain.
In Torn Carranza Uniform.
In the early morning light his eyes
looked large and luminous. Men IN
Khaki uniforms stood erect in line.
There was no chance for fight. Was
this some trial he was about to face
In Mexico they often shoot their pls
oners just after the sun is up. It
starts the day with a savage cheer He
to9cred and crippled his table
Then we saw that he wore a Car
rama uniform. 1t was torn and al
most unacceptable. The back of
the coat was cut away. Only a col,
lar connected the arms. His shirt was
filthy. His trouser legs were slit up
and down. Strings tied arounl Them
Eelt them from tapping loose. Tees
Stuck out through his shoes, and one
foot walked, sole gone, upon the bare
ground His hair was matted with
dirt and dust.
They gave him another cu0 Of cof-
foe and the official interpreter came
to him.
Asked to Betray Pals.
The little old monkey man began
to answer questions. His voice was
soft and low. They wanted him to
tell on his pals" the men who had
been on the raid with him Who were
they? What were their names? Where
could they be found?
In Mexico they put hot irons to the
flesh Of the man who will not talk.
They MAJ prod out their eyes or beat
them or tie them on ant heaps. lie
understands that Americans did the
same thing. He did not beg for mer-
Cy Probably he had tortured others
1t was the game fate played that tbs
should lie his time.
Thar lie had not eaten in six DAYS
was nothing strange. His pitiful lii
lie body was the climax of a life OF
starvation. Peon, he had always heen
kicked and beaten about and starved.
This might be the end, but otherwise
y was but repetition Yet he would
not tell on his gang"
Prefers Going TO Jail.
Ec shook his head at every ques-
ton that might lead to their capture.
So the soldiers put the little man in
Jail. Behind the bars he looked more
like a monkey. They showed food,
steaming hot between the irons Of his
cage. The little ape accepted the food
and with soft voice, like that Of a child
said
"Mucha gracios, senior"
He thinks they are going to lead
him out very soon TO shoot him. That
is the usual way, he knows, south Of
the border. He has heard that the
gringGts are savage.
llIHITc TEU VrADe