The sun., 1919-08-22
Outlaws Are Surprised in
Blockhouse Trap and
Fight Desperately.
FIRST TO BEGIN FIRE
kusillade of Shots From
Portfolios i'm Adobe Fort
Endangers Pursuers.
TWO MARAUDERS ESCAPE
MajOr-Gen. Dickman Inspects
Forces, but Is Not Ready -.
to Announce Plans.
TWO MARAUDERS ESCAPE

MARIA, Tex, Aug. 21.-Four Mexi-
can bandits were killed by American.
troops in Mexico yesterday, Capt.
Leonard Matlack, who arrived here by
airplane tonight, reported. They were
surrounded in an adobe blockhouse
that the Mexicans had constructed in
a mountain pass.
The bandits fought desperately
when they found they were trapped
and two escaped. When the Ameri-
can troops approached the blockhouse
with the intention of searching it the
Mexicans opened fire from portfolios.
The fire was returned and the block
house was charged by the American cav
airy troops.
Three of the four Mexicans killed have
been identified as Jesus Janir. Francisco
Janir and Jose Fuentes. The Identity
of the fourth bandit has not been ascer-
tained. All four are known to Capt.
Matlack as bandits operating along the
Big Bend border for years
The two men who escaped were
pursued, but the trail was lost in the
mountain canyons.
It was definitely established that Jesus
Renteria, leader of the outlaw band that
captured Lieuts. Harold G. Peterson and
Paul III. Davis, American aviators, was
not among the dead.
Capt. Matlack said he passed a column
of zoo Carranza troops below the bor-
der yesterday. The Carranza comman-
der asked where the Americans were
going When he was informed they were
pursuing bandits he waved his hand and
said, 60 ahead.
No American Casualties.
Capt Matlack came from Mexico at
sunset in an airplane driven by Lieut..
Eugene Eubank, who landed in a Mexi'
can mountain valley, picked up the
captain and returned with him to re-
port the progress of the punitive expedi-
ton TO General Dickman. Matlack said
the American troops are in high spirits.
Every one in the expeditionary force
is WE'LL" he said. I'VE have had no
casualty except one man who had
cactus thorn in his hand.
I'VE are making progress in the
pursuit. Hard storms have slackened
our speed somewhat, but we consider
that we made good time.
After leaving the Rio Grande Tues
day morning. soon after daylight the
expedition followed a fresh trail. The
four men to whom the money had been
paid had a start of more than five hours
on US.
We followed them to a high mount
ain pass, where they scattered, one GO
ing north and three southwest, as in
dicated by the fresh tracks. They
scattered like quail. and 1t was difficult
to follow them because of the faint
trails.
"The fight with the bandits in the
fortified blockhouse started as soon as
the American troops commenced the
search of the place, fire being opened
by the Mexicans from loop holes. The
troops returned the fire.
Robbers Desperate Persons.
-Four bodies were found. Two lof
the bandits escaped. They are still
being pursued. These two latter out
laws are believed to have been members
of Renterias gang. but the aviators
could not identify them
Capt Matlack will return to his
troops in Mexico tomorrow. He had
long conference with Gen. Dickman and
Col. George T Langhorne, commander
of the Big Bend district, tonight.
Fear of a clash between Isolated
Carranza troops and the American
troops was relieved by a telegram from
Gen. Manuel Disguez, whose command
includes the Ojinaga district, to Gen
Antonio Prueda, commander of the dis
trlct, saying the American troops were
wholly within their rights, under a
treaty of 1882, in pursuing bandits.
While the exact location of the troops
was withheld for military reasons il Is
known they have gone so far into the
interior that it is necessary to send
money to commanders so they may pur-
chase supplies. The line of communica-
ton is getting, too long to transport
provisions, It was stated.
SAN DIEGO Cal, Aug 21.-Col. A. l..
Hanlon, commanding the army aviation
forces at Rockwell Field, North Island
announced tonight that two avlators
from the Ninth Aero Squadron had been
missing since yesterday.
Col. Hanlon said his conclusion was
that they had been forced to make
landing, possibly below the Mexican line,
near Jacumba. in San Diego county.
Fifteen machines were sent out from
North Island to-day in search. but all
returned without having found a trace
of the men.