Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-09-03
Captain MCNabb Fired at
While on Aerial Patrol Duty
Along International Bound
ary Near Laredo, Texas.
SEVERAL SHOTS PIERCE
WINGS OF AIRLPANE
War Department at Washing
ton Will Await Official Re-
port From Commander Be-
fore Considering Action.

Laredo, eH., sept. L.--\by ne
Associated Press. )--Fired upon from
the Mexican side of the Rio Grande
Capt. David w. McNabb, United
States, aviation corps, was slightly
wounded today while on aerial pa
troll duty along the international
boundary northwest of here.
With Lieut. Won De B. Johnson,
Captain McNabb was flying slowly
up the river close to the water when
suddenly a group of Mexicans fired
a vol!ey of shots at the airplane,
wounding McNabB near the ear,
while several shots pierced the
planes wings.
Col. Beaumont B. Buck, COM
.nander of the Laredo district, with
headquarters at Fort Mcintosh here,
said tonight all that is known Of
the attack is that the firing was
from a point where an outpost of
Mexican federal soldiers was known
to be located.
No additional statement would be
made by Colonel Buck, who for
warded promptly report on the
incident to Major General Dickman,
commander Of the Southern depart
ment at San Antonio. 1t was indi-
Gated no action by officers here likely
would be taken except on instruc-
tions from General Dickman.
Await Official Word.
Washington Sept. 2.-The War
department will await an official re-
port from Major General Dickman.
commander of the Southern depart
ment, Secretary Baker said, before
considering the question of whether
some action shall be taken against
the Mexicans who fired upon an
American army airplane on the Rio
Grande, wounding one officer. Un-
til some report was received, Mr..
Baker declined to speculate on what
line the departments action might
take.
In military circles, the firing
upon army flyers was considered far
more serious than the recent deten-
tion of two other aviators for ram
som. All army machines are plain.
ly marked, it was said and the press
reports from the border would in
dicate that Captain McNabb's air
plane was either on the American
side or was following the river
the international boundary at this
point In either case it should have
hoe@, ;,,,,,,yr,a fro,,, bae%;1. ,&%,.1,
Repeated Volleys.
The fact that press dispatches re-
ferred to repeated "volleys" from
the Mexican side was also con-
sidered significant as indicating that
the assailants were under some sort
of military command.
Reports persist here that General
Dickman has authority to meet
such situations without waiting on
his superiors, by sending a column
across to capture or scatter the Of
Tending band and to clean up the
distric ct in which they committed
the Objectionable action. 1t would
not come as surprise to many Of
ficers if dispatches related to a
southwark move by cavalry.
Bandit Killed.
Washington, Sept. 2.-The bandit
who murdered Adam Schaefer, an
citizen, in Zacatecas, Au-
gust 28, has been killed by Mexican
federal troops, according to advices
to the State department today from
Mexico City. A dispatch from the
American consul at Salina Cruz
said Schaefer was a naturalized
American, thus clearing up the ques-
ton of his citizenship.
When attacked Schaefer was re-
ported to have had a heavy pay
roll for the mines where he was
His mother lives at
SharnShuro pa