Evening star., 1920-02-04
MEX|CANMURDERS
j TOLD TO SENATORS
Inquiry at Ell Pas0 Reveals
LaWIessness Against
Americans.

Ell PASO. Tex. February 1by the
Associated Press THE searchlight of
the United States Senate subcommit-
tee investigating Mexican affairs was
scheduled today to he turned upon
the Big Bend district and happenings
that have occurred there within re-
cent years. Residents of that section
of Texas were expected to be called
as witnesses, among them Mrs. James
Carney. whose husband was killed in
the state of Durango. Mexico.
That Army officers reports might
also make up part of the evidence TO
be considered today was intinated by
those in touch with the work of the
subcommittee
Whether Senator Albert +. Fall OF
New Mexico. chairman of the subcom-
nittee. would return from his ranch
at Three Rivers. y. NJ, in time to- pre-
side over the hearing today was not
known In his absence Senator Mar
Gus \. Smith of Arizona conducted
the hearings yesterday.
More Lawie~sness shown.
Additional stories of murders.
piundering and other lawlessness said
to have been perpetrated upon
Americans in Mexico were told to the
subcommittee yesterday.
L Z. Ecke. formerly a contractor
employed on Mexican railway. told
of the murder of his son and added
that the men responsible for the rpur-
der had been well accounted for"
S. II. Veater. FL Paso police captain,
testified concerning the devastation
and abandonment of the five Mormon
colonies in Chihuahua, and w A.
Schultz, formerly of the B1aylock
colony in Tamaulipss testified re-
gardlne murders which he said had
come to his knowledge and personal
indisnities suffered by himself
F-
Fought against Germany, gave cor
roborative testimony regarding the
alleged dual role played by Luis de la
Rosa who. others have testified was
leading factor in the attempted ex-
ecuton of the plan of San Diego He
sald that at one time he saw de la
Rosa, then a captain in the Carranza
army. drilling troops on the parade
ground at Victoria. capital of the
state of Tamaulipas. He said he was
told at the time by soldiers that de
Ia Rosa was drilling the men for the
invasion OF Texas"
Schultz told the story of the killing
or an American named Sawyer.
sawyer. he said was an old
man He went back to the United
states and returned with wife. One
DAY the Mexicans came to his house
and shot him in the stomach because
he hesitated when they demanded to
know where he kept his money His
wife told them 1t was buried and she
pointed out the place. When she re-
turned to the house Sawyer was dead
i appealed TO Gen. Nafarrette asking
him If he would permit ME to join a
posse to run down his murderers. We
don't need your assistance was Ma
farrette's reply, who added, We are
gong to drive all of you Americans
out of here"
Mr.. Ecke is the American who led
the rescue party after train load of
passengers had been burned to death
in the Cumbre tunnel in 1914. He told
the following story of that disaster:
One of the Mexican leaders. said
to have been Maxine Castillo. had
blocked one end of the tunnel with
burned freight train Deceived by
the absence of any guard at the
northern end of the tunnel, a train
bearing approximately $50 passen-
gers soon afterward dashed into the
tunnel. where it collided with the
burning cars. How many Americans
were on the train has never been full
ly determined and has been estimated
at from twenty-five to fifty. When
the bodies were removed they Were
unacceptable"
Tells of SONS Death.
According to Ecke's story of the
death OF his son, Kari Ecke, seventeen
years old, the young man, accom-
panied by Z. l.. Bishop and two SER
wants, negro and a Mexican, started
into the Galeana district in an auto
mobile shortly after the Cumbre disas-
ter. They were halted by a group of
MeIicans. few of whom had at one
time worked for the boys father
The men were taken to nearby
house, where the decision to execute
them was announced. Bishop was
shot through the heart. Ecke and
the Mexican servant leaped for the
horses, tethered nearby, but the Iassos
of the Mexicans fell over their heads,
and when their bodies were found
they bore evidence of having been
dragged until life was gone. Ecke's
neck was broken.
The Mexican was not killed, and il
was from him that the father learned
the details of his sons death
Wnat happened to the Mexicansy p"
asked Senator Smith.
'"They were all accounted for" was
the reply.
Yes, but I mean by what authori-
tks:"
''Hy the proper authorities, I be-
Iese" said the father. '"The Villistas
got four of them, somebody else got
;,iIvther and then there were four
lvIr. They have been accounted for,
to-.