Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-12-29
DEATH DRINK VICTIMS TOTAL Il
Nab WOOD ALCOHOL GANG IN NY.
MEXICAN STORY
OF Wallace Death De
MED by Employers
Statment of Acquiia Company De-
cIares Mexican Account Oistorted-
Positive Proof Wailace Not intnxi-
caten-Did Not Attack Soldier
Was Shot from Behind

Washington. Dec. S.-Clalns OF Ms
Mexican government. As recently PIE
scented 10 the American embassy N
Mexico City. that the killing near Tam
pico late in November Of James val
lace. an American citizen. resulted from
his failure To heed the warning Of
Mexican senlry. are denied IN an ac-
col,-t OF the incident which reached
Washington today from the ASnla
Conpany. CT WINCH Wallace was An en-
ploye-
The killing Of wallace caused the
state Department 20 make an urgent IN
quir- Of the Mexican government as
10 The circumstances The Mexican
foreign Office IN its reply charged that
Wallace. while intoxicated. PASSED q
ssntrz- stationed al what was charac-
ter:zed as = dangerous spot ana. 1aii-
ing 20 halt. was shot anu killed.
The Aguiia Company s report whleh
Vas presented at meeting N Iarnp'co
Of oil company managers ana |hch
IS the first detailed account OF E1e
Americans death 70 reach Washing
tCin. says
ON the morning Of the 18Th Of No
varnper Mr. James Wallace. employed
1y Us As foreman on our earthern -ess
e--voirs Potrero de- Llano. was 7d-
ing from the Office down 10 the tank
farm. a distance Of about 80 metres
On the road was an outpost OF -oor
government. soldiers with a machine
gun As far as we have oetsn aple %
ascertain. WaIlace's s horse reared wllic
passing this OUTPOST anu kicked the
machine Gun. whereupon one of the SOL
dier's shot Wallace. killing him instant
IL. Nane of our men actually saw what
happsned- Some ~ them mad been
talking to Wallace 1 minute OF tEo be-
fore. and hearing tAe shot they ran
e,lIt of the office ana found Wallacs
lying on the ground dead
The soldiers gave the explanation
that Wallace insisted on passing De
tween the machine gun ana ssn1-2-
for WHICH reason one Of the soldiers
beat il several times with the putt Of
MS riff, anu that Wallace then threw
his horse over on the soldiers. nearly
M ser-+ng the machine gun. They also
claim Wallace hit the soldier with Al
axe handle he was carrying. anu fur-
-ner-nore make the statement taat W al
lace WIS intoxicated. These statements
are not supstanr!ated by facts Apart
from Inc circumstances thai We never
have known Wallace 70 oe Intoxicated
during the 10 months he was employed
by rs. ana that il Is IN any case very
unlikely a man would be under the IN
tuence OF liuuor when going 70 his
work II 3 o'clock n The morning, We
know positively that Wallace was an
solutely sober as several Of our men
ware .aIking with hlrn a few minutes
cefure be was killed
As regards Wallace having assaulted
me soldier with an axe handle. the lack
Of foundation 1or this statement IS
proved by the FACT that the axe handle
which he was carving down 70 the
tank farm was Still strapped 70 the
saddle when the horse Wallace had
been riding was brought back 10 the
corraIL Furthermore. il Is extremely
unlikely, 20 say the least that a nan
armed with only 4 stick should attack
four soldiers with rifles ana a machine
gun. Another circumstances which
proves the soldier VINO killed Wallace
did not act III seif-deafense IS mat the
nature Of the wound. according to ned
real evidence. shows beyond any possi-
oility Of doubt hat Wallace Was sho,
from behind