Albuquerque morning journal., 1920-02-12
GERMANS FOUGHT
IN CARRANZA' s
s3s?A!.y ''5!!!!!!yl! WITNESS
SAYS Al s. At PROBE
Capt, Frederick 7, Herman
Claims Bodies of Two
Were Found Among Mex
leans Killed at NogaIeS,
FIGHTING AT BORDER
TOWN Is DESCRIBED
Army Officers Tells How
Clash Began August 81,
19t8i Shooting Not Done
by Civilians, As Claimed.

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wlREl
El Paso, Texas, Feb. 11.-At
least two Germans were fighting In
the Mexican army on August 81,
1918, at Nogales, according to the
testimony of Captain Frederick T.
Herman, of the Eighth cavalry,
before the senate subcommittee in
vestigating the Mexican situation
today. He said their bodies were
found among the Mexican killed.
Captain Herman, lieutenant-col-
onel commanding at Nogales at the
time of the fight, denied the OFF,
cial statement Of the Mexican
commander that the Mexican force
was composed of civilians.
The investigation of the action
and the incidents preceding it, he
told the committee, indicated
clearly the greater part of the
MeXicans engaged were soldiers al
though most of them had dressed
in civilian clothes, and that the
fighting had been planned and was
directed by their commanding off,
lean casualties We're five killed and
thirty one wounded. Three civil-
ians also We're killed and five
wounded. The Mexican losses
never we're learned, but United
States army intelligence reports
were submitted TO show the Mexi-
cans buried after the fight at least
| lis.
/ Much of the testimony taken to-
day was in executive session. II
had to do with the forced evacua-
tion of the Mormon colonies in
Chihuahua. The committee also
learned the details of the efforts
made by the American military au-
tnorities to have brought to trial
Lieutenant Juan Azpoitia for the
murder of David Troib, December
2S, 1913, an American soldier. He
was killed on the Mexican side OF
the river near FL Paso. The return
| of his body to American side where
| the autopsy was held. was made
| the basis of protest by the Mcyi-
can authorities against any action
! by them. Negotiations resulted 0ln
| three examinations of the body
one by a Mexican military medical
| officer, and the arrest and pre-
liminary trial OF Lieutenant Appel
| tia, who confessed, but insisted he
acted in self defense. 1t was
shown the American soldier was
unarmed and Mexican witnesses
testified the lieutenant did not act
| In self defense. The continuanne
of the case was checked upon O
technical point and the witnesses
have disappeared. The Lieutenant
is at large. @
Continuing his account OF the
tight at Ncgales, Captain Herman
| tcld the committee 1t began at 4
| o'clock IA the afternoon. A shtt
was fired Ivy ore Of the sentriec on
tire international line in an effort
to prevent its unauthorized cross
| ing by some one. Within five min
utes, he declared. general firing
was in progress from Mexican pc
sitions that had been previously
occupied and that machine gun
fire was directed Mt the Americans
from point where no such gum
| had been the day before,
When an armistice was agreed to
at Z o'clock the Mexican order 10
cease firing was given by bugle ana
was executed in the usual military
manner. There was nothing, he in
sisted, to indicate the fighting was
being done ty civilians az claimed.
except the statement of he ccm-
manding officer and the civilian
clothing worn by many OF those
engaged.
The Mexican consul Mt Noga'es
sent word to Captain Herman, who
was wounded, the suggestion that
if the Americans would raise
white flag the Mexicans would
cease firing. The reply vas: The
Americans have no white flngs;
they don't use them" y few min
utes later a white flag 3ver the
Mexican side of the tewn resulted
in a cessation of fire and the con-
ference that was followed by 'he
return of the Americans to their
own side of the international line.