Deming graphic., 1920-02-10
SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE
3 INVESTIGATES COLUMBUS RAID


A 16-year-Old boy, who at the age OF
l25 years was one OF Villas band and
in the raid upon Colum-
bus. n. NJ, on Macrh o, 1916, appeared
ms witness before the Fall sub-cOm- |
mittee of the senate, and gave an ac-
count OF the part he took In the raid
upon the border city.
The appearance Of this Mexican boy
created n sensation in the county
court room, where the senate sub-com-
mittee hearings are being conducted,
as he came In on hisc rutches with an
empty trousers leg pinned about the
leg which was cut on just above the
knee. The remainder OF the leg had
been shot away by Nillista soldier
during the fight at Columbus.
Disputing the denials made by Villas
friends that the bandit chief took part
In the Columbus raid, this boy, Jesus
Paiz, said that villa led his command
i'm person and remained in the outskirts
OF the town while the attack was made.
He stated, also, that the Santa Nsabel
massacre. In which II Americans were
killed, was perpetrated by detach-
ment under Pedro Lopez, which later
Ioined the main villa band at Santo
Geronimo.
Shot by Own Band
81 heard the men talking about II
when they joined us" young Paiz said
He stated that he was shot aud cap
tnred while seeking his father He had
been left outside the town. he sald'
when the men dismOunted and crept III
TO make the attack, and had been dl-
rected by his father To remain with
the horses Towards morning he was
told that his father had been killed,
and went up into the town to serach
for him while the Willistas were re-
treating There, he said, he was hred
upon by members Of the band who he
glpposed. did not recognize him. He
claimed to have returned the fire AMI
shot one of Villas men. Later he was
himself shot by the retreating bandits
as he rode past burning building.
This boy bandit accounted for his
presence with villa by saying that
while his father was foreman on a
ranch the Carrancistas killed his three
brothers for their money and threat
ened To kill the father unless II sum OF
money was paid in two days. The
father than ran away and young Jesus
was taken as "A hostage and threatened
with death IL he did not disclose the
hiding place Of his father
Boy Makes Escape
"They trusted me a little too mucl
and escaped one day." he said. v
went back to my home at Los Quinta'
Cnrolinas." he continued, "and got .
bottle of coffee and some tortillas anc
jumped on horse and left. In three
, dsys | found my father In Santo Ge
ronimo and there we started ne"
life with villa"
Repcnted warnings that MeXican'
had planned to raid Columbus received
so little credence by the commanding
: officer there that when the attack wal
made no unusual precautions to pre-
, vent surprise had been TAKEN VII
- nesscs testified. Lee Riggs, dcput.
70 customs collector, said he had been TN
p Interpreter when Col. II. j. Slocum
o. commanding the army post, sent int
? Mexico Mexican scout to secure III
| formation concerning the movement
? of Villas troops, and he reported o.
, the night before the raid that bod
of the Mexicans was then marching o.
5 Columbus
e w. f. Murphy, telegraph operator
{ testified that Il message or warhiH
I from the American military headquai
e ters at Douglas also had been sent |
h Col Slocum, and other witnesses d'
[ clared the knowledge that the raider
4 were n few miles south OF Columou
was common. , =,
/. Correspondent Had Tip"
I Nurphv told the committee that I
, / Seese. nm Associated Press CORE
r spondent. was so nearly convinced
!. raid would he attempted that he al
i neored In Columbus two or three day
4 before IL did occur and made arrang'
Y ments TO have sent there an extra tei'
proph operator to assist in the tran'
mission Of the story he eXpecteu
write.
: THE accounts Of the raid as given D
the different witnesses agreed III tll
n statements that when the MeXicans I'll
a anpear they met no opposition unit
!. much Of their killing, looting and bun
+ ing had been accomplished. When the
!. aid withdraw they took with thei
: many OF the American cavalry horse
. and left II dead Americans and almo'
/. as many wounded. - -
Judge f. L. Medler, who tried an
convicted seven of the captured Mex
cans. testified that urgent represents
lions had been made 20 him by the Il
y. torney general OF the United states NJ
~ TO proceed with the case on ~
~ grounds that they should not he trie
u in a civil court for murder since the
, we're taken prisoners in connecuo
d. with an invasion. and, he added, III
messages delivered to me urging