Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1916-03-22
RESIDENTS OF COLUMBUS, N. M,
MURDERED IN ATTACK by
MEXICAN OUTLAWS.
VILLA AT HEAD OF RAIDERS
Torch AnpIied to Buildings and Citi-
zens Shot Down as They Attempt
to Escape-U. S. Cavalry Drives
Off and Pursues Raiders.

-
tean Americans are dead as result OF
an attempted wholesale massacre Dy
Francisco Villa, the Mexican Danull'
Thursday morning General Funston
notified Washington that 46 Mexlcans
were killed in the fighting here.
Nine of the dead were civilians,
eight were soldiers. One was wom-
an.
Villa was driven off by troopers OF
the Thirteenth United States cavalry
on border guard, after part OF Co
lumbus had been burned
List of Americans Killed.
The complete list of dead in the Co
lumbus massacre follows:
A. L. Ritchie, proprietor Central no
tel; w. R. Walker, United States Gus
toms rider; C. C. Miller, owner OF
drug store; Mrs. Milton James, J. ;.
Dean. Frank Kendall, horseshoer,
Troop K; Sergt M. A. Hobbs, machine
gun troop; Corp. Paul Simon, Sergt.
John Nievergalt, troop hand; corp
Henry Wiswan, Troop G; Thomas
Butler, private Troop G; FREQ a.
Griffin, private, Troop K; Michael
Barmazl, machine gun troop; Jesse
f. Taylor, Troop F; j. j. Moore, mef-
chant.
Americans burned to death in Cen
trail hotel Charles Dewitt Miller, Al
buquerque, N M; M. M. Hart, cattle
inspector, Ell Paso, Tex; Harry Dav-
is. private. Troop K.
Wounded: Lieut.. G. c. Benson,
Troop G.; Theodore Katzorke, Troop
L; John Yarbough, Troop K; James
Venner, Troop M; John Keough,
Troop G.; James veeder. Troop K;
Milton James, railroad employee.
Sleeping Town Attacked.
Led to the attack under the slogan,
death to the Americans" Villas fol
lowers fought with desperation. Just
before dawn they crept along bitches
skirting the United States cavalry
camp and rushed the sleeping town,
firing heavily.
Fleeing Citizens Shot.
The first volley brought American
troopers into almost instant action.
While a portion of the raiders en-
gagged the cavalrymen others detailed
by the bandit chieftain began applying
the torch and shooting American civil
ians who ventured from the buildings.
Lights in homes and public build
ings Immediately became targets for
snipers posted at Villas direction.
Other bandits creeping close to Ameri-
can homes enticed number of civil
ians into the open with English
spoken invitations. A number of ia
talities are attributed to this ruse.
Buildings Are Fired.
Stores were looted, oil was poured
upon frame structures and the match
applied by still other bandits. The
post Office was raided, furniture
smashed, but the looters obtained only
one small registered package.
Civilians armed themselves and to-
gether with United States soldiers
fought a battle of several hours with
the bandits. Colonel Slocum's revol-
yer was shot from his hand as he left
his quarters. Some of the bandits, by
speaking English, lured household to
the streets and shot them. From
burning hotels and other structures
persons who sought to escape were
killed or wounded.
The fighting in the town ended al
most as suddenly as it began. Less
than two hourse after the first shot
was heard Villas buglers sounded the
retreat and the raiders began disor
dered flight, closely followed by
American troopers.
Villa at Head or Raiders.
Information that Francisco Villa and
his chief lieutenant, Pablo Lopez, were
in personal command of the raid was
given Colonel Slocum by Mexican
rancher captured by the bandits last
Sunday and who escaped during the
fighting. This Mexican told of the
hanging of the American ranchers Nc
Kinney, Corbett and O'Neil. He added
that a fourth American, whose name
the same time. The Mexican said
Villa attacked with from 500 to 1000
men and a machine gun platoon.
IS Bodies of Mexicans Burned.
Soldiers and citizens divided atten-
ton to the vigil along the interna-
tional boundary with the work of
clearing the battlefield of Mexican
dead. Approximately Is Mexican dead
have been found on the American side
and either burned or buried. This was
pointed to by American officials as an
evidence of the effectiveness of the
fire of American troopers.
Mans Popularity.
Man, as has been remarked several
times before, is Peculiar Cuss. Jude