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Show MEXICANS MASS FOR BIG BATTLE AFTER DEFEAT BY U. S. TROOPS rv. ... . 1 - : . ... . . ;. . . . SOLDERS KILL TEN BORDER BiOITS Gang of Raiders Routed After All-day Engagement Engage-ment With Cavalrymen and Texas Rangers Drawn Up on Opposite Side of Rio Grande. MORE TROUBLE IS LOOKED FOR All United States Troops Stationed at Fort Brown Are Ordered to Arms When Reports Are Received of Concentration Con-centration of Peons. BROWNSVILLE, Texas, Sept. With hordes of Mexicans reported massed along the river where today's battle took place, sixty-five miles west of here, with communication between here and San Benito, in the raided district, dis-trict, all bnt broken by wire cutters, and a sudden calling to quarters of all troops stationed at Fort Brown, the situation sit-uation growing out of today 's hostilities hostil-ities developed swiftly tonight to one of grave possibilities. At Cavazos orossing, near Old Hidalgo, Hidal-go, Texas, where United States cavalrymen cavalry-men and Mexicans across the river engaged en-gaged in an all-day battle, ending late this afternoon, the south bank of the Bio Grande was reported tonight literally liter-ally lined with Mexicans, well armed, but it could not be ascertained whether wheth-er they included any Carranza soldiers. sol-diers. Ten Mexicans Slain. In today's battle, Captain Prank R. McCoy, commanding the United States cavalry engaged, reported that at leaBt ten Mexicans were killed, their bodies lying exposed on the plain south of the international boundary. He believed that as many more were killed in their ambush in the brush. Forty Mexicans composed the party which provoked the battle, by firing on an American Tanch-man Tanch-man and troops early this morning, and apparently not more than twenty withdrew with-drew when they foresook the battle at 4 p. m. One American trooper was wounded in the fighting. The so-called constitutionalist railroad rail-road lines run near the crossing and it was reported that the train took many men from Matamoras tonight to the scene of the fight. The place is closely close-ly guarded by United States cavalrymen cavalry-men and no demonstration has taken place siuco the firing oeased at 4 o'clock this afternoon. Wires Are Cut. Late this afternoon advices were re- ceived here that an attempt had been mnde to cut all the wires between this city and San Benito, nineteen miles north of here. All the wires but one leading in this direction were cut, the severed strands being plainly visible. This was done a few miles north of the scene of Thursday 's battle with b-oops and Mexicans. Military authorities at Fort Brown, gave no reason for the sudden calling in of all troops here, but it was reported re-ported that the military authorities were taking all precautions against any effort of Mexicans on this side to organize or-ganize and also to be ready for any attempt at invasion from the other side of the river. At 4 o'clock the Mexicans withdrew from the south bank of the Rio Grande (Continued on Page Two.) TEN MEXICANS ARE KILLED III TEXASJATTLE Gang of Raider. Is Routec by United States Cavalrymen, Cavalry-men, Assisted by Rangers. (Continued from Page One.) aod hid in the brush, apparently await ing another opportunity to attack th Americans. The battle was waged practically the entire day, the twe forces firing at each other across th river at a point four raiiee west of Old Hidalgo, Texas. The participants were stretched out in the brush on a battle line two miles long. Wound in Hip. The injured American was John Sal-vini, Sal-vini, privsta in troop P; Third cavalry, caval-ry, who sustained a serious wound in the left hip. He was taken to Mia-aion; Mia-aion; Texas. Wtap the fight ended the Americans were in possession of three crossings between Mexico aud Texas in the vicinity vi-cinity of Mission. Hidalgo is sixty-four sixty-four miles west of Brownsville. The Mexicans made no attempt to cross the river, but opened fire early todav at an American ranchman on the Texas side of the border and later at a detachment de-tachment of cavalry ordered to the scene y-i.ip.rday when they chased back to the Mexican side a band of invaders who had crossed the river Thursday night and looted a number of American stores. 40 Mexicans Engaged- Tb Mexicans wt.re said to have begun be-gun today's OBOOtLQtAr by unprovoked tiring across the river. Forty Mexicans Mexi-cans were counted in the battle. Before Be-fore the firing began they were constantly con-stantly maneuvering through the brush, continuing until they had spread up and down a tortuous river bank for a distance of two miles. When the Mexicans opened fire, it was returned re-turned by the troops, who were soon joined by rsngers from Mission. Word also was sent to Mission and Captain McCoy and the remainder of the two troops of cavalry went to reinforce the Bmafl detachment near Hidalgo. The trouble today along the lower border was confined to the Afission district dis-trict and the Brownsville district, separated sep-arated by sixty-five miles. In the sec-v sec-v tion surrounding these districts troops of cavalry and companies of infantry, besides more than fifty, automobile loads of citizens worked unceasingly through the day following all clews to the whereabouts of the bandit gang which terrorized the country eleven miles north of here Thursday" and murdered mur-dered two Americans, J. S. Smith and KaTl Donaldscai. the latter a Missourian. Not Accounted For. So far as has been reported to Fort Brown, no more members of the gang which killed Smith and Donaldson have been accounted for. The number stands at seven, the last one having been killed early last night. This afternoon a band of thirteen aMoxicans was reported south of San Benito. A detachment of cavalry was sent out in search aud it soon developed devel-oped that the Mexicans were headed for the Rio Grande. Fort Brown then notified a detachment detach-ment of infantry hidden in an advantageous advan-tageous position near the Rio Grande, five miles from Brownsville, that the band probably would come in that direction. di-rection. Simultaneously a detachment of cavalry under Lieutenant Critten-berger Critten-berger left Brownsville for the vicinity of the hidden infantrymen. The cav-airy cav-airy reached the vicinity just in time 1o prevent the Mexicans from crossing but a civilian spoiled the game by firing fir-ing a shot. Hide in Brush. The Mexicans, thus warned, made their escape and hid in the brush. At eundowUj as the cavalry and infantrv were being stationed along the bank of the river to cut off crossing, five of th band were seen and thirteen are known to be there. Fighting was expect d momentarily tonight. Headquarters of the lower border patrol wilt be shifted Sunday from Brownsville to Harliugen, twenty-six miles north of here. Colonel Robert Xh Bullard of the Twenty-sixth infantrv infant-rv will be in command. The Twenty-sixth Twenty-sixth infantry will be concentrated at Harlingen and will be replaced at Fort Brown by the Fourth infantry, due to arrive Sunday from Texas Citv. The territory immediately around Brownsville Browns-ville will be guarded by the Fourth infantry, two squadrons of the Third cavalry and two batteries of artillery, one a howitzer and one a rifle battery. |