Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-20
RICHMOND DEMONSTRATORS WEDNESDAY AUGUST co. 1919

the conchos River. where they aban-
doned their wrecked airplane after
stripping it Of machine guns and vital
parts which might make /; OF use to
the MeN!cans.
Thinking they were on the Rio
'fande. they started down stream in
an EFFORT to locate Candclaria and re-
port their accident to military head
lggarters. They landed At 1880 sunday
afternoon and We're picked up Wednes-
day morning by Jesus Renteria and a
band Of tive. other Mexicans They
were taken into the mountains. bu,
thought iney were approaching Valcn-
llne' Texas. They wre told that sixty
men, belong to the band. while in
men AT the ranch where they were
Gaptain Matlack, said the bandits
The Americans tried once 10 cscaps
hu, were threatened with death, and and
uiu Hot renew their attempt.
Discuss Mnny Plans.
Various plans for obtaining the
ransom money We're discussed by the
bandits. one was for delivery OF The
,h by Americans in the middle Of
aviators to be taken 100 yards nm
LiI.r ana the money taken an equal
az me down river and both left
a aSr.ta mat an American army
S'mvGr SHOULD be sent from the
i ii'.'e ~ .t ,nh;, S!ae upon signals from
the same time Kent.ria was rs 60, -,
/ from me Mexican side with the Amcri-
cans They We're to meet and OK
tHthSc prisoners and money
oAptain Matihck's ruse by which he
Of ofNI IN. 100 was contrivcd on the spur
! HcterSon across the border
Just decided there was no use In
P9aE;ms those MeN!cans that other
'S'''t"p alter had Davis, go told him
70 jump on behind on my horse.
Srurred MIN hard and we made a w;td
Iasn 70, the border ana made il,
neE chIie eia Tor US to halt. but 1 said
40 70 nell and crossed"
lieutenant Jefferson crossed the bor-
der to the American side at l:l5 a. NJ.
ana Saptain Mat!ack brought back
Lieutenant Davis forty-iive minutes
later.
First tn Cros. Border.
Lieutenant Peterson. first TO cross the
, noEder from Mexico. told the following
Stor% OF his experience after his plane
We hired Mexican with three
Were ready to start when an armed
Mexican came UP and addressed the
Mexican We had employed The armed
hurr.edly.
vim our Mexican GUIDE. ~ Ne 'u Sd9n
were cvertakcn by six armed bandits
ana an nany townsneople. All but two
con- c1 ~, i5,, nandiis lelt us but these two
-
about iorty-hvc minutes the bandits
stopped Us and told the Mexican owner
o. Inc burros 10 return to his home
the Mexican objected as wc were riding
mis- huTros. The bandits then headed
US up the valley to y village where
they made the Mexican drink
Il gave the one-armcd bandit leader
g and he arranged for food for us
AMI liquor for himself. The bandits
took US on To a ranch where they got
a horse and i mule for us to ride.
This was about : p. NJ Wednesday.
We rode. until midnight. Then we
slept until i:Jo O'Clock Thursday morn
ing Rcsuming our journey we CON
tinued in the mountains all day Thurs
da% and slept in the mountains at
night.
Hold Chat With Bandits.
Friday afternoon abou; $50 the ban
dts stopped the horses and said they
wanted TO have a little chat with US
The bandits told us TO write the mes
sages saying ransom must be paid for
our release. The bandit leader spoke
English very well. He had worked
on the railroads in Kansas and had
lost an arm and a leg in an accident,
he said.
1--WE stayed all night in the mountains
Saturday night. when the leader re-
turned from sending the messages The
/ bandits foraged for food and we had
plenty to eat. We campcd all day