The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-28
YOUNG OFFICER
AND HIS FORCE
DIE FIGHTING
Four Hundred Rebels At
tack Thirty Federals on
Board Train at Cajones,
Guerrero, Mexico.
ONLY TWO SURVIVE
UNEQUAL COMBAT
Brave Lieutenant, Fresh
From Military School of
Aspirantes, and Twen-
tyeight Men Slain.

MEXICO CITY, April 2T-Refusing to
surrender or to leave the train on which
he and his command of thirty soldiers
were being brought TO the capital. u
second lieutenant. little more than a boy,
yesterday engaged in battle with 400
rebels at CaJones, Guerrero.
At the conclusion OF the brief en-
counter the lieutenant and twenty eight
soldiers were dead and the remaining
two OF his men were prisoners,
One of the arms of the lieutenant was
shot away
The rebels were under command of
Prudencio Figueroa. Learing that
navaca division of the National Railways
the rebel leader marched to Caiones, a
station some distance below Cuernavsca.
When the train stopped he sent forward
IL messenger 10 demand the surrender OF
the troops, and request, IL they would
not surrender, to abandon the train in
order that the lives of the passengers be
not endangered.
Preferred to Die Fighting.
Fresh from the school OF Asplrantes,
hcer sent back word that he had his
orders 10 continue on that train. Little
tune was lost in beginning the fight. The
rebels poured down the cmbankmcnt on
either side of the train and almost stimuli
taneously the shooting was begun by
them and by the soldiers on the train.
the young officer TO yield were in panic
The cries OF women and children were
heard In the roar of rifles and the shots
from the rebels raked the Sides OF the
train, many entering the coaches oc
cupied by passengers. But one. howeve
did personal damage, That one killed
Luis Bustamcnte, II young civil engineer
on his way to the capital to be married
Bustamente was kneeling beside fright
ened little girl passenger. attempting to
comfort her, when he was shot.
Passengers who arrived here on the
train late last night brought the story
OF the battle to the capital and today
there, stood In the yards OF the railroad
the buliet-scarred coaches, mute evi-
dence OF the encounter.
Only Two Remained Alive.
At no time during the encounter did the
federals betray signs Of cowardice. With
the blood OF their companions running
from the doors OF the little second class
coach the men coolly fired into the ranks
manned.
In the first class coach. Immediately In
the rear OF the soldiers car, was riding
tho jefe politico of Iguaa, Guerrero The
rebels forced their way through the
panic stricken passengers, declaring they
would improve the opportunity OF rid
ding the country of one more OF his
With the jefe politico were travelling
his wife and five children. These sur
rounded the man and with tears running
po"h thcH races pcSScu the rebels 10
spare his life
a short consultation and the rebels
told the wife that the entire family might
continue their journey
Plan to Attack Capital
Following the fighting, while the dead
lederals were being taken from the car
and the rebels were collecting their dead
and wounded-and none could tell how
many OF them had been hit by the fed
era!s-an American talked with Figucroa
rebel leader bp hol hoe
commissioned q general by Madcro and
placed In command OF the troops in the
states of Guerrero. Pucbla, OaXaca and
Morclos,
General FIeucroa added that he was
now concentrating his forces for an at
tack upon lguala. whence they would
march upon CuerDavaca. Once that point
Is taken. according to the plan as he out
lined 1t. there will begin a general ad-
vance by all the rebel forces I'm the
south upon the national capital