Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-05-10

0CNNAANSA'
II was in the front part Of our
home between 10 and II o'clock on
the morning of the fifth,R Mrs.
Slaughter said "The cook, Maria
Miranda, was in the Kitchen, and
her sister, Guadalupe, was some dis
tarce away from the house washing
clothing.
suddenly / heard a noise which
sounded like a stampede. The win
dows in the ranch are built high for
protection, and it was necessary for
me to get upon a chair to look out.
I looked out the window and saw a
large band of Indians riding in.
Some were disnounting. Some were
naked from the. waist up. All we're
heavily armed
Calling for Maria, started run
ming through the dining room to-
ward the back door, and ran right
into a Yaqui 1 later found to. be the
chief of the band. I don't know
which of us was the more frightened.
I turned and ran out the front door
and around to the rear, where I
found Maria. We ran to the hills,
no one attempting to stop us. There
was not a shot fired
eve got on the top of a small hill
and looked back toward the ranch.
The Indians had gotten our Ford out
and were riding around and around
in it. 1t was literally packed with
Indians.
Starting for neighboring ranch
three miles north Of arroyo Seco. "
Mrs. Slaughter and Maria became
lost in the hills. They stumbled on,
becoming more and more thirsty for
water.
The clothing Of both was torn to
shreds by the rocks and mesquite
bushes. They were bruised in falls.
Finally they sighted a boy on horse
back, whom Maria recognized as be-
ing from the neighboring ranch.
Telling him to warn the people
of his ranch of the attack on the
Slaughter ranch and to bring them
water, they continued their journey.
They had nearly reached the ranch
when they sighted two Yaquis, who
had evidently been sent ahead as
lookouts, at tbout the same time that
the Indians saw them.
"One of them was on horseback
and one afoot," Mrs Slaughter con-
ti11ued. "They came to us and we
told them we wanted water. They
guided us to stream and we started
to drink. AS we were kneeling down
to drink, the Indian drove his horse
into the stream, muddying the water.
''Then they started driving us to-
were high heeled pumps, were torn
ward the ranch. My shoes, which
to pieces. Maria gave me her shoes
and walked in her stocking feet.
had previously taken off my rings.
valued at about $500, and placed
them in my shoes.
GAS we neared the ranch, the In
dams went on ahead of us. Seeing
our chance, we ran up hill and hid
behind some rocks. Two outposts of
the Yaquis on neighboring hill saw
us and rode over and again took us
prisoners They took us on into the
Mexican ranch.
"They placed us in an adobe hut,
placing pallets on the floor for us to
lie on. But the chief told them to
bring us out SO they look us over.
It must have been two or three hours
OC1O4O lily 41OOOcA4O c14A4NOOIs N|AAAJ AAA1
GOODNESS an dtact saved u.s."
Slaughter, with his foreman, Bill
Potts, and Mexican ranch hands, had
ridden to a neighboring ranch about
Is miles distant from the Slaughter
ranch on the day of the raid to
transact some business.
"I rode back to the ranch at about
q o'clock in the afternoon and found
the place literally torn to pieces"
Slaughter said. Baggage was lying
around the yard with dead chickens
and hogs. I ran into the house ex-
pecting to find my wife's dead body,
but the place was empty. knew at
once what had happened
Trailing the Yaquis in their march
to the north, Slaughter finally came
to a point where he saw four
YaquiS some distance away. Calling
to them, he asked if they had his
wife, and if she had been harmed.
They told him that she was their
prisoner, but that they had not hurt
her. They told him to come on
down to the ranch and that he
would not be harmed.
"They sent the Mexican woman,
Maria, up to tell me what had hap
pened,'' Slaughter continued. "She
said that the. chief wanted money,
clothes, horses and saddles for my
wife's release, and that would not
be hurt if I came on down into
their camp.
"I rode on down into the ranch
and talked with the chief, a short,
stocky Indian of about 25. He re-
fused to disclose his identity through
out and talked through an inter-.
prefer who spoke Mexican. He want
ed $500 and all the horses had. I
told him that I had no money, but
that I would give him IS good horses.
The others of my 10 head of horses
had been working and were not in
good condition. He agreed, but want
ed me to buy him so suits of blue
denims in Moctezurna, while he held
my wife.
II finally talked him into agreeing
to let my wife, Maria and I return
to our own ranch with some blan-
kets for the night and to send note
to the foreman to bring the horses
and get the clothing. We returned
to our ranch. The dogs started bark
~ oL11 . 80 in