Mexican Bandits Assail Americans.

New York Times 100 years ago today, July 24, 1913:
Exhausted Courier Reaches El Paso with News of Siege at Madera, Chihuahua.
MENACED BY STARVATION
Outlaws Threaten to Carry Off the Women — President Vetoes Texas Rescue Plan.
WILSON TO STOP ARMS
Spurred by the Senate Debate, Wilson Plans Definite Action to End Hostilities.
Special to The New York Times.
    EL PASO, Texas, July 23.— An American courier, almost dropping from exhaustion, staggered into El Paso to-day with news that a little band of Americans, including ten women and six children, were besieged at Madera in the State of Chihuahua by Mexican bandits, and that, even when the messenger left there fourteen days ago, they were on the verge of starvation.
    For a week before the messenger stole away from the camp to seek help, the Americans, mostly employes of the $5,000,000 lumber plant at Madera owned by the Pearsons, an English syndicate, had been holding off the bandits, who are neither Federals nor rebels, but straightaway outlaws in all the the name implies. What has happened since the courier left can only be imagined.
    The bandits threatened to slaughter the men, carry away the women, and burn the lumber plant.
    The outlaws claim the lives of all Americans and other foreigners in the entire western part of Chihuahua in retaliation for the killing of two of their number on the Hearst ranch at Babicora, in the mountainous country of Chihuahua. The bandits are a part of the gang which has been looting the State for more than two months. They are now under command of Maximo Castillo, who was Madero's bodyguard, and were recently defeated by Villa's rebels at Casas Grandes. At that time their commander, José Parra, was killed. They then went to the Babicora Ranch. where they lived in caves and killed and ate beeves from the ranch. A party of American cowboys engaged them and drove them away killing two. This angered the bandits, and, calling their entire force together, they pursued the Americans to the lumber camp at Madera. The Americans, led by Jesse Williams, a Mormon, sought shelter in the big Pearson plant.

Barricaded in Hotel.
    The messenger who arrived to-day said that when he left the bandits were riding around the town, and that the Americans had pickets out on all of the approaches to prevent them from reaching the hotel and commissary, which the Americans had barricaded, and where the American women and children were housed. The entire camp was armed. The Mexicans had sworn to give no quarter, and to take the women for ransom. The Americans had a searchlight going all night long from the top of a lookout tower to prevent a night attack.
    The food supply was almost exhausted when the courier left. There was only a little flour, no coffee, no sugar, and only enough beans to feed the Americans a week. The natives of the Mexican quarter were starving, being entirely out of food. The courier urged that troops be sent to rescue the Americans. Secretary of War Garrison and Major Gen. Leonard Wood, who are on an inspection tour, are expected here hourly. Pancho Villa, in command of the rebels at La Ascension, only twenty miles from Madera, has been informed of the conditions, and has dispatched 250 men under Col. Juan N. Medina, to relieve the town, but torrential rains, it is feared, will make the progress of the relief expedition slow.
    Villa, it is said, hopes to win recognition for the Constitutionalists from the United States by protecting its citizens. He has sent part of his men to the Mexican Central Railroad south of Juarez to resist attempts of the Federals to rebuild the railroad between Chihuahua and Juarez.
    The Mexican Federal Government has been appealed to for protection for the besieged Americans through the State Department at Washington, but none has been given.
    Included among the foreign colony at Madera and Pearson are a number of Germans, English, and French, and the foreign consuls in Mexico are wiring here for information.

Americans Held or Killed.

    The Madera situation is not the only anti-American one which has developed in Northern Mexico recently. U. G. Wolf, a wealthy mining man, has been killed in Northern Sonora; Thomas Hind, an official of the Southern Pacific of Mexico, is being held at Guaymas as a spy. Two Americans, thought to be W. W. Stewart and A. J. McQuaitters, have been held at Chihuahua by the Federals and are thought to be in jail as spies. They left here to make an automobile trip to Parral, but were picked up at Chihuahua. At Madera a Chinese was killed after being held for ransom. Two lumbermen named Johnson and Carpentier, have been held for ransom. John Parks had his left ear severed by the commander of one of the bandit bands because he would not give money, and his face was slashed with a saber in the presence of his family.
    Gen. Pascual Orozco, who is now with the Federals, is planning to take the field against these bandits, and will leave Chihuahua with 1,500 men to invade Western Chihuahua. Orozco recently arrived in Chihuahua from Torreon after fighting his way north on the Mexico Central Railroad.

Wilson Vetoes Rescue Party.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, July 23.— That American citizens are in a critical position in Madera, Chihuahua, was confirmed by news received to-day by the United States Government. Dispatches to the War Department say that the only Americans at Madera who are in danger are the cowboys, who are supposed to have participated in the killing of the Mexicans, but it is believed in official circles that all Americans in the vicinity are in peril.
    Representative William R. Smith of Texas, whose district borders on Chihuahua, went to President Wilson today with a request that authority be given for an organized band of El Paso men to enter Mexico under arms for the purpose of rescuing the Americans at Madera. Mr. Smith took this action at the instance of Wyche Greer of El Paso, who said in his telegram to the Texas Representative that the permission was asked on the condition that the consent of both the Federals and the revolutionists be obtained. Mr. Greer added that the consent of the Mexican Government would be forthcoming speedily, and that the Constitutionalists probably would give consent.
    President Wilson told Representative Smith that he could not grant such permission legally. Furthermore, he said he would not do it because of complications that might result by such an entry of armed Americans into Mexico.
    Officials here say that their advices are that the cowboys from the beginning have insisted that they could take care of themselves. They are well armed and are supplied with an abundance of ammunition. The greater part of the Americans who fear an attack are ranchers of small means, who are helpless in the face of a raid from the robbers.
    The advices at the War Department show that there are under Gen. Villa at Madera 100 men, principally residents of the region, who are well armed and fairly well supplied with ammunition. Officials of the State Department and the War Department expressed the opinion that the stress of the situation soon would pass, and that Villa would be able to protect the Americans. The fear, however, is that the cowboys may push their activities against the Mexicans, and bring on a general fight. In that event no doubt a strong appeal for help would be made to the United States garrison stationed at El Paso, which could be rushed into Madera in a few hours, if the railroad could be used, and probably reach there in a day or two of marching.