Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1920-12-07
SAYS SHOULDN'T PUNISH
POOR IGNORANT ASSASSlNS

The average American Is almost
maudlin in sentimental feeling until
someone cuts his wifc's throat, browns
his children aud carries his mother-in-
law away as n hostage. When he has
gone through the horrors OF II barbar-
Gus massacre, however. nc becomes "a
bowling maniac thirsting for gore III
Americans were little less sentimen-
tai America would have probably been
spared the Columbus massacre and the
I.usitania sinking Here Is n sample or
curiously safe and sane" reasoning
that comes from town not so many
miles from Columbus
Here are sixteen men probably the
dullest and least responsible Of the
/ army that attacked Columbus senten-
ccd To serve life terms for murder
while the arch 'conspirator and leader
gees free and apparently blameless. III
the attack ON Columbus was not war
Poncho villa Is n murderer and the
I United States should ask for and insist
on his eXtradition so that he should
stand trial for the crime.
/ AS the government has not done this
and does not intend to do IL, why
wreck vengence upon sixteen poor dew
. lis who were undoubtedly forced to go
I into the attack on Columbus II they
even knew where they were goingT
/ The editor Of the Enterprise seems to
believe that II il Is impossible to nppre-
bend the leaders Of Bandit gang the
inst thing 10 do Is To turn loose those
who are captured. Yes, absolutely.
Poncho villa ought to be tried for the
murders committed at Columbus and
he Is under indictment In this county
and would be tried for his life II cap
tured. That our government does not
see fit 20 extridate him, has nothing In
the world to do with his guilt or the
guilt Of those who chose TO follow him.
Where on earth the editor gets the
idea that the men captured did not
know where they were going Is beyond
guessing since the men confessed IN
opcn court that they knew where they
were going and had been promised
American women for their trouble.
They brought hundreds OF extra horses
TO carry loot that could not have been
found In any city In northern Mexico
and the way they killed demonstrated
that they enjoyed the business they
were engaged in.
Personally the Graphic editor be-
lleves in wrecking vengence ON those
who wontonly bring death and misery
to incffensive people, but the punish
merit of the villa raiders was never n
matter Of ycngence These men con-
fessed to homlcides, they were proved
to be murders and they were given thc
treatment accorded by the courts TO
. those who break the law. Why should
they receive parllons for murders they
are known 10 have committed In the
most barbarous fashion, That they
were Ignorant Is no excuse. since a coll
iege degree is not requied for incar'
ceration In the New Mexico peniten-
ltiary. They said they were impressed
in the villa hand. They went eurther
land declared that they were all horse
! holders. though they were so badly
wounded that they could not be carried
to safety One would imagine that the
largest part OF the villa command had
held horses while the few THAT had
been killed entered the town. Every
man who knows anything about the
, Columbus raid at all knows that thesc
men fell victims to the guns OF Lieut.
Castleman's men I'm the streets Of Co
: lumhus or were shot In the pursuit I'M
der Major Tompkins. OF course We can
take the word of these bl00dthirsty
bandits as 70 how they Numbered
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