Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1911-04-18
INTERNAL STRIFE WAS CAUSE
FOLLOWING YESTERDAYS VIC
DRY, INsuRREcTos QUARREL.
ED AMONG THEMSELVES
DIAZ TROOPS FEARED TRAP
ENTERED TOWN WITH EXTREME
CAUTION AT DAWN, EXPECT
ING AMBUscADE

Aqua Prieta, Sonora, April 1S.-Tht
rebel army, after almost eighteeI
hours of continuous fighting yester
day, in defense of Aqua Prieta, quiet
ly evacuated the town during the night
1t moved out silently and when day
broke was nowhere to be seen.
The Mexican troops entered the city
at dawn, encountering no resistance
The federals came in cautiously, ex-
pecting to encounter an ambush OF
some kind at any moment, but the
rebels had vanished and there was no
Indication even of the direction which
they had taken. The reason for their
desertion of the city after an all days
desperate and successful defense was
not at first apparent. The logical
conclusion seemed to be that their
ammunition was exhausted.
Later developments, however, show
ed the rebel army to be badly dis
rupted It's leader, RED" Lopez, gave
up the fight and the men in the
ranks appear to have fled In direo-
tions of their own individual choos- |
ing. Colonel Medina, jefe politico of
the town, who assumed command of
the rebels last night, came 70 tie
American line before dawn and sur
rendered to the United States troops
He was placed under guard.
The victorious federal force, which
occupied the town this morning, num'
bered about twelve hundred men,
Lieutenant Colonel Reynaldo Diaz be-
ing in supreme command.
The government losses as a result
Of yesterdays fighting may never be
known. The federals declined the as
sistance of the Red Cross today, stat
ing that the army would care for its
own wounded. During yesterdays
fighting the federals removed their
killed and wounded to the rear 1t Is
understood the dead were buried on
the field.
Today several bodies of dead rebels
were seen in the streets of Aqua Prle-
ia by an Associated Press cores
ondent. At the bull ring there was
evidence of desperate fighting The
main towers were literally shot into
selves by the federal machine guns.
At the entrance to the first story OIL
the tower was rivulet OF drying
blood which had poured out through
the doorway. Sitting against tne
wall. heavily guarded and bound, was
an American who had failed to get
AWAY. "They are not going to snoot
me are they?" he asked. He SAID
his name was Thomas Sullivan ana
that he was from Connecticut. He
said he had come to Douglas from
Bisbee. had crossed the line yester-
dav and was arrested by the rebels,
who robbed him of hundred dollars
and forced him into the fighting line.
The rebels evacuated Aqua Pr1eta
because they had exhausted their am
munition. This is apparent from
stories told by one or two who did
not flee and by the federals who en-
tered the town. Great piles of empty
cartridge shells were lying in the
trenches. The federals, amply sup
piled. kept up their firing until =
o'clock this morning for the purpose
they said, of provoking a reply ana
exhausting the rebels supply OF cart
ridges. 4st~..
AS the rebels passed out of the city
to the westward one or two called
across the line to the American troops
1--WE are going into the mountains
and will return when we get some
cartridges. At 10 o'clock this morn
ing the custom house at Douglas was
reopened. Az
Is An investigation shows it was only
the rebels in the outer trenches that
fled in disorder, the main body OF IN