, 1923-07-22
VILLA RAID IS
RECALLED HERE
BY LOCAL MAN
Story of Attack on Columbus
Graphically Told by
w. F. Murphy

The death of Genera Francisco
CPanchol Villa which occurred at HIS
ranch at Cantuillo. Durango. Friday
when he was shot down by his score.
tary, Miguel Trilio. brings to the pub.
lie mind many interesting phases of
the great bandits career.
Details OF the villa raid on Column
bus. N. NJ. the morning OF March o.,
1915, are graphically set forth by
w f. Murphy. manager of the local
Western Union Telegraph
Mr.. Murphy at the time Of the raid
was chief operator at the Ell Paso
n Southwestern railroad station at
Columbus. MI. Murphy recalls mani
vivid details OF the Mexican raid In
his interview with a Tribune re.
porter.
Several days prior to the raid
George Seese, Associated Press cor
respondent arrived in Columbus and
predicted that there would soon be
trouble from Villa and his followers.
villa and his forces at the time of
Mr.. Seese's arrival in Columbus were
camped 80 miles southwest OF the
town at Boca Grande on the old Nor.
mon Trail. Previous to the time of
the raid newspaper correspondents
and motion picture men were wei.
come in Villas camps and campaigns.
He always accorded these Americans
every courtesy and saw that they
had the best OF quarters and rations
while with his army. Seese had been
with villa on a number OF the Mexi.
can leaders, campaigns. About the
time Of his arrival in Columbus the
Villiastis shot down and killed two
American cattle hands in the employ
OF the Palomas Cattle and Land com.
pany. One of the cowboys killed was
Corbets Mckinney. Immediately fol.
lowing the killing of the two men
there were JUNIORS current that the
Villa forces would attach Columbus
but the rumors were d~iscredited
owing to the fact that the Thirteenth
U. S. cavalry were camped in the
.own.
The night Of the raid three SQUAD
rons Of the Thirteenth cavalry were
doing Cossack patrol duty along the
border and covering from s to 10
miles o. the line Immediately south
OF Columbus proper. The camp Of
the Thirteenth was under the usual
camp guard. Several days prior to
the raid many Mexicans drifted into
Columbus n no doubt look careful
observations of the lay OF the town
and the country adjoining 1t. The
arrival of the Mexicans was nothing
unusual and little was thought OF
their presence and its meaning.
The night before the raid there was
a fire along the railroad right of way
which Mr.. Murphy thought was a
bridge on fire. He sent the section
foreman to the scene of the FIRE and
he reported back that II was nothing
but a pile of weeds. II was thought
that the weeds had been set on fire
by a passing locomotive but later de-
velopments caused the officials to
think that the fire was no doubt a
signal to the main band of villa. The
same night Of the FIRE the command
ing officer OF the military post was
given information by a friendly Mexi.
can that the Villiastis would attack
the town that night but the informa-
ton was regarded as a rumor and
discounted.
The raid or attack was made at
4:e0 a. m. the morning of March Q.
1915. The actual time of the raid
was confirmed because of a bullet
through the depot clock stopping the
hands at exactly the hour mentioned.
The clock is still in the hands OF the
station master, L. l.. Jaegers. The
Mexicans entered through a draw
north Of the military camp and also
from the west and north side OF rail-
road embankment from the east
More villa forces entered at another
arroyo directly from the south which
hid them from view OF the sentrles on
duty at the military camp. The
force from the south and east at
tackled tho camp OF the Thirteenth
cavalry whose rifles were locked in
gun racks delaying defensive tactics
for some little time. The Mexlcans
from the west attacked the town, and
killing and footing ran rife. Nine
civilians and seven members of the
Thirteenth cavalry were killed and
many wounded. The raiders took 90
head OF horses from the Thirteenth
cavalry corrals and made away with
all guns. ammunition and provisions
from the stores of the town. There
were 60 Mexlcans picked up dead in
and around the town IND military
camp. The bodies were saturated
with oil and burned. The Villa troops
in their haste to get away did o
bury any of their dead or take their
wounded with them. An impromptu
hospital was opened for the care Of
the wounded In an old log cabin
about 80 yards south of the present
depot site at Columbus. Tho cabin
still is standing. Tho fight lasted
from 4:20 n. m until $50 a. m. when
the Mexicans withdrew from the
town and camp. A detachment from
the Thirteenth cavalry ave chase to
the flying Villiastis and chased ths
main band over the line. The Next
cam then broke up into smaller
bands and made haste TO cover. The
detachment Of the Thirteenth cavalry
was lead by Major Thonpkins who
was later badly. wounded in n sklr-
mish with the Villa bandits at Mama
qulpa about 75 miles northwest OF tire
town OF chihuahua. Mexico. Thonp-
kin's forces after the chase returned
TO Columbus and reported that n