Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-08-21
US, SENDS RANSOM
FOR YANK FLYERS
Government Rushes $4,000 to
Lair of Bandits.
TROOPS MOVE ON BORDER
Men of the Eighth Cavalry March on
American Side Toward Rio Grande
washington Warns Mexico
New Crisis Seen.
TROOPS MOVE ON BORDER

can embassy at Mexico City was III
structed by the state department to
Immediately call upon the Mexican
government for quick action to effect
to release of Lieuts. Paul r. Davis
and Harold G. Peterson, American
army aviators, who were captured by
Mexican bandits near Candelaria,
Tex, while patrolling the border, and
who are threatened with death unless
$4,000 ransom is paid.
Ell Paso, Tex, Aug. 19.-TroOps of
the Eighth cavalry were on the march
on the American side toward the Rio
Grande Monday night and army truck
companies were being assembled for
immediate use.
Payment Is Authorized.
Maria, Tex, Aug. 19.-AuthoriZa-
ton for the payment of the $4,000
ransom asked by Mexican bandits for
the release of Lieuts. Paul HI. Davis
and Harold G. Peterson, was received
here from Maj Gen. Joseph T. Dick
man, commander of the southern de-
partment, and the money will prob
ably be delivered late in the day to an
agent of the bandits at or near Can
delaria, Tex, it was announced here.
The American aviatOrs are being
held somewhere in Mexico south of
Candelaria.
H. M. Fennell, vice president Of the
Maria bank, left for Candelaria with
the ransom money raised here. He
was accompanied by military guard
commanded by Maj. G. G. Smith.
1t is not known here when the avi-
ators are expected to recross the bor-
der to the United States.
AviatOrs on detached service at the
Big Bend headquarters also left here
for the Candelaria border presumably
to watch from the air for the return
of the aviators.
AS the payment of the ransom has
been officially authorized by the south
ern department the money raised by
the cattlemen of the Big Bend district
at the cowboy camp meeting will be
reimbursed, it was announced. The
money raised by the cattlemen was
used.
Captives Tell of Death Threat.
Ell Paso, Tex, Aug. 49, Somewhere
in Mexico, south of the Big Bend dis
trict of West Texas, Lieuts. Paul H.
Davis and Harold G. Peterson, U. S.
A., are being held by Mexican bandits
for $4,000 ransom.
After eight days of suspense since
the aviators, patrolling the border, dis
appeared, messages were received by
military authorities at Maria, Tex, de-
handing payment of the ransom in
gold to DaWkins Fitzpatrick of Candle
laria, Tex, or the Americans would be
killed, according to the message.
Another message, signed by the avia-
tors, accompanied the demand for the
ransom, in which they stated practi-
cally the same facts as contained in
the message from the bandit leader.
They also sent messages to their rel
atives in Strathmore, CAL, and Hutch
inson, Mimi, urging them to see that
the ransom was raised at once.
Another message was later sent to
Candelaria, Tex, addressed to Daw-
kins Fitzpatrick, an American, and
signed by one of the bandit band, say
ing they would kill the aviators if
there were any signs that the Ameri-
can military commanders were pre-
pairing to pursue the bandits.
Replies were received from the pa
rents of Lieutenant Peterson stating
they would furnish the ransom if the
money, according to messages from
Maria.
These replies were Immediately
given to. a courier, who attempted to
make an effort to reach the bandit
rendezvous south of the border.
Whether or not he succeeded was not
known here or at Maria. 1t is also be-
lieved he carried assurance to the BAN
dts that the ransom would be paid.
Bandits Near Border, Belief.
This and other developments has led
army officers here to believe the ban
dts are not far from the border and
are holding the American aviators in
some out-of-the-way canyon until the
ransom is paid. whereupon they will
release them and permit them to go
to the border Nothing has been heard
of the scout biplane which the men
flew when they were captured.