Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-30
BOYD DIED A HERO.
Body "Spiked" Machine Gun Of Mexi-
cans in Rival Charge.

0OOy 0PIN0US "dStIu0 30u W
cans in Rival Charge.
Ell Paso, Tex. June 3O.-Capt.
Charles T. Boyd gave the last full
measure of devotion to the men of his
command at the battle of Carrizal
when he stopped with his lfeless body
the usefulness of the Mexican machine
gun which wrought such heavy havoc
with the handful Of American troops.
Lem III. Spilisbury. the Mormon
guide and the only living witness to
the fateful conference between Captain
Boyd and Gen. Felix Gomez. told the
story Of Boyd's heroic death upon his
arrival here yesterday with the twenty
three negroSv troopers who were re-
leased from captivity by order of Ven
ustiano Carranza.
With Boyd When He Died.
II was beside Captain Boyd when he
died." Spillsbury told me as we sat in
the hot, fly infested Office of Gen. Fran
cisco Gonzales in Juarez waiting for
the hour Of in the afternoon when
International bridge.
Spillsbury. wearing a white canvas
suit and sailor cap of the same mate
rial. all contributions from the British
consul at Chihuahua, looked more like
a weather beaten longshoreman than a
travel worn prisoner of war.
I'VE were advancing across the open
lain, dismounted and in line Of skirm-
ishers.' he said. Captain Boyd's or
ders had been to go to Villa Ahumada.
He told Gen. Gomez that.
"Gomez's orders had been to prevent
any movement of ours in the direction
Of Villa Ahumada. He told Captain
Boyd that, That's where the conflict
|starteds It was conflict Of orders.
Moves Ferwardy Fired On.
| ll%:Captain boyd gave orders that no
one fre until they had been hred upon.
Captain Boyd was moving forward
several yards ahead of the line when
the Mexicans opened fire. The line
dropped to the ground and gave an
swer.
1--WE were in the open and in bad
position. The land was, absolutely fiat
on the hard sand. No brush cactus, or
mesquite. Just sand and flatness. The
Mexicans were firing on us from a po-
sition about 200 yards from the edge
Of the town.
Their hottest fire came from the
center of their line, where the road en-
tered the town from the west In the
center Of the road the Mexicans had
planted a machine gun with several
cool men behind it, and they were
doing some execution with their weap-
on.
Line Sprayed With Lead.
Captain Boyd saw the machine gun
men spraying his line with lead, just
like you would play a garden hose. He
ordered the squad directly behind him
to jump up when he gave the order and
follow him.
I'VE jumped up all together, about
eight or ten of us, and instantly the
machine gun and the fire of the rifle
men surrounding it appeared to con-
centrate upon us. A bullet kicked my
hat off, and another tore through my
sleeve. I looked over my shoulder and
saw three men fall at one time.
Captain Boyd just kept yelling.
Come on and kept on running, dis
charging his automatic as he ran.
There were only five of us left when
we got within twelve feet of the ma
fchine gum The operator still stuck.
and one man remained feeding the
cartridge clips.
Captain Boyd suddenly thrust his
arms out and fell over backward. He
grabbed at his shirt and tore at the
collar.
Body Hangs Over Guns MuzzIe.
Before could get to him he was on
his feet again. and staggering on to-
wards the machine gun.
"The operator was pointing directly
at him and firing. Captain Boyd
plunged onward, his body extended
ahead of his feet, like a man staggers
forward to prevent falling on his face.
He reached the small mound of
sand which had been scooped up in
front of the gun, the muzzle of which
was not a foot from him. His arms
dropped to his side. He reeIed around
once, but instead Of falling backward.
fell forward and sprawled out on ton
Of the gun.
| "The lower part of his body was
hanging over the guns muzzle, but the
most of his body lay slantwise along
and across the barrel. ~
"At the same time the operator
dropped backward with shot through
the head and the man feeding the clips
ran five feet and went down.
| II lifted Captain Boyd down, but he
was dead. There were several bullet
holes through his body.
II think he covered that last twelve
feet completely on his nerve. I be-
lieve he was more of dead man than
a live one WIN he reached the spot
when he fell forward on the gun.
1--WE had the machine gun, but /,
was useless. Only two or three CLIPS
OF ammunition remained, and besides
there was not enough in our party to
hold it.