New-York tribune., 1919-06-10
Wild Tales of
Border Told
In Ford Suit
Picturesque Witnesses Give
UncensOred Accounts of
Conspiracy of Mexicans
to Seize Several States

MT. CLEMENS, Mich, June 9.-Fol-
lowers of the trial of Henry Ford's
S1,00O,O00 libel suit against "The Chi
cago Daily Tribune" now entered upon
its fifth week, to-day got what they
have been waiting for, namely, the
picturesque touch from the Mexican
border.
The proceedings before Judge ]. C.
Tucker, introduced rangers, deputy
sheriffs, conspiracy of empire which
involved the capture by Mexicans of
the states of Texas, New Mexico, Ari-
zona and the southern part of Cali
fornia; sombreros, embroidered riding
boots. cattle rustling, sudden and san
culinary raids by Mexican bandits, and
bit of German propaganda in the
form of one German iron cross, taken
from a slain Mexican bandit, and three
ancient Mauser rifles, also of Teutcnic
origin.
The story came mainly from Marcus
W. Hines, now a customs official at
Santa Maria, Tex, and Thomas S.
Mayfield, of Pharr, Hidalgo County,
Tex, rancher, contractor and land de-
veloper. Both, in 1915 and 1916, were
deputy sheriffs and rangers, in the
saddle most of the time There was
nothing of the dime novel in their
recltals, nor could they be betrayed
into swagger on examination.
They left the spectators to read be-
tween the lines of the nights in the
open, the sudden alarms and the long
dusty trails from water hole to water
hole.
Tell of Planned Invasion
Other witnesses were Thomas ]. AL
exander, postmaster and keeper of the
general store at Sebastian, Tex, where,
he said, there were eight American
families before bandits frightened them
away, leaving the predominant Mexi-
can residents to hold possessions;
Thomas P. M. Bishop, former United
States marshal at San Antonio, Tex,
who confessed that he was in the COW
business until I had the misfortune to
run for Office" and John R. Harold.
all immigration inspector at Browns
Vile
Mayfield testified that he took copv
OF the conspiracy to retake the border
states, known as the "Plan of San
Diego" from one Bacilio Ramos, a
Mexican revolutionist whom he capt
ured. He turned the papers over to
BISHOP, who so testified, and they were
IN turn given over to Harold for trans
latlon. Harold had identified the
translatlons on the stand when ad-
journment was taken until tomorrow,
The "Plan of San Diego" contemplated
an invasion from Mexico and simul
taneous uprising of Mexican residents
IN the border states. Ramos, it ap-
peared from the testimony, was never
brought to trial, as he violated his
bond and, Mayfield said, had not been
seen in the United States since.
Mr.. Bishop appeared indignant at the
way the case was handled and testi-
fed that he resigned as marshal be-
cause "they would not let me do nv
duty" He did not explain what that
was. On cross-examination Attorney
Alfred Lucking, of counsel for Mr.
Ford, in connection with the resipna-
tion asked:
Ihe Federal authorities regarded it
as trivial occurrence, didn't thew ?"
Court Embarrassed
Yes, they did," replied the witness
with indignation in his voice.
MR.. Hines, owner of one of the big
sombreros, testified that he first had
personal knowledge of Mexican out
rage on United States soil in 1919
wren he was Ranger and a deputv
sheriff was killed near Eagle Pas, and
the sheriff taken captive. He saw manv
Americans refugees come ont of
Mexico, he said, and also from .onelv
rs;ds. "'u''