Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-12-28

ficer here who directed the pursuit
untiI the troops got beyond communi-
cation:
We picked up a hot trail made by
the Brite's ranch raiders above seven
miles from El Comodor at IL a. M,
Wednesday morning. This tran lea
across the river at Los Fresnos tord'
-Four horses were found abaI.Goned on
the trail before we crossed. We tol-
lowed the raiders around n point OF
the Sierra de las Nentanas mountain
range and toward the Sierra de la Hi
lares. At 1 o'clock Wednesday we
engaged about fifteen of the bandits
at a point four miles south of the RIO
Grande. We kept up running tlSht
for ten miles; killing ten OF the ft-
teen bandits. The remaining five es-
caped into a canyon of the Sierra de
las Hilares.
II ordered ten of my men to strip
to their saddles and sent them in pur-
suit through the box canyon. But our
horses were unable to overtake the
bandits, who scattered into the noun
tains like quail. The detachment re-
turned after dark last night and we
then doubled back to the river. We
brought considerable property that
had been stolen from the Brite store
consisting of food, clothing and am
munition. one horse bearing the
Brite brand was found shot and an
other had been abandoned. We had
one man wounded, Private John +.
Kelly. and two pack mules Killed"
Mexican Fcdcrals Probably.
A wounded Mexican, who claimed
to be a Mexican federal soldier, was
brought here tonight from Valentine
and entered in the base hospital here,
He told army officers at Valentine he
was wounded during a skirmish which
occurred between Villa followers and
a Mexican federal patrol opposite Bo-
quillas. He is being closely questioned
IN an effort to establish his identity.
Truck drivers running between Pre-
sidio and Maria reported to Colonel
Langhorne late today they had viewed
the body of the bandit leader who was
killed Christmas morning at the Brite
ranch, and stated they had seen him
in Preside and that he had lived near
Ojinaga. They insisted he was one
of the interned Mexican federal sol
diers taken from Preside to Maria
following the capture of Oiinaga,
November Ia, by Villa.
At Valentine, thirty miles west of
here on the railroad, automobiles pa
trolled the river roads all night last
night, cavalrymen guarded the town
and citizens remained up all night in
anticipation of raid there. A report
that the bandits were preparing TO at
tack that town caused a general alarm
to be sent out in all directions An
army trucks plying between here,
Valentine and the river are heavily
guarded to prevent their being cap
tured by the marauding bands of ban
dts.
Citizens of the Big Bend district are
congratulating Colonel Langhorne on
his prompt action in pursuing the
bandits and the persistence shown by
his command in following them into
Mexico.
Officer Wants Facts.
Rumors that Germans in Mexico
were responsible for the Brite ranch
and store raid and that the Fitz-
gerald store raid Christmas day were
refuted tonight by Col. George T.
Langhorne, district commander, who
has ordered an investigation of the
political aspects of the raid
1t is now believed here the German
rumor originated in the minds of To-
cal men and is not substantiated by
facts Colonel Langhcrne is awaiting
the arrival Of Captain Sprinkle, who
obtained important papers from the
bodies of the bandits killed, before
reaching decision as to the identity
of the raiders.