Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1916 — CARRANZA RETURNS TROOPERS TO U. S. [ARTICLE]

CARRANZA RETURNS TROOPERS TO U. S.

23 Soldiers and Scouts Given Liberty at Juarez. STONED WHILE IN MEXICO Charged That Mexicans Killed Soijt® of Boyd's Men Who Were Wounded—Mormon * Blames Captain ) for Carrizal Fight. El Paso, Tex., June 30. —The 23 troopers of the Tenth cavalry and Lem 11. Spillsbury, Mormon scout, were brought to the international bridge at 3:15 o’clock in the afternobn. General Bell was waiting with a written receipt for their delivery. The actual transfer was at 3:16, when General Bell’s receipt passed Into Mexican hands. The actual return 'of the men to American soil was delayed some time after General Bell had given the receipt, while they were given a vinegar bath at the Immigration station, abutting on the bridge near this side. All the clothes the men wore la Mexico were thrown away and they, were freshly clothed. Names of Men Brought Back. I_ The troopers brought here are: Troop K, Fred Williams, St Louis; R. L. Floyd, Oklahoma City; Sergeant Allen Peterson, Meridian, Miss.; Hoe Oliver, Brighton, Ala.; George Stone, Talladega, Ala.; First Sergeant Felix Page, Washington, D. C.; Will Harris, Atlanta, Gn.; Samuel MacDonald, Portersville, Tenn.; William Gibbons, Chuttanooga; James M. Stokes, Atlanta; Harvey M. Lee, Columbus, O.; Elsa Graham, Smith Grove, Tenn.; Charles Marshall, Pasadena, Cal. Troop O, Luther Alexander, Columbia, Tenn.; William Hogue, Raleigh, N. C.; William D. Gibson, New York; Thomas G. Strtckler, Louisville, Ky.; Trannle G. Hopping, Atlanta, Ga.; John Wilson, Macon, Gn.; John Coleman, Jr., Walker Valley, Miss.; George M. Hopplns, Morristown, Pa. Luther Alexander and Archie Jones are suffering from wounds. Present Sorry Sight The prisoners were dressed In nondescript garb. While most of them had had restored to them the larger part of their uniforms, some were without coats, one had lnclrcled his waist with n towel, and practically all wore towels and bandanas on their hends Instead of hats. Spillsbury was dressed in a white duck suit: He appeared anxious. All the troopers were worn and drawn from their experience, and all were serious save one, who wore a broad smile. This one made himself the Impromptu spokesman of his fellows. “We sure are glad to get back,” he said. Gen. Francisco Gonzales, Juarez commander, and Andres Garcia, Mexican consul In El Paso, met the train. General Gonzales hoarded the train. A minute later he reappeared, followed hy the guard that had escorted the* prisoners from Chihuahua. They were taken to the disinfecting plant and there stripped and treated before being escorted to the coramnndancla. At the commandancla the troopers refused to discuss the Carrizal fight, their imprisonment or their return to the border.

Spillsbury was not so uncommunicative, however. lie entered the private office of General Gonzales and there gave out a brief interview in which he repeated statements he had been credited with making at Chihuahua by General Maeinto Trevino. These statements were to the effect that Captain Boyd, commander of the Americans at Carrizal, persisted in advancing toward Villa Ahumada to recover a negro deserter after Gen. Felix Gomez had warned him to turn back and after Spillsbury had urged him to accept this advice. He said that after the second conference between Captain Boyd and General Gomez, when he advised turning back, Captain Boyd said: "I am the commander, and it is for you to obey.” Following the battle Spillsbury said he and the other prisoners were taken to Villa Ahumada, where their hands were tied and they were placed aboard a train. They were stoned, he said, while this was being done. Stripped of Clothing. On their arrival at Chihuahua, where they arrived minus the greater part of their wearing apparel, 1 which had been stripped from them, they were assaulted and stoned again. One terrifying moment came to him, he said, in Chihuahua penitentiary, when he was threatened with

being hanged. He had Ween mistaken for a Texas-Mexican and had oeen dubbed a tratitor, he explained. As soon as it was found that he was a white man and attached to General Pershing’s command he was informed that he was in no danger. Three of the negro troopers declared that they were certain that sev-er-1 of the American wounded left on the field of battle at Carrizal subsequently were killed by the Mexicans. They said they had been robbed of money and valuables. Subscribe for The Democrat.