The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-07-14
MEXICAN CAPTIVE
BEGS TO Be SHOT
Led Astray by Visions OF Loot TO
Be Had in Border
Stores.
BOY TELLS PITFUL TALE
American Cavalry Sergeant Describes
Conflict Between Pity and Duty
In Which Duty Won--Ralsed
TO Hate Grinoo.

hHEhlnOlp DSAk' II cAulhH
valid. Troop A. Fourteenth cavalry.
who guarded Lieut.. Col. Alvarez and
Manuel Torres, Mexican prisoners In
the Boqulllas raid, told a story Of q
conflict between pity and duty In
which duty won. He said:
1T was my business to watch the
prisoners on the long ride 10 Mara
thon from the Rio GrRnde. For the
minute It was all the business ] had
and they were surely watched. Our
first camp was at Mckinney Springs.
There We gave the Mexicans steak
and onions aud c~offee-just what our
men had.
''They couldn't seem TO realize II.
Alvarez refused to eat at first. but
he ordered Torres to do 50. The lieu
tenant colonel, II seemed, feared the
food was poisoned aud wanted to have
someone else try II,
Raised to Hate 0rlnoo.
Torres is little more than a boy.
When we took the road again he told
mo his story. His father. he said.
was a poor fnrmer In the Sacramento
district. They had little TO eat and
when. six months ago, Alvarez at the
head OF fifty or more bandits told him
there were food and new clothes TO
be hid In abundance In gringo stores
along the border. he followed, He had
been raised. he said. TO hate the grin
go, and rather liked the idea.
He claimed he had not been In
the actual raid on the Deemcrs store
but he admitted getting his clothes
from some of' the raiders who had.
ale told how the band broke into
pairs after an American pursuit be-
came Il certainty. He had hidden In
the desert for three nights until his
tongue was swollen and black and he
thought he must die Of thirst. II was
then that he went TO the wnter hole:
though the hole was covered by Amer.
lean cavalrymen. and begged n drink.
lie expected. he said. to be shot.
but he wanted 10 drink first. Then.
MS Ne went'on, he begged me to later
cede for him. He showed me a Bit
OF handkerchief, that was HIS moth
er's. He showed me A bit OF ribbon
that his senorita had given him 10
token OF love and luck.
Pleads 70 Be Shot.
And he told me finally II | would
get him "a lawyer he would he CRATE.
ful. and. once free, would come aud
work for me or do anything | asked.
as long as he had breath.
II pitled him, way down deep. hut
| could not show my pity, looked
AZ the officer who had led the boy and
thought evil things. | remembered
how the raiding murderers had killed
a tiny child, and how they had dared
10 come, m American soil.
~ told Torres 10 be still. that I
could do nothing. Then he pleaded to
be shot. II would be much more hon-
he said, than to be hanged. AZ
he had heard 1t was the custom 10
land.
again / told him to be still.
we drove at night, mostly. TO avoid
the heat and oil through the night |
would ask me In his soft.
pathetic Spanish for a quick end.
You can't appreciate the effect Of
I, all--noonlight. and their chains, |
and the despair Of the boy who had
been led astray. But they're here
now aud turned over to the sheriff.
I'm through. and I've lived mp TO the
! took when | enlisted. But,
I'm glad I'm through and that oath
unhroken. Ny hope Is I wont
have another detail Ike it,"