The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-08-23

TROOPS IN MEXICO
Pursuit sof Bandits Still in Prog
ress Without Results

! Maria. Tey" Aug. .20.-The Amer
tican punitive edition that raced in
!. to Mexico in search of Jesus Renter
| las band of bandits who held Lieut.
enants Peterson and Davis for ransom.
went into camp in the mountains to-
j night after a trying sc hours Of cam
paigning through rugged country.
+! Since the troops crossed the Rio
Grande early Monday morning they
have been riding constantly during
daylight hours in pursuit of the ban
dts.
The only reported contact with the
bandits resulted in the killing of one
of three Mexicans who fired on al
American airplape Yesterday. Accord
! ing to the aviators report returning
from the field. the fight lasted 20
minutes. THE aviators were unharm-
| ed.
Reports from the field were mea-
gre. The broken country south OF
F., the border compelled the cavalry
troops to scatter and follow such
trails as they can pick up. The coun-
try below the Big Bend border is too
rough for airplanes TO effect a land
ing without great danger.
A cryptic message still following
trair' brought to the border by air
| plane today, was the only definite
word from the expedition. No officers
commanding troops in the field have
vet returned to the field bases on the
river.
Major Gen. Joseph T. Dickman,
commander of the Southern depart
ment is expected to reach here tomor-
row morning on an inspection Of posts
and camps along the border between
San Antonio and Maria.
While his visit here at this time is
not believed to be inspired by the To-
cal Mexican situation the commander
undoubtedly will go over the entire
situation with Coonel Langhorne, dis
trict commander 1t is not known
whether he will go TO the border while
| here.
Reports from Preside, Texas told
of movements cf:Mexican federal cav
airy under Gen. Antonio Pruneda.
| General Pruneda left Ojinaga last
night marching toward Cuchillo Pa
irado, 40 miles up the Conchos River.
Washington, Aug. 20.-Me1ican Con-
sui Bengoechea at Preside, Texas, in
telegram to Ambassador Bonillas
! made public tonight at the embassy
reported that General Pruneda, COM
mander of the federal troops in the
portion of Mexico across the border
from Candelaria, Texas, had gone in
pursuit of the bandits. The consul
i,said he had notified Colonel Lang
horne that General Pruneda was
making pursuit so that the American
commander might order the return
of his forces Ambassador Bonillas
was asked to obtain an order from
the war department here for the with
drawal of the American forces, but
when the department closed today no
such request so far as could be learn
ed had been received.
The telegram from the Preside
consul said that the two aviators had
been held prisoner by "20 Villista ban
dts"
General Baragan, chief of the
Mexican presidential staff, today no
tilted the embassy here that the spe-
cial police force of Tampico and the
petroleum zone Monday captured the
group Of bandits which recently at
tackled American sailors from the
gunboat Cheyenne The same BAN
dts, the telegram said, had attacked
oil launches of the Texas Oil Com
pany, the Aguila Company and the
Trans Continental Company. Agents
of the police force. it was said, had
left for Wales. San Luis Potosl, to IN
yestigate the murder Of Peter Catron'
the American citizen whose death al
the hands Of bandits resulted in the
recent note of warning to the Carran-
"a government.
General Barragan in another teie-
gram made public by the embassy
said that the recent robbery OF the
Tupam office of the Penn Mexican
Company was not by bandits but by
inhabitants of Tupam, four of which
had been arrested and foutd to be
employees of the company. A por-
ton of the money stolen was recoV-
,ore6