The New York herald., 1920-01-15
FRESH TALES Of
MEXICAN HORROR
TOLD SENATORS
Witness AscribeS Murder of
BoleS and Roney to Soldiers
of Carranza.

SAN ANTONIO. Tex, Wednesday,
Stories Of terrible cruelty, unred. d
murders and devastation OF properties
were given the Senate subcommittee in
vestigating the Mexican situation today
by men in close touch with conditions in
Mexico. T. NJ. McBee, a cattle man from
a border town, James u Britt. a lawyer
from Tampico. and George L. BIalock.
once the head OF what was the largest
colony Of American farmers in Mexico and
who now Is operating small grocery
store here, We're the witnesses. The ef-
feet of their testimony was to strengthen
the claims OF witnesses heard in Wash
ington, that the insecurity of American
life and property in Mexico is growing
greater.
Britt, who told the committee that he
is not employed by any oil company, as
serted that American life was worth
more In the Argonne than II is today in
the country about Tampico." He entered
the United States only two days ago. He
is one of the men who assisted in caring
for the bodies of +. J. Roney and Earl
Boles, who were killed December 80.
Blames Carranza Troops.
Britt appeared confident that the men
were killed by CarranZa's soldiers. They
we're killed within the Carranza lines" he
said. land the bullets we took from their
bodies were those used by the government
soldiers, and not by the bandits. More
over. Boles. after he had been shot in his
ankle, had been attacked from behind by
man with machette. The blade had
been trust far into his body. turned down.
ward and then up again. The rebels in
that part Of the country do not carry
machettes. The soldiers do
to hot ba lii ~,
soldiers was further supported by telling
how the paymaster of one of the oil COM
panies, who resembled Roney, received
permission about the same time the two
had left to carry a certain amount of
money into the oil fields. This inforna-
ton was transmitted TO the Carranzistas, s,
and Britt believes those who killed Roney
and Boles did SO in the belief they were
killing the paymaster and his aid.
stood Guard Over Bodies.
Britt told the committee the Americans
stood guard over the bodies until an
autopsy could be held. I'VE had one ex-
perience of neglecting that phase of such
q case he said. when James Wallace
was shot. I know for fact he was not
a drinking man, and yet the claim set
up by the MeSicans was that he was
drunk. And this Is what had happened
They had poured tequila into his mouth
order that the odor might support their
claim"
Reference to the killing OF Gabrielle
Porter, whose father lives here, was made
by the witness.
"Who was he?" inquired Senator Fall.
"Only an American" was the reply.
The answer characterized the bitterness
of his entire testimony. His arrangement
Of Carranza. Cabrera and other members
of the government was as unstinted as II
was caustic.
He frankly charged Mexican govern
ment officials with misappropriation of
government funds.
Britt, who was member OF the Ameri-
can Expeditionary Forces, confirmed to
the committee the recommendation that
was attributed to Secretary of Finance
Luis Cabrera, that members of the Ameri-
can Legion in Tampico should be deported.
The membership, he said, was nearly four
hundred.
What are you going to do? asked the
chairman. "Are you going to get out?"
I'VE won't get out If the United States
government stays behind u.s." Britt an
swered.
Advises OIL Men 10 Quit.
Four legion members are Mexicans who
served with the American Army. Britt
said that since he left Tampico they had
been arrested.
Although not connected with the oil in
dustry, he supplemented much of the tes-
timony already in possession of the COM
mittee regarding the treatment accorded
oil companies by the Carranza government.
adding. however that in his opinion II
would be we'll for all the men engaged in
the work there to get out IL they couldn't
get protection. He was reminded of the
Importance Of continuing the production of
Mexican wells, but his reply was that
Mexico without an income from the wells
would be starved out in three months"
McBee's story Of the killing of Lee Sharp
and Clarence Sellers was an added dra-
matte bit TO the testimony. The young
men disappeared from a ranch just across
the border from Del Rio. Ten days after
they had disappeared their bodies were
found. Their condition was such as to
convince the men on the border of the
manner in which they had died. According
to them the boys had been dragged about
by mounted men until dead.