The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1919-12-31
Lieut.. Peterson
Home On Visit
HAROLD PETERSON VISITS PAR
ENTS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE
CAPTURE. RANSOM STORY
TOLD
From Minneapolis Journal

ambush the cavalry officer who rode
into Mexico with $4,000 ransom mon
Ell, and then the war department set
its foot down hard when first asked
for holiday leaves of absence. But
Lieutenant Harold Peterson walked IN
to his fathers home, just before
Christmas and announced that his
Christmas gift to his parents was a
thirty day visit
Tt was the happiest Christmas their
home ever saw, S. G. Peterson said
for he and Mrs. Peterson had not seen
their son, even after they had waited
two anxious day and nights for news
that he had been saved from the ban
dts who threatened MS death.
Where the Money Went.
The Christmas story that Lieuten-
ant Peterson told revealed for the first
time the reason why Jesus Renteria's
band of outlaws got only half the ran
som money raised by Texas cowboys
to free Peterson and his comrade, Lieu
tenant Paul Davis, and why the ran
som money for Lieutenant Davis was
short 81 900 when it was returned.
For the first time, too, his parents
heard the story of their sons week
with Mexican outlaws in the wllds of
northern Chihuahua
1--WE just kidded sem along was
the way Lieutenant Peterson put it.
eve made them like US, and tried to
make 'em think we didn't care where
we went"
Part of the $500 which Captain
Matlack saved from the bandits wher
he galloped back across the border tx
American soil with Davis was given
to the Mexican go-between who ar
ranged the ransom, Lieutenant Peter
son said.
= Made 1t Right With Mexican.
Captain Matlack told the Mexican
to come along over the line or he'd
blow his brains out" he said, describ
ing his rescue. ITO save the poor
Mexican's life the cavalry went into
Mexica next day and brought all his
belongings over in to the United Stat
es, and built him a new home In Can
delaria.
His life wouldn't have been worth a
cent in Mexica, though he followed us
because Captain Matlack threatened TO
kill him. He had to leave behind his
little farm and orchard, all the stuff
ha had in the world They gave hi,
$1,000 of the ransom money just to
make it up to him.
''The real dope on how Captain Mat
lack came and got US never came out.
The bandits got only half the ran
som because they tried to ambush Mat
lack. The bad Mexicans hate Matlack
worse than any other man on the Dor
!, der.
Feared Ambush.
1T was dark that night, and so still
you could hear every sound. There
wasn't a breath of air. Matlack
had to ride 600 yards into Mexico
from Candelaria to get US. He rode
in along a cornfield and met me at "a
big willow tree; he gave the Mexican
go between, who arranged the ransom
the $500 for me, and jumped on his
horse behind him.
But when Matlack went back into
Mexica to get Davis, he heard some
one crawling in the corn; he was GER
tain the bandits were trying to am
bush him, so he rode out into a,
open patch, instead of going to the
regular meeting place. When Davis
and the go-between came upon, nc
pulled Davis up on the horse, and gave
him an automatic. Matlack had an
other automatic pistol and shotgun.
He told Davis to slip off and shoot
ANYTHING that moved it any trouble be-
gan. Then he put his pistol at the
Mexican's head and told him to come
along or he'd blow his brains out He
didn't pay the rest of the ransom be-
cause he was sure the bandits were
trying to double cross him and shoot
him from the cornfield."
Oil Burned Out of Motor.
a The two officers flew into Mexica
vlwhen they followed the Conchos river
instead of the Rio Grande. "The Rio
Grande looks like creek flowing in
the Conchus, instead of the other way
around" Lieutenant Peterson said. |
eva never knew we were in Mexico
until we were rescued.
All our trouble started because the
lubricating oil burned out on our first |
patrol out of Maria on August 10, and
our motor went to pieces, smashed
connecting rods and knocked IL hole |
in the crank case. We came dow
in Chihuahua, Is miles from a town,
on Aug. 10. We liked until a. m.
Monday, when we found a Mexican
who could talk English, and got some
coffee and tostillas We didn't see
another human being until Wednesday |
when we were walking down along the /
Conchos. In little village we bought
couple of burrows and started OF. /
with guide. The whole village
lowed us out to see the fun, ! CUES
for Renteria, the bandit leader, was
in the crowd and in little while We
saw three or four armed men in ever
path. The head of the town was argl
eng with Renteria, trying to prote
rs, but after whileithey shook hands,
and the bandits told Us to come alons
if we didn't want to die.
Bandit Hard Looking Fellow.
"Renteria was hardlooking duck
he spoke pretty fair English. Funni-
Continued on last page.)