The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-19
WILD RUNORS AFLOAT
 OF MEXICAN BATTLES
Telegraph Operator Reports
 the Booming of Cannon
TRAINS NOT RUNNING
Much Activity Is Reported in the Dis- trict Around Chihuahua But NOth- ing Authentic Is Heard
 of Fighting

Mail to Fl Paso.)-The widest rumors
 are current here today, no doubt exag.
 gerated in the absence of communica. tion with the front. The rumors, as
 usual, relate to insurrecto successes, but
 there Is no confirmation nor way of se-
 curing it.
 The last authentic news came in over railroad lines from San Antonio yester- day afternoon. The operator said he
 could hear the booming of cannon, but
 could not see the fighting owing to the
 lay of the land. The firing was distant.
 The passenger train which was due
 here Thursday night and which was de-
 tained near Pedernales has not yet ar- rived. The passengers, owing to the
 lack of food in the disaffected district
 and the cold nights, have undoubtedly
 been extremely uncomfortable, even If
 left unmolested, by soldiers and insur-
 rectos.
 The telegraph wire over the Mexico
 and Northwestern railroad is still down
 west of San Antonio, for which reason it is impossible to ascertain the true
 e ndition of affairs.
 An official dispatch yesterday stated
 that fighting at San Andreas last Thurs day was of minor importance, being
 merely a skirmish.
 Hernandez in Control General Hernandez, commander of this | military zone, took actual control ci
 the Northwestern railroad today, when | for the first time in a month soldiers
 were put aboard a train bound for the front The greatest difficulty was ex- perienced in securing crews. Americans who ordinarily run the trains, declined | flt tly to take the risk, despite the offer of bonus, and running as high as thou sand dollars gold. Mexicans who de-
 olined to work yesterday are reported tc have been placed in jail, which measure
 resulted in obtaining native crews today l Four hundred soldiers were loaded into | seven passenger coaches. There was also a carload of women and several stock | cars loaded with horses and mules. The soldiers, 1t was stated, will be used to guard the road In order that other troops may be moved swiftly into the disturbed district.
 | The government realizes the seriousness of the situation and this move is thu beginning of the campaign by ~whicf President Diaz intends to crush the revo luton by sheer weight of numbers. The train travelled In two sections leaving here preceded by a hand car t. test the track, as the insurrestos hay' declared they will wreck the road if i attempts to handle government troops
 Great anxiety Is felt for the safety 0 the train, which moved slowly ant
 which was last reported about 30 mile; west of here.
 Fight at Sam Andreas | The brush at San Andreas is said t' have been between the bandit Panchi Villa, with 2S followers, and detach
 ment of Navarro's troops numbering l1O0. The bandits fled, leaving tw' dead, 1t is reported. Rifles and sad
 dles were captured by the fedora troops, also a camera belonging to l. F A. Sunmerfield. Summerfield accom- panied the Associated Press correspond ont to the front week ago and re mained behind to cover the situation when the correspondent returned t' Chihuahua to file his dispatches. Hi
 camera and pair of field glasses were
 stolen by Villas men and he was ma rooned when trains were stopped.
 The reported defection of Castillo
 Herrera, of the revolutionary leaders appears to have been a misconstructior
 of his acts. He appeared near Ter
 razas, about 20 miles north of here
 yesterday, where he changed some larg' bills to secure pesos with which ht
 proceeded to pay his men. He pait
 cash for coffee, flour and sugar, whicl
 he took from the mining company! store at that place.
 When he heard of fighting at Sal Andreas he exchanged his jaded nag for fresh horses and started west again He said he was on recruiting duty. H. started, he said, with 40 men. At Ter
 razas he had 100. all mounted and mos of them armed.
 The reported holding of Enriqu, Cameros, son of one of the riches men In Chihuahua, for ransom is no confirmed When Cameros started fo his ranch at Santa Clara in an auto mobile he was accompanied by l.. R Wohlheim of New York. The two wer, college chums at Cornell, where Wohl helm played fullback for two years. Reports that General Hernandez i leading a column in the field are un true. The general is still here directins operations.