New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15
EX-State Senator Says Slo-
cum Told Him Rapid
FirerS damned.
FLEEING MEXICANS
SEEN FROM TRAIN
Raiders Poor Shooting Prevent
ed More Fatalities. Army Men
Informed j. 5. Childs.

John Lewis Chiids, ex-State Senator
from Hampstead. Long Island. was O
passenger on the train stopped BY a
trooper outside Columbus, y. ", last
Thursday morning villa and his band
had Just attacked the little town. Mr.
Chiids later introduced himself TO Col
onel Slocum. who pointed out that
many more Mexicaus would have been
killed had j.; not been for the obsolete
type OF machine guns in use. He
reached home yesterday from a trip 20
California. This is Mr. Child's story
Of the attack
We had travelled mile after nile
across the monotonous desert, when IN
expected'y the train began 20 slow
down A watering station, some one
suggested. But a khaki-clad horsemln
dashed by. turned his horse about and
brought i TO a halt. The faces Of the
passengers became tense and white. We
all knew the khaki-clad horseman haa
q "A Q Of I'D omen.
They're fring' screamed a woman.
ON The quiet air foated the repeated
crash Of guns. ( sound like the roll
in., % drum. Indicated that perhaps
mile or machine gun was IN use.
saw Fleeing Me1lcans.
"'Vulae one 81 tnr passengers asked
the engineer. With thr rest OF the train
crew be- was standing az me SIDE Of me
CHOOSE. corve~7irg ,u low tones. dis
a7rearirg speck m the disianc" told US
what had become % the khaN-clad
horseman.
That's what g, looks like replied
The engineer. Wei beat 'em. though
Then, n mad. full fight, We saw
rerhaps a dozen hrown-skinned men.
They were leaning over The necks ~
their chargers and urging them on, on.
4 thin sne % these fleeing horsemen.
most Of them hatless and ragged
poured out - the little town.
a score % troopers were charging
after The Mexicans Our men did not
fire. They simply rode. The bandits
constantly turned. aimed haphazardly
and fired. II villas men had only
turned and given our men tight, u
occurred 20 ne, our boys wouldn't have
had a chance, for they were a mere
handful.
Three cheers for the Stars and
StrInes' some one shouted. We gave
=. men. women and children. The
rolling OF the machine gun had stopped
and later we learned II was Of Al obso-
lete make and had TANNED just when
t was doing its most effective work.
But still from the little town came the
sound Of an occasional shot.
Mexicans Were Poor Shots.
81 found Colonel Slocum near the
brown tents on the outskirts Of the
town. In his hand wss a smoking re
volver and a slow. Gulzzical smile on
his lean face. In the air was the smell
e burning rubber and about U the
chsrred remains OF cottages collapsed
with a hiss.
Colonel said, 7 wish to offer my
services
Thank you. sir he replied. but
7 think i won't be necessary
He pointed 70 fan-like formation
Of our troops They seemed 10 be fold
ing inward as they rode further away
from Columbus. They intended 70 en-
circle the retresting bandits, Colone.
Slocum explained.
The streets were strevn with
uonlto. wen Win HHit' De''"s "DD~-
their arms were placing bodies oil
stretchers. Through streets that had
been practically deserted now poured
men and boys. guns and knives in the
hands. s woman with a suspiciously
quiet little body in her arms stumbled
toward us.
where are the women" Colonel
Slocum asked.
"'Coraued in the schoolhouse.' a
trooper answered.
A Lieutenant approached. Seven
dead o. our folks. About fifty Mex
cans. I guess
How many MeXicars DO YOU think
Villa had?' asked Colonel Slocum.
"'Anywhere between a thousand and