South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-06-29
LemueI H. SpitSburg, inter-
prefer For PerShing, Gives
Statement Regarding
Battle at CarrizaI.
ASSERTS CAPT. BOYD
CALLED GOMEZ BLUFF
Mexico City Makes Public
Word CarranZa Has Re-
CeiVed From His Chi
huahua Officers.
international News Service:


MEXICO CITY. June IS. (via Gal
weston. Texas. June 29)-In reply to
Chief Executive Carranza's request
for full report on the Carrizal bat
tie Gen. Jacinto 3. Trevino has
transmitted from Chihuahua City
statement which he says was
sworn TO by Lemuel II. Salisbury, the
civilian interpreter who accompanied
the American forces to Carrizal In
this statement, which was made
public today, Salisbury holds the
the conflict; that Gen. Gomez, the
Mexican commander, was courteous
i'm his warnings TO the 10th cavalry
and that Capt Charles Boyd thought
the Mexicans were bluffing.
Following is the full text of Spill
bury's statement as sent by Gen. Ire
vino:
My name is Iemuel Spilsbury and
| have been interpreter for Gen. Per-
shing since the troops entered Mex
leo. was without employment and
stone broke. through no work going
on around Pearson. near which place
live.
Is Mexican Born.
Il speak good Spanish. having
been raised here. 1 left Casas
Grandes sunday morning as inter-
prefer for Capt Boyd. There were
eighty-seven all told, IL being Of c
troop and 45 of X troop. Capt
Morey and Lieut.. Adair were with
-,
Capt Boyd sent 'nto Carrizal
messenger yesterday morning to the
jefe politico saying he was on
peaceful mission and asking permits
sion TO pass through villa Ahumada
and for him to advise the military
authorities.
Gen. Gomez sent out Lieut.. Col.
Rivas with an escort of eighty men
to tell us that he had orders 10 stop
us there until he heard further
Capt. Boyd said he had heard Of
a robbery in SantO Domingo and the
presence of bandits there and he
wanted 10 run them down. He want
ed also to recapture a deserter who
got away.
DefieS Americans.
Lieut. Col. Rivas replied that
there were no bandits in that place
and that they would have 20 pass
over their dead bodies.
After further talk he retired
back 10 the town and Gen. Gomez
sent a note asking the Americans to
come in the town for a conference.
capt. Boyd did not like the idea
and said so. whereupon Gen. Gomez
called personally and repeated his
orders that they could not pass
through. He said that his instrlIc-
tons from Gen Trevino were that
if Americans moved TO the east.
west or south OF their old positions
they were 20 be attacked Gen. Per-
shing must know this and that the
captain ought also 10 know IT,
Capt Boyd admitted that he was
aware OF the orders but his own
orders were 10 get through TO villa
Ahumada and he had 10 obey.
Gen. Gomez repeated his re-
fusal and said that if the Americans
advanced ne would at once fire on
them Capt Boyd said all right
but I think he thought Gen. Gomez
was only trying to comply with his
orders from his superior and would
not really attack
Gen Gomez had retired TO his
men, who we're lined up on the out
side OF the town. Wnen Capt Boyd
gave the order 10 advance. Shortly
after the firing commenced and our
men started 70 drop. Capt Boyd
and Lieut. Adair We're killed and
Capt Morey was wounded in the
shoulder. but think ne got away.
Saw Dead Bodies
The ten men who were holding
our horses fled with The lot and we
were surrounded ard had 10 sur
render I saw the dead bodies OF
BOYD and Adair. also the bodies OF
twelve negroes. although there might
~ l.