American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-05-11

s'ohA man itAi III tut tAIuahkr.
.''Pick out any moving figure"
shouted Smyth, "and let 60"
The little band of nine men took
turn shooting from the window
Blood stains in the dry ground around
The house were the only evidence that
the bandits suffered in the attack, but
Sergeant Smyth believes that seven
or eight bandits were killed and some
wounded.
For three long hours the fight went
on. Just a little while more, boys,
and daylight will be with u.s." urged
Smyth, who knew the bandits would
retreat one they became good targets
in the light of dawn.
The Mexicans fought in skirmish
formation. That was proof to Smyth's
eyes that he was dealing with mill
tary body. The attackers horses were
tethered some distance to the rear
and the brigands maintained their at
tack on three sides of the house. from
which there was no escape except the
door and the single window.
Unable to rout the Americans from
their mud-walled fort, the leader of
the Mexican band gave orders to
throw fire balls on the roof, which was
thatched partly with tin and partly
with candalaria weed. FlariIg 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 and the
fire threw down its heat like boiler
upon the nine soldiers below.
The heat became intense and the
faces and backs Of the soldiers still
firing spiritedly through the window
became blistered and burnt.
II can't stand 1t any longer" cried
Private William Cohen. "I'll take
another shot and then try and make
1t through the window"
Cohen 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:
Line 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 burnt the tops of their
heads. Coloe stepped forward to the
door and smashed the boards with his
gun stock. The gun broke but the
door gave way and Coloe dashed out.
His body was found next morning 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 fled. Rogers body was found
not far from the burned house, but
Tyree could not be accounted for
when Smyth and his men, who reach
ed the hills In safety, investigated
next morning Tyree may have been
made prisoner, but II so the soldiers
here think he has probably been Kill
led by now.
After the attack on the American
troops the bandits rushed to the wax
factory Of w. X. Ellis and destroyed
the building, besides setting fire to
the factory store. Ellis's home was
ransacked. A Cross that hung in one
room is believed to have saved the
house from being burned.
Creep Back TO Settlement.
When morning came the American
troopers crept back to the settlement
and saw the main body OF some fifty
Mexicans packing their loot upon their
horses and the name American caval-
ry mounts which they had captured
Then, with a cry they turned toward
the Rio Grande and started for Bo-
quillas. Here, the brigands carried
Deemers and Compton across the riv-
er, and 1t is reported here tonight that
their throats had been cut. The Mex
leans carried their dead and wounded
away.
A 10-year-old deaf and dumb boy
son OF Mr.. Compton, was shot and Kill
led near Glenn Springs.
County Judge A. NJ. Turney Of Brew
ster county sent telegram to Cover
nor Ferguson at Austin tonight. ask.
ing that aid be sent, as Brewster coun-
ty did not have adequate military pro
lection. kilograms we're also sent tc
United States Senators Shepherd and
Culbertson, asking for more United
, States troopers to guard the border