Evening star., 1919-08-18
Messages From Aviators.

Messages From Aviators.
After eight days of suspense since the
sviators patrolling the border disappear
ed messages were received by military
authorities at Maria, Tex. yesterday.
demanding payment OF the ransom in
gold to Dawkins Fitzpatrick of Can
delaria, Tex. before tonight, or the
Americans would be killed. accord
ing to the message. Another mes
sage signed by the aviators, accom-
panied the demand for the ransom.
in which they stated practicauy the
same facts as contained in the mes
sage from the bandit leader.
They also sent messages to their
relatives in Strathmore. Calf. and
Hutchinson. Minn.. 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 il
there were any signs that the Amer
ican military forces were preparing to
pursue the bandits.
Replies were received from the par
ents of Lieut.. Peterson, stating they
could furnish the ransom demanded
for release of their son and his COM
ramon IL the government failed to
furnish the money. according to mes
sages from Maria. These replies were,
given to a courier, who
attempted to reach the bandit rendez-
vous south Of the border. Whether
he succeeded was not known here or.
at Maria early today.
Probably Near Border.
Developments in the case have 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.
The Big Bend district and the
Ojinaga district opposite it in Mexi
country in the Texas Mexican border
The Rim rock, near Candelaria, is "A
gigantic escarpement standing on
edge like a clam shell. The Rio
Grande flows through canyons and in
great curves along this part of the
border. which has long been noted for
it's bandit activities. 1t is over this
same Rim rock near Candelaria that
the Mexican bandits rode to raid the
Brite ranch. Christmas day. 1917.
WHeH tucy CduE Tic <AfHSTiCdu
driver going to Candelaria. hanged
him and cut his throat Chico Cano.
one of the leaders in this raid. is
member of the band believed to be
holding the aviators, according to ad-
vices from Maria.
Aviators Peterson and Davis are a
part of the personnel of the Fort Bliss
Aviation Corps, but were on detached
duty with the Big Bend district mill
tary headquarters at Maria, Tex.
when they disappeared. They left
Maria last Sunday morning for the
usual patrol of the border. planning
to follow the north bank of the Rio
Grande to the end of the district.
Asks Time Limit Change.
MARIA. Tex. August 1S.-Dawkins
Fitzpatrick of Candelaria, Tex, sent a
message to the Mexican bandits late :
last night. urging them to postpone the
time limit fixed in the demand for the
payment of $4,000 ransom for the re-
lease of American aviators Davis and
Peterson until Wednesday. because of
delay in receiving their demand at the
border.
The parents of both aviators tele-
graphed last night saying they would
make every effort to comply with the
demand for the ransom. One OF the
aviators' parents stated in his message
he would put up the total ransom il
the government declined to meet the
demand of the bandits.