The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-05-10
we're preparing to make their de-

1
Tense.
The door of the house, which hat
only one window, was barred, ant
Sergt. Smyth, seeing that his mel
were outnumbered by ten to one
gave orders to shoot carefully ant
not waste the ammunition.
The bandits poured a constant flu
sillade of shots at the window and
door of the adobe house. Not an
American cavalryman fell in the ex.
change.
The little band took turns shoot
ing from the window. Blood stains
in the dry ground around the house
was the only evidence that the ban
dts suffered in the attack, but
Sergt. Smyth believes that seven or
eight bandits were killed and some
We're wounded.
For three long hours the fight
went on.
Just a little while more, boys.
and daylight will be with us" urged
Smyth, who knew the bandits would
retreat once they became good tar
gets in the light of dawn.
The Mexicans fought in skirmish
formation. That was proof to
Smyth's eyes that he was dealing
with military body. The attack
ers' horses were tethered some dis
lance to the rear and the brigands
maintained their attack on three
sides of the house from which there
was no escape except the door and
the single window.
Unable to route the Americans
from their mudwalled fort, the
leader of the Mexican band gave or
ders to throw fire balls on the roof
which was matched partly with tin
and partly with candalaria weed.
Flaring torches made of torn cloth
and weeds were dropped upon the
roof, which started to burn. There
was no water in the house to check
the flames. The heat in the house
became intense and the faces and
backs of the soldiers still firing spir-
itedly through the window, became
blistered and burnt.
81 can't stand it any longer"
cried Private William Cohen. 'I'l
take another shot and then try and
make it through the window" CO.
hen leaped into the window frame to
make his dash for the open. A bull
let split his skull and he fell back
dead into the house. Outside the
voice of a Mexican was heard to
say: Lime up on each side of the
door. They must come out"
Smyth told his men that the time
had come to make a dash.
The heat had burned the tops of
their heads. Private Stephen ]. CO.
lock stepped forward to the door
and smashed the boards with his
gunstock. The gun broke, but the /
door gave way and O'clock dashed
out. His body was found next
not far away, riddled with
many bullets. He probably ran into
the main band of Mexicans.
Smyth, leading the other cavalry
men, turned to the left and made
for the corral, the Mexicans firing at |
them as they fed. The body of Pri-
vate Hudson Rogers was found not
far from the burned house, but Ty-
rec could not be accounted for when
Smyth and his men, who reached the
hills in safety, Investigated next
Tyree may have been
made prisoner. but if so the soldiers
here think he has probably been
killed by now.
After the attack on the American
troops the bandits rushed to the wax
factory of w. X. Ellis and destroyed
I, besides setting fire to the factory
store. Ellis home was ransacked.
A cross that hung in one room is
believed to have saved the house
rom being burned.
When morning came the Amerl-
IAN troopers crept back to the set
lement and saw the main body of
some fifty Mexicans packing their
DOT upon their horses and on the
line American mounts which they
lad captured. Then the bandits
urned towards the Rio Grande and
tarted for Boquillas. Here, the
'rikands carried Deemer and Comp
on across the river and II is report
ID here tonight that their throats
lad been cut. The Mexicans carried
heir dead and wounded away.