Bisbee daily review., 1920-02-08
TELL IF RAID
 ON COLUMBUS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE)
Surprise Garrison.

mission of the story he expected to write
 Surprise Garrison.
 The accounts of the raid as given by the different witnesses agreed in the statements that when the Me&f- cans did appear they met no opposi- tion until much of their killing, loot ing and burning had been accom- plished. When they did withdraw they took with them many of the American cavalry horses and left IT dead Americans and almost as many wounded
 Judge E. L. Medler, who tried and convicted seven of the captured Mex jeans, testified that urgent represent ations had been made to him by the attorney general of the United States not to proceed with the case on the grounds that they should not be tried in a civil court for murder since they were taken prisoners in connection with an invasion, and. he added, "the messages delivered to me, urging me to cease proceedings, said I should hold up the case because it might re- suit in diplomatic complications with Mexico" The judge refused to halt
 
 men were condemned to death. Six were executed, the sentence of the seventh being changed to life i'm prisonment by the governor of the state.
 No Watchfu Waiting.
 Judge Medler told the committee the suggestion that he halt the pro- ceedings reached him through an agent of the department of justice, who gave to him in open court the message from the attorney general, another from the military commander of the southern department and a third from either the secretary of war or the secretary of state; he was un- able to remember from which.
 'I sent back word" said the wit ness, "that the men had been duly in- dicted by the grand jury and that l could see no reason for not proceed ing with the trial. told the writers of the messages there would be no watchfuI waiting in my court"
 Examination of Mrs. Laura Ritchie, widowed by the Mexicans on the night of the raid, developed the pos sibility of further discussion as to the legal classification of the raiders. She and her husband were operating the largest hotel in Columbus. The raiders burned it, and her efforts to obtain the insurance. she told the committee, had been unsuccessful be- cause the insurance company adhered to that clause in the policy exempting them from payment in case of inva- sion.
 Mrs Ritchie's description of the at tack on the town. and especially on the hotel where five Americans were killed, was graphic. Sine was thrust to one side when her husband was dragged off to be shot. Mexicans then ransacked the building in search of plunder, but not until they had re- moved from her fingers and those of her three daughters the rings they wore. One of her daughters was s years old. one 15 and the other 20. After they had been rescued from the burning building by a neighbor the 15-year-old girl insisted she was go- ing out of the building where they had been hidden to recover her fa- thers body, which she had seen on the way to their hiding place. Against protests she started and when not more than a few feet from the house her coat was pierced by bullets.
 Edwin G. Dean was another wit ness who described the fighting. His father was killed. He was twice wounded, but succeeded in escaping from the town with his wife in an automobile. L. l.. Burkhead offered further information in corroboration of that of other witnesses as to the general apprehension of raid that had prevailed. He said on March s only two of the 90 Mexican school children enrolled in the public schools appeared
 One of the raiders was witness. Jesus Paez, 16 years old, told the committee he and his father had been forced to join Villa or become victims of persecution by the Carranza sol diers. His father was killed during the raid and one of the boys legs was shot off
 It was because of the boys youth he was not punished with the other seven brought to trial He was de- livered to a charitable institution by the court and when he appeared be- fore the committee today be spoke English fluently. When captured he knew no word of the language. Ac- cording to him Villa was with the band when they approached the town on the night Of the Sth, but remained outside A great part of the raiders he declared never knew they were going to attack Columbus because of a failure a short time before to keep secret a plan Villa had make to at tack Nogales After that plan be canoe known, Villa. said the boy, in sisted that he would not in the future tell any of his men just where they weer going.
 According 10 his story his appear ance in the fight, the loss of his leg and his capture were due to a de termination to find his father. WheI the raiders entered his father, he said. instructed him to remain behind and hold his horse. He did, but wher he met the returning band was told his father had been shot he refused ---=,---:zzs--.ss.s.-s.