Bisbee daily review., 1921-04-29
JURY 0lT LESS
 THAN HALF HOUR
OoNTNUED FROM PAGE oNE1

would do justice to my fellow cit
 zens, he stated. "The trial was COT
 ducted ill the fairest manner possi
 ble and the result will do more thai
 anything that has happened in tn
 past decade to establish a clearer un
 derstanding between the Unite,
 States and Mexico. My governmen
 was prepared to accept the verdic
 of the jury at Deming regardless O l what it might have been. I am hap
 py that the jury of Americans found
 that the prisoners were not guilty | vilIistas Are Affected
 Dramatic incidents followed the ar
 nouncement of Che Terdict in the lit tie court room. Spectators rushed
 from their. seats to shake the hands 1 of the Mexican peons, exonerated on
 charges of murder. The double TOW
 of prisoners were visibly affected 1 David Rodriguez broke down. Fran.
 cisco Sells thanked the jury in brol1 en English. 'Senors, we are most 1 grateful" Soils exclaimed. "On be
 half of my comrades I wish to ex-
 press our gratitude. You have been
 most gracious to us and we were con stantly sustained during this trial by
 our faith in your justice and your de sire to be fair to us poor men. We will be most happy to again return
 to our families and enjoy freedom in
 our country. We assure you we were
 innocent We hope to live in the fut-
 ure in friendship and gratitude to America
 Closing arguments by counsel con- sumed little less than two hours. District Attorney Forrest Fielder asked for the death penalty. He re showed the Villistas. iucluhing the defendants, had raided Columbus. killed citizens there, knew they were on American soil, and were there on their own will. They were profes- sional bandits. Acquittal would mean he said, that in the future Mexican bandits may raid. American towns and go free on the claim they were forced into service by their leader.
 The 16 prisoners on trial were fore ed to serve under Villa, K. F. Hamil- tton, attorney for the Villistas, declar- ed to the jury This constituted their principal defense. He said the evi- dence did not show they had partic- ipated actively in the raid on Colum- bus and that whatever part they had in the raid was forced upon them by the fear of the consequences of dis obedience to the orders of Villa or his officers.
 The indictment on which the men were tried, charging them with aid and abetting in the death of William T. Ritchie, one of the victims of the raid, requires the state to prove only known person and that the Villista prisoners were present and participate | ed in the crime On this point the instructions of the court to the jurors stated that if they believed from the 1 evidence that the defendants did not 1 will, did not actively aid or encourage l the slayer of Ritchie and had nc part ! or knowledge of the planning of the ! crime, they should be found not gull | ty. The mere fact that they were un- der duress or members of a disciplin- 1 ed military organization. however, the instructions stated, does not re- lieve the 16 Villistas of guilt of | murder under the law of aiding and 1 abetting
 Says Expedition Halted :;
 Assertion that the capture of Fran. cisco Villa by the American troops of the punitive expedition was prevent f ed by orders from Washington. wast made on the witness stand by Major N. w. Campanole. chief intelligence officer with General Pershing's ex. petition into Mexico.
 There is no doubt in my mind. and l am speaking from knowledge obtained in charge of the secret ser vice of the army. that Villa would have been captured if the troops of the punitive expedition had been per mited to operate" Major Campanole testified.
 After the battle at Parral. Major Campanole said, differences arose between the punitive expedition and the CarranZa de facto troops which were presumably cooperating with the Americans in the pursuit of Villa and his raiders. Conferences were held at which efforts\ were made to adjust the strained relations between Inc United States and the Carranza government, according to Major Cam panole, and following these Ele ex- received orderS from the government to cease its reconnais- 5ance in the vicinity" in which he said Villa Was known to be in hiding.
 In statement to The Associated Press, Major Campanole declared hat one of the columns of the puni- i've expedition had passed within a thousand yards Of the house where Villa was hiding in the village of san