Arizona republican., 1920-02-08
COL LUMBUS RAID
 VAS EXPECTED
 SAY WITNESSES
Testimony Brings Out Fact That A. P. Man Was on Hand. to Report Story Be- fore Villa Crossed Line

 ficer there that when the attack was made on March g. 1916, no unusual precautions to prevent surprise had been taken, witnesses today told the senate subcommittee Investigating the Mexican situation. Lee Rigs, a deputy customs collector, said he had been the interpreter when Colonel H. J. Slocum, commanding the army post sent into Mexico a Mexican scout to secure in- formation concerning the movements of Villas troops and he reported on the night before the raid that a body of the Mexicans was then marching on Columbus. w. F. Murphy, a teleg- rapher, testified that message Of warning from the American military headquarters at Douglas, also had been sent to Colonel Slocum and other wit nesses declared the knowledge that the raiders were a few miles south of Columbus was common.
 Murphy told the committee that G. K Seese, Associated Press corre- spondent, was so nearly convinced raid would be attempted that he ap- peared in Columbus two or three days before it did occur and made arrange ments to have sent there an extra tele- graph operator to assist in the trans mission of the story he expected to write.
 The accounts of the raid as given by the different witnesses agreed in the
 
 appear they met no opposition until much of their killing, footing and burn ing had been accomplished. 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 F. l.. Med Ter, who tried and convicted seven of the captured Mexicans, testified that urgent representations 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 mur der 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 1t might result in diplomatic complica- tions with Mexico The judge refused to halt the proceedings and seven of the men were condemned to death. Six were executed, the sentence of the seventh being changed to life impr'is- onment by the governor of the state
 Judge Needles told the committee the suggestion that he halt the proceed ings 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 third from either the secretary of war or the secretary of state: he was unable to remember from which. '1 sent back word" said the witness "that the men had been duly indicted by the grand jury and that I could see no reason for not pro- ceeding with the trial. told the writ CTS of the message there would be no watchful waiting in my court"
 Examination of Mrs. Lauro Ritchie widowed by the Mexicans on the night of the raid developed the possibility of further discussion as the legal clas- sification of the raids. She and her husband were operating the largest hotel in Columbus. The raiders burned it and her efforts to obtain the insur- ance she told the committee, had been unsuccessful because the insurance company adhered to that clause in the policy exempting them from payment in case of invasion Mrs. Ritchie's description of the attack on the town and especially on the hotel where five Americans were killed was graphic She was thrust to one side when her husband was dragged off to be shot. MexfcanS then ranSacked the build i ing in search of plunder but not until they had removed from her fingers and those of her three daughters the rings they wore. One of her daughters was years old, one Is and the other 20. After they had been rescued from the burning building by neighbor the 15-year-old girl insisted she was going out of the building where they had been hidden to recover her fathers body which she had seen on the way 1 to their hiding place. Against pro- tests she started and when not more l than a few feet from the house her l coat was pierced by bullets.
 Describe Fighting
 Edwin G. Dean was another witness l who described the fighting. His father was killed. He was twice wounded | but succeeding in escaping in an auto mobile.
 L. l.. Burkhead offered further in- formation in corroboration of. that of | other witnesses as to the general ap- | prehension of a raid that had pre- vailed.
 He said that on March that only | two of the Mexicans enrolled in the | public schools appeared.
 One of the raiders was witness. Jesus Peaz, 16 years old, told the com | mittee he and his father had been | forced to join Villa or become victims | or persecution by the Carranza sold | iers. His father was killed during the raid and one of the boys legs was shot off
 It was because of the boys youth he E was not punished with the other seven brought to trial. He was delivered to a charitable institution by the court and when he appeared before the com mittee today he spoke English fluent ly. When captured he knew no word | or the language. According to him. Villa was with the band when they approached the town on the night of the eighth but remained outside. A great part of the raiders he declared never knew they were going to at tack Columbus because of a failure a short time before to keep secret, a plan Villa had made to attack NogaIes. After that plan became known, Villa, said the boy. insisted that he would not in the future tell any of his men just where they were going.
 According to his story his appear ance in the fight; the loss of his leg and his capture were due to a determ-i ination to find his father. When the raiders entered. his father, he said, instructed him to remain behind and hold his horse. He did but when he met the returning band was told his father had been shot he refused to ac- company the fleeing Mexicans and made his way into Columbus He never found his father but in the | fighting which was still in progress, | received his wound