stopped by Villa bandits and eighteen of the American party were stripped of their clothing and shot in cold blood in what is now known as the Santa Ysabel Massacre.
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Within a month after this barbarous slaughter of inoffensive Americans, it was notorious that Villa was operating within twenty miles of Cusihuiriachic and publicly stated that his purpose was to destroy American lives and property. Despite repeated and insistent demands that military protection should be furnished to Americans, Villa openly carried on his operations, constantly approaching closer and closer to the border. He was not intercepted nor were his movements impeded by troops of the de facto government and no effectual attempt was made to frustrate his hostile designs against Americans. In fact, as I am informed, while Villa and his band were slowly moving toward the American frontier in the neighbourhood of Columbus, N. M., not a single Mexican soldier was seen in this vicinity, yet tie Mexican authorities were fully cognisant of his movements and on March 6, as General Gavira publicly announced, he advised the military authorities of the outlaws' approach to the border so that they might be prepared to prevent him from crossing the boundary.
"Villa's unhindered activities culminated in the unprovoked and cold-blooded attack upon American soldiers and citizens in the town of Columbus on the night of March 9, the details of which do not need repetition here in order to refresh your memory with the heinousness of the crime. After murdering, burning, and plundering, Villa and his bandits, fleeing south, passed within sight of the
