Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1919-08-22
MEXICANS FREE
u. S. AvlATORS
kmerian Army Captain RanSoms
One Flyer and Carries
OF Other.
OUTLAWS ARE GWEN $4,000
'rwo Lleutenanss Captured as Result
CT Mietskins conchos River for
Rio Grande-Twenty Ban.
dits in Gang.

VIZ W SdnSs
Maria, Tex, Aug 20.--Tdeat II. q.
Peterson and Lieut.. Paul II. DAVIS.
United States army aviators. held
prisoners by Mexcans since last
Wednesday after being forced to land
the preceding sunday on Mexican soil,
on Tuesday We're released By Mexican
bandits after the payment of $500 Of
the $4,000 demanded.
Captain Matlaek, who took the ran
som money across the border, paid nalf
the ransom money for the release of
Lieutenant Peterson, and. when Lien
tenant Davis was delivered to him, he
galloped away with the officer, with
out making the final payment.
The aviat0rs had wandered from
Sunday afternoon until Wednesday
/ along the Conchos river near Falomir.
chihuahua, under the impression they
were on the Rio Grande.
Had "A great experience" was Peter
sons message to his father.
One attempt was made to escape by
the aviators. They were threatened
with death II they tried again.
Jesus Renteria and a band of FIVE
Mexicans accomplished their capture.
There were twenty bandits at ranch
where they were held
By prearranged plan Captain Mat
lack awaited fire signal from the
| Mexicans, which came after midnight,
and then crossed the border with the
ransom money.
Lieutenant Petersoa crossed the hor-
der 20 the American side ut / 15 a. m.
and Captain MatIacG brought bac5
| Lieutenant Davis at two.
Captain Matlack said this morning
that the two aviators landed in Mex
leo. He declared they thought thdv
had landed in the United States. and
this impression on their part WIS not
corrected until after they had reached
the border today.
The aviators. the captain explained.
had become confused while in the afr
and had mistaken the Conchos river
for the Rio Grande Instead Of land
ing near Candearia. as they thought,
they had landed at point near Falo-
mir, Chihuahua more fhan forty miles
up the COnchos river. where they
/ abandoned their wrecked airplane
after stripping Il Of machine guns and
vital parts which might make 1t of
use to the Mexicans
Thinking they were on the Rio
Grande, they started down stream in
an effort 10 locate Candefaria ard re-
port their accident to military head
| quarters. They landed at II 80 Sum
day afternoon and were picked up
Wednesday morning by the Renteria
/ band
They were taken into the noun
tains. but thought they were approach
i Ing Valentine. Tex They were told
that 60 men belonged to the band,
while In reality the aviators saw only
20 men at the ranch where they were
held. Captain Matlack said the ban
! dts were well mounted.
Various plans for obtaining the ran
som money were discussed by the ban
dts. One was for the delivery Of the
sum and Americans in the middle OF
| the Rio Grande. Another was for the
aviators TO be taken 100 yards up river
and the money taken an equal distance
down river and both left Mt the same
time.
! Finally 1t was agreed that an Amer
lean army officer should be sent from
the American side upon signals from
the bandits by means of flares. At
the same time Renterla was to start
from the Mexican side with the Amer
leans. They were TO meet and ex-
change prisoners aud money.
Captain Matlacks ruse. by which he
| saved $4,000. was contrived on the
spur Of the moment after he had got
Lieutenant Peterson across the bor-
der.
II just decided there was no use I'm
paying those Mexicans that other
SO, 500 after had Davis, so told him
to jump on behind on my horse.
/ spurred the horse hard and we start
ed a wild dash for the border and
made IT, They called for us to halt
| but / said Go to - and crossed" !"