Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-29
SLAY|NC OF WALLACE
UNPROVOKED MURDER
Statement by Mexico That American
Was Intoxicated at Time Is.
Flatly Denied.
DID NOT ASSAULT SOLDIER
AN Handle, Which lie Is Said to
Have Welded OH Heads of Troop
ers, Found Strapped to Saddle
After Tragedy.

lBy AssocInteSptessl

WASHlNGTON, Dec 2S-Claims of
the MeNican government. as recently
presented TO the American embassy in
Mexico CITY, thai the killing near Tam
pico late in November Of James wal
lace, an American citizen. resulted
from his failure TO heed the warming
OF Mexican sentry, are denied in an
account OF the incident which reached
Washington today from Aguila Co.
Tho killing of Wallace caused the state
pcpartment TO make an urgent inquiry
of the gn!yernment as to the circum-
stances. The Mexican Foreign Office. in
ITS reply, charged that Wallace. while
tntoNicated. passed a sentry stationed
at what is characterized as n dan
eerous spot and, failing TO halt we
shot ana Killed.
oil Firm Investigates Case.
The Aguila Co.'S report. which was
pEFesrnted at meeting in Tampico
is The first detailed account of The
Americans death TO reach Washington,
says:
'on the morning of November %.
James Wallace, employed by us as
foreman on our carthcn reservoirs at
Potrero del I.luno, was riding from
distance OF about $50 meters. On the
road was an outpost Of four govern
mcnt soldiers; with a machine gun.
tain. Wallace's horse reared while
passing this OUTPOST and kicked the
MACHINE gun. whercupon one OF the
soldiers shot Wallace. killing him in
Stantly. None Of our mon actually
saw what happened. Some Of theln
mad been talkin; to Wallace a minute
! or TWO before, and. hearing the shot
thrE ran out of tho office and found
Wallace lying on tho ground dead
EXPLANATION OF Soldiers.
The soldiers gave the explanation
that Wallace insisted on passing be-
rfrt
!, mat hiSsetursn Eafused 10 10 fcrv; a. L.
J Tor which rcasofi ono OF the soldicrs;
his rifle. and that Wallace then thre ~.
his horse over on the soldiers. nearly
upsetting the machine, gun. They also
clam Wallace hit the soldier with
an Az handle he was carrying and
iurthermorc make the statement that
Wallace was intoxicated. These state
lnchtS are not SuDStantiatcd by facts
Apart from the circumstance that VIC
nave never known Wallace 10 he in
was employed by us, and that il is in
any case very unlikely Z man would
be under the influence of liquor when
going to his work ut s O'Clock in the
morning, wc know positively that Wal
lace was absolutely sober. as several
Of our. men We're talking with him n
few minutes before he was killed
Deny American Fought.
as regards Wallace having assault
cd the soldier with an AK handle. the
/ lack of foundation for this statement
is proved by the fact that the AK handle
which he was carrying down to the
tank farm was Still found strapped to
the saddle when the horse Wallace
| had been riding was brought back to
the corral.
Furthermore. It is extremely un-
likely, to say the least. that a man
tack four soldiers with rifles and a
machine gun. Another circumstance
which proves the soldier who killed
Wallace did not act in sclf-dcfcusc
is that the nature OF the wound ac-
cording to medical evidence. shows be-
yond any possibility OF doubt that Wal
lace was shot from behind"