WJ
/ The Cordova Daily Times
VOLl'MK T\V< >. Xl'MBFK :}S4. CORDOVA, ALASKA, FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 10, 1916. PRICE TEN CENTS
cn /57 A O 5BV Hi7 51 Tl
VILLA BANDITS SHOOT UP AND SET FIRE TO CITY
S Special to The Times By Associated Press.
COLUMBUS, New Mexico, March d. — This city was
awakened to the horrors of war at 4:30 o’clock this morning,
when a band of Villa bandits led by General \ ilia himself,
crossed' the Mexican border and swooped down on the sleep
infested city, burning, killing and destroying. A number of
citizens were killed by the bandits, ami others seriously
wounded, but details of the casualties have not been accurate
ly ascertained, owing to the excitement which the unexpected
attack threw the people into.
The soldiers of the Mexican bandit held possession of the
town for a fidl hour and a half, during which time they rioted
up and down the streets, shooting all persons sit sight who
showed their faces, and raiding the hotels and stores. Among
the Americans killed are Mr. and Mrs. Millin James and J. S.
Dean, a local merchant. The bandits were driven off by the
Thirteenth U. S. cavalry, but their last act was to set fire to
the town, which was with difficulty subdued.
The cavalry charged' the Mexicans and drove them before
them across the border, leaving many dead behind them. The
Mexican bodies wen* left in the streets where they fell, until
order was restored, when they were piled up and burned by tbe i
city authorities. Some of the Mexicans were killed by Ameri
cans who fired from behind their blinds as the raiders swept !
.up and' down the streets. Others were killed outside the eitvj
A,y the American soldiers. In Columbus fourteen dead Mexi-,
cans were picked up.
The losses among the cavalry were slight, three privates
being killed and four others wounded. I he bandits also mur
dered A. L. Kitehie, the proprietor of a hotel in this city, as
well as S. Ti. Walker, a guest in the hostelry. The attack came
as a complete surprise, and was carefully planned by \ ilia,
who had taken good care to throw the America nauthorities
off his track. Villa arranged' yesterday for the raid, and to
fi'ol the American military commanders had a telegram, os
tensiblv signed by tin* American caretaker of tin* Nogales,
ranch, in Chihuahua, near the border and forty-four miles
from this city, stating that Villa was at the Nogales ranch.
The telegram was sent to Haehietn, New Mexico. This tele
gram said that Villa was personally present in the ranch
house.
Villa, instead of being at the Nogales ranch, was in the
meantime at the head of his band of outlaws marching on this
city from the Basques Grandes ranch, twenty-five miles south
west of Columbus. Other Americans were murdered by Villa
besides the citizens of this city. Arthur McKinney, foreman
of the Palams ranch, William Corbett and James O’Neill were
captured by Villa and' hanged. Afterwards oil was poured on
their bodies and they were burned. J. Moore, a merchant lo
cated on a ranch a mile west of Columbus, was also killed by
the raiders, while an unknown automobile was intercepted on
a nearby road, ami the chauffeur murdered. The car was af
terwards discovered with the driver full of bullet holes. The
automobile had an El Paso license tag, but the dead man has
not been identified. Tt is positively asserted by residents of
this eitv that the attack was personally directed by General
Villa.
OOF ATM BUS, New Mexico, March 9. — The authorities
are doing all they can to compile a complete list of the dead
and’ wounded American citizens, as a result of the Mexican raid
on this city early this morning. To those known dead already
discovered has been added the name ot ('. ('. Miller, a well
known druggist. A portinanetau has been found containing
personal papers belonging t<> General Villa, which conclusively
establishes that the rebel leader led the raid in person. The
number of bandits who took part in the raid has been estimated
at nine hundred.
Troop G of the Thirteenth Infantry, which was stationed
at a border gate south of this city, was advised of the attack,
and the men hurriedly mounted and caught the retreating,
Mexicans on their flank before they had reached the border.
A hot fight resulted', which left fourteen dead Mexicans on
American soil. The Americans lost seven killed and seven
wounded. Among the wounded Americans is Lieutenant C.
Benson. The dead Mexicans were examined, and one of them
was found to be Pablo Lopez, who was second in command to
Villa.
COLUMBUS, New Mexico, March 9. — The bodies of
twenty-four of the Mexican bandits who were killed by the
American soldiers were gathered before noon today and
burned. There are scores more of dead and wounded Mexi
cans in the brush, having fallen in the running fight between
here and the Mexican border. Major Lindslev, who is stationed
at the Gibson ranch, sent three troops of cavalry across the
international border to reinforce Major Tompkins, who went
in pursuit of the raiders.
WASHINGTON, March 9. — The news from Columbus
created great excitement in this city among the federal offi
cials, among whom if was variously stated' that intervention
was never nearer than at present. The President immediately
called into consultation Newton D. Baker, the new secretary of
war, who commences his duties with the possibilities of having
real serious work on his hands. Because of the gravity of tin*
situation it was decided to have Baker take charge ot his new
office at once, so Wilson issued his commission, and Baker
took the oath of office. It is confidently expected that Ameri
can soldiers will be sent across the border to destroy Villa and
his band, and it is said that such action could lie taken without
a (dash with the Carranza government.
WASHINGTON, March 9. Secretary Lansing announced
this afternoon that the I’nited States was considering asking
the Carranza government for permission to send troops into
Mexico for the purpose of capturing the band of Villa bandits
who raided the town of Columbus this morning. The permis
sion will be requested for this occasion only, and the troops
will l>e withdrawn when their mission has been accomplished.
FRENCH REPULSE
PARIS, March 9. — The war office
issued an official communique today,
setting forth on the Verdun section,
west of the Mesuije river, the French
had repulsed repeated German attacks
on the village of Bethincourt. The
announcement also says that the Teu
tons have been repulsed between
Douamont and the village of Vaux. af
ter several successive heavy attacks,
accompanied by a tremendous artil
lery bombardment. Violent Infantry
assaults followed each other in rapid
succession, but the Germans were
completely defeated. The village of
Vaux was penetrated by the Germans,
but despite the tremendous attacks
they were unable to make further ad
vances, suffering heavily, and charg
ing in mass formations without regard
'to the losses suffered.
PARIS, March 9. — The press and
the public are convinced that the
Germans will be unable to capture
Verdun. They consider the results of
yesterday’s fighting as determining
the issue, and they feel that Joffre
has already met the greatest strength
of the German attack successfully.
Wl'lie French claim to have plenty of
reserve troops ready to repair any
break in their lines, who have not yet
been called upon.
BERLIN, March 9. — It is officially
stated that the village and armed fort
at Vaux. northeast of Verdun, had
been captured by the Germans. Nu
merous adjoining fortified positions
I were also taken, the assault being
made in the night by the Posen re
serve regiments.
Wanted A woman cook at once.
Apply at this office.
The cry for additional ships has
reached to the furthermost points on
the Alaskan coast. Never before in
the history of the northern territory
has the spring outlook for tonnage
movement anywhere nearly approach
ed the present situation. Salmon can
neries are being increased and oper
ators of these important industries are
eager to close a contract for the move
ment of their output in any sort of
ocean carrier, so long as the valuable
food product can be taken safely
to a railroad terminal.
The government appropriation of
$2,000,000 to cover rush work on the
railroad being built from Anchorage
to the coal mines in the Matanuska
field, calls for another immense north
bound tonnage, including 45 miles of
steel rails and all rail fittings, lumber
for sidewalk paving, bridge timbers,
station houses and miscellaneous pur
poses, for, notwithstanding the fact
that the railroad is being built through
the Chugach forest reserve, all the
lumber for its construction, for some
reason unknown, is being shipped from
Seattle or Tacoma.
Lastly, the Alaska copper shipments
I are increasing day by day from every ^
mine in the territory to the big smelt-,
ing plant at Tacoma, which tonnage
alone is calling for additional ships.!
The leading shippers are the mines
included in the recent merger of the
Kennecott Mines Corporation, which
is now shipping an average of about
$2,000,000 worth each month. The higli
price of copper has made it possible
for all the other independent mines
in Alaska and the Yukon to market
their product, and these different
companies are eagerly endeavoring to
contract for the southbound move
ment of their tonnage. The great ac
tivity in the Juneau district of the last
three years, incidental to the comple
tion of the plant of the Alaska Gasin
eau mine, one of the Jackling proper-,
ties, is to be followed by similar ac
tivity in the same district by the
Alaska-Juneau property, which is con
trolled by the Treadwell interests, and
this alone creates a new demand for
tonnage.
Coal, crude oil, gasoline, supplies
for mining companies, fishing com
panies, the government railroad and
the like, are beginning to loom In vast
quantities, so that it looks as if the
operating companies will face a truly
difficult task in handling this unusual
traffic movement.
As previously pointed out, steamship
operators are confronted with offers
to purchase their steamers at fabu
lous prices, or to charter same for one,
two or three trips at figures which
would, if maintained until the end of
the year, pay for each vessel. Sev
eral years ago a situation as at pres
ent, with Alaska traffic showing an
Increase of such big figures, might j
have been handled by the steamship1
men with delight, and it would havej
been an easy matter to have picked
up any number of additional vessels j
ut low cost in various parts of the!
country, but in view of the present
situation the bright outlook for bust ^
uess has its disturbing element in the
lack of ships to handle the tonnage j
offered, in the extremely low rates,
ruling in the Alaska trade, in the high
tost of operation brought about by |
various conditions, and the disquiet
ing and tempting offers made to pur
chase or charter nearly 60 per cent
of the fleet operating between Puget
Sound and Alaska.
What the outcome will be no per
son can say, but in the case of the
recent withdrawal of the American
Ilawalian fleet and the announcement
that the most unheard of charter rates
had been offered that company, while
some of its vessels had been pur
chased, has caused steamship men
generally to admit that the situation
is not as satisfactory as could be de
sired, and while this northwestern
section is already far remote from the
scene of the great Kuropean conflict,
its effect is already being felt just as
its influence has been shown in the
changed shipping conditions on both
coasts of South America, and in the
transatlantic trade. In the latter
country the docks are said to he
groaning under the weight of the
various products of that country,
which owners would be willing to
move at twice the prevailing rate if
tonnage could be procured.
.M___
NEW ALASKA PAPER IS SOME
NOVELTY.
Copies of ii new Alaskan paper have
now been received in Cordova.
It is published at McCarthy, Alaska,
and is somewhat of a novelty, being
strictly original and unique.
The paper is edited by "The Cap
tain." and each one is autographed
hv the publisher, V. J. Murbick. The
publication announces across the top
of the sheets that it is "A paper for
the whites and natives,” and the price
is announced to be "25 cents a copy,
or one buck rabbit.” The sheet car
tie: eight pages and is printed in
green ink on white paper.
-:o:
Peter Miers, a freighter from Fair
banks, is a Cordova visitor.
• .*
I
BERLIN, March !>. — Germany for
' mally declared war against Portugo
{and on Wednesday afternoon hande*
'passports to the Portuguese minister
i This was brought about through Por
I tugal refusing to restore German ship
| commandeered by her it few days ag-:
; which had been Interned in Portu
guese jrorts.
i ENGLAND GALLS!
« 1:
LONDON,.March 9. — The govern
ment has decided to call to the colors
all the married men in the empire be
1 tween the ages of 27 and 35. The king
. is preparing a royal proclamation
that eL'ect, which will be issued next
i week.
,| --:o:
1 You can rely on the news being cor
rect when you see It in the Times.
MAIL CARRIER IS MISSING ON
RAINY PASS.
A rescue party has been sent out
from Anchorage to find Alexon, mail
carrier, with the outbound Idltarod
mail, who has.^een missing five days
an Rainy Pass.
Alexon is the carrier between the
Rohn and Happy river stations, and
as there was a heavy snowstorm on
the day he was scheduled to cross the
pass it is feared that he *tnay have
met with serious injury.
-;o:
There will be services at St.
leorge's mission Thursday evening at
3 o'clock, when Rev. Ziegler will de
iver a lecture on "The Martyrs.”
-o.
Subscribe for the Dally Times and
;et the news while It Is fresh.
*
The Republican primaries to select
eight delegates from Cordova to at
tend the territorial convention at
Seward, will be held at the City Hall
! from 1 to t> o'clock Saturday after
noon. Committeeman Thomas S.
Scott has selected the following elec
tion board: Judge, C. M. Krazier:
clerks, L. G. Belter and K. C. Holden.
Eyak precinct is also entitled to
two delegates to the convention, and
the primaries will be held in Old
Town on Saturday afternoon at Mrs.
Wells' boarding house. Mrs. Wells
j has been selected as judge, and H. S.
j Kerr and Thos. Burchett as clerks.
Every Republican in both precincts
! is urged to turn out and vote at the
j primaries, in order that Cordova may
make as good a party showing as
1 possible.
-:o:
TEDDY DECLINES
OFFICE UNLESS
HE BE IDEAL *
NEW YORK, March 9. — Theodore
Roosevelt has issued a statement, in
which he declines to allow the use
of his name as a candidate for presi
dent at any of the primaries, and says
he will not enter into any fight for
the nomination. He even goes fur
ther and says it would be a mistake
for any party to nominate him, unless
it could do so in a heroic mood and
felt like devoting itself to ideals and
realizing upon them.