Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-23
RATTLE WITH THE YAQU1s.
Con. Torres Gives order to Advance
ON the Indians.

RATTLE WITH THE YAQUIS.
Con. Torres Gives Order to Advance
ON the Indians.
Potam, Aug. Is (via Nogalez. Ariz.,
Aug. 23).-On Thursday Gen. Torres
gave the order to advance on Vtcam.
Three sharp engagements were fought
before the troops succeeded in entering
the stronghold. The Indians met the
government forces first about half
mile from Vicam and fell back. They
rallied again on the outskirts of the
pueblo and were driven in. The soldiers
were advancing in the form of half
moon, and when they reached Vicam 1t
required desperate struggle before the
Indians were driven from their position.
In three engagements two Mexicans
were killed and twenty-five wounded,
among the latter being two captains.
Reynaldo Aportela and Aurelio. both of
the Eleventh regiment. Forty Yaquis
were killed and the number Of wounded
is known to have been heavy.
The Yaquis retreated in the Jungle to
the southwestward and We're followed
by Gen. Torres, who overlook them
again at a point about two miles below
Potam. The Indians numbered about
700, while the generals command was
about 1000 strong. The battle was
fought on Aug. 49, and the Mexicans
had two men killed and nineteen
wounded. Twenty dead Yaquis were
found in the holes from which they
fought. There were 300 of these pits,
stretched out in a line of about 1000
yards. Their position was an admirable
one. and had the general assaulted
them from the direction the advance
was expected 1t would have been GER
tain defeat for the Mexicans.
Loreto Villa, one of the chiefs who led
the Yaquis in their ten years war
against the government, and who
knows every inch of the river jungles,
is now fighting with the Mexican army.
He led the troops through a path, and
they We're enabled to make rear at
tack, badly worsting the Indians in the
fight Several hand-to-hand encounters
occurred during the combat, the In
dams breaking their bows over the SOL
diers' heads and clinching.
Scouts that have reached the gen.
erals headquarters since the battle re-
port that the Indians are at present
scattered throughout the woods in small
bands, and it is the intention of the gen.
eral to keep them on the ground and
prevent them from again organizing
along the river.
When the general entered the church
| at Nicam, shortly after taking possess
| sion, he found evidences indicating that
! Father Beltran and the Josephine SIS
4 tiers, who are prisoners of the Indians,
| had left there but a couple of hours be-
| fore. The candles on the altar
We're burning, and in their living rooms
everything was in order and dinner
cooking on the fireplace. In all their
warfare the Yaquis have never been
], known to have killed priest, who are
i always well-treated and protected by
1 the religious tribe.
4 1t is supposed the Yaquis had all their
4 prisoners carried off to the woods just
4 prior to the entering of the troops In
4 Eicam. Among their prisoners they
/ have the families of two Mexicans fight
/ ing under Gen. Torres. The mutilated
body of a Yaqui supposed to be the old
/ chief, Telabiate, was found in Nicam
1t was hacked with an ak beyond rec
4 ognition, while the legs and arms Were
cut off and the eyes gouged out. Some
4 members of the generals staff are o
the belief that Telabiate is Still alive
and prisoner OF the Indians, ana tina
this body is that of a Yaaui killed in tn,
engagement and mutilated as ruse t.
lead the Mexicans into the belief tina
Telabiate is dead.
The excessive heat is something awfu
along the river country. During thu
march of 200 men of the Eleventh regi-
ment from Batamotal station to TORN
there We're ten deaths from sunstrok,
. and prostration and two more deaths
among them when they reached Torir
on Aug. IA. Twenty prostrations Were
reported to Gen. Torres, four dying GU
of the number 1t Is impossible to d,
any marching after 10 o'clock in thu
morning without incapacatating half o
the command.
Most of the country is so densely GOV
cred with jungle growth as to be al
most impenetrable except by lanes an,
roads cut by the government, and tn
soldiers quickly become fatigued. OF
! the other hand, the Yaquis' endurance
is surprising; he is very fieet-footed an
muscular and finds his way throug
l the woods with ease