Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-19
ANOTHER MEXICAN
BATTLE REPORTED
3oominu of Cannon Sends News
of Revolutionary Clash Near
San Antonio
SOLDIERS SEIZE RAILROAD
piaz Starts Campaign to Crush
Insurrection by Weight
of Numbers
rAssncintad Pres ]

CHIHUAHUA, Mex, Dec. II (by mail
to El Paso).-The widest rumors are
current here today, no doubt eXagger-
ated, in the absence of communication
with the front. The rumors, as usual,
relate insurrecto success, but there is no
confirmation nor way of hearing it.
The last authentic news came in over
the railroad wire from San Antonio late
yesterday afternoon. The operator said
he could hear the booming of cannon,
but could not see fighting owing to the
lay of the land. The firing was distant.
The passenger train which was due
here Thursay night and which was de-
tanned 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 or insur-
rectos.
The telegraph wire over the Mexico
4 Northwestern railroad is still down
east of San Antonia, for which reason it
is impossible to ascertain the true con-
dition of affairs. An official report yes
terday stated that fighting at San An
dres last Thursday was of minor i'm
portance, being merely sllirmish.
Gen Hernandez. commander of this
military zone, took virtual control of
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 experienced in securing a crew.
JAILED FoR REFUSING TO WORK
Americans who ordinarily run the
trains declined fatty to take the risk
despite the offer of bonuses running
as high as a thousand dollars gold
Mexicans who declined to work yes
terday are reported to have been
placed in Jail, which measure resulted
in obtaining native crews today.
Four hundred soldiers were loaded
into seven passenger coaches. There
were also several stock cars loaded
with horses and mules. The soldiers.
it was said, will be used to guard the
road in order that other troops may be
moved swiftly on to the disturbed dis
trictS.
The government realizes the serious
ness of the situation. and this move
is the beginning of the campaign by
which President Diaz intends to crush
the revolution by sheer weight of
numbers. The train travelled in two
sections leaving here, preceded by
hand car to test the track, as the In
surrectos have declared they will
wreck the road if it attempts to handle
government troops. The train moved
slowly and was last reported about
thirty miles west of here.
The brush at San Andres is said to
have been between the bandit Pancho
Villa. with twenty-eight followers and
q detachment of NaVarro's troops num-
bering 100 The bandits fled, leaving
two dead, it is reported with few
rifles and saddles captured by the fed
erals. also a camera belonging to F. A.
Sommerfeld.
ROBBED AND MAROONED
Sommerfeld accompanied the Asso-
ciated Press correspondent to the front
a week ago, and remained behind to
cover the situation when the corre-
spondent returned to Chihuahua to
file dispatches. His camera and a. pair
of field glasses were stolen by Villas
men and he was marooned when trains
were stopped.
The reported detection of Castula
Herrera of the revolutionary leaders
appears to have been misconstruc-
tion of his acts. He appeared near
Terrazas about twenty miles north of
here, yesterday where he changed
some large bills to secure pesos with
which he proceeded to pay his men.
He paid cash for coffee, flour and
sugar. which he took from the mining
companY's store at that place. When
he heard of fighting at San Andres he
exchanged his jaded horses for fresh
animals and started west again. He
said he was on recruiting duty. He
started, he said, with forty men for
Terrazas, where he had over 100 men,
all mounted and most of them armed.
The reported holding of Enrique
Gameros. son of one of the richest
men in Chihuahua, for ransom is not
confirmed. When Gameros started for
his ranch at Santa Clara in an auto
mobile he was accompanied by i. Il.
Wohlheim of New York. The two
were college chums at Cornell, where
Wohlheim played fullback for two