The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-07-06
U. S. TROOPERS
TRAIL RAIDERS
New Force Enters Mexico
After Bandits.
FIGHTIEG NOW EXPECTED

tIon 10 Watched With Unusual In
terest-NatIonai ouardsnnen Are Be-
aInnina to Pour Into Border Points.
Z. Paso, Texas, July 3.-Another
hot trail' was followed into Mexico
by American forces when Captain Le-
roy Eltinge, commanding troop X,
Eighth cavalry, crossed south Of Fort
Hancock, fifty miles east Of FL Paso,
after the Mexican raiders who COM
mitted depredations on the American
side Of the line.
Captain Eltinge was stationed at
Fabens, midway between Ell Paso and
Fort Hancock and Immediately plunged
across the river with his command,
followed, It is said, by other troops OF
the same regiment, sent from Fort
Bliss.
The raiders, in addition to driving
on ranch horses and generally fright
ening the civilian population OF the
region, attacked the abandoned Fort
Hancock and the detachment Of Unit
ed States troops at that point The
troops being small In number were
unable to follow at once and by the
time they could reach the Rio Grande
the bandits had escaped. The lieu
tenant commanding did not consider
his force suf1iciently large to risk bat
tie with the bandits and a possible
command of Carranzistas reported In
the immediate vicinity, hence he
halted his forces at the internationai
boundary.
Captain Eltinge and his force were
ordered to the scene with instructions
from General George Bell. command
ing the American patrol district, to
ego in" II he thought he could punish
the bandits and recover the horses
stolen in Texas. The captain crossed
with his command Immediately or
reaching the scene of the raid. Fight
ing with the Mexicans Is expected al
brigade headquarters, as the band'ts
former villistas, are said to number
more than fifty bad men," and II Is
not considered unlikely that the Car
rama troops, known to be In the vicin
fly will also attack.
The outcome of this latest punitive
expedition into Mexico was watched
with unusual interest. because the In
ternational situation remains 30 dell
cate that anything almost might dis
turb the balance Of power and prscipi
tate q general engagement between
the Pershing forces in Mexico and the
Csrranza forces camping close upor
his tanks and to the south Of him.
The regulars are tired Of inactivity
and the arriving militiamen are I'm
patient for active service more excit
ing than keeping watch on boundary
line for raiders and ammunition
smugglers.
Every railroad poured its militia
men into Ell Paso and other border
towns during the day. New Jersey
Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania
forces arrived here during the day
for temporary bivouac at or near ID
Paso, while militiamen from the west
and middlewest continued to pass
through here for points along the Dor
der west of FL Paso.
The Southern Pacific railroad east
of here was busy detraining volun
teer militiamen from Eagle Pass west
of El Paso, and the news came that
others were being sent out OF San An
tonic over other railroads to garrison
the country between Eagle Pass and
Brownsville. II was estimated that
10000 militia had detrained here.
sweetwater. Tex. reported a solid
trainload Of ammunition for the Amer
lean border forces passing there. The
train was heavily guarded. the advices
said. and nobody was allowed to ap-
proach within one hundred feet Of II
while II stood in the yards at that
point. except railroad men with passes
signed by the superintendent.