The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-04-18
Rebels Retire Silently During
the Night Leaving No
Trace Behind
many CONFLICTING STORIES
ABOUT JAUREz SITUATION
Firing Last Night Charged to Ameri.
can Sentries by the Mexican Com.
manding Officer-President and the
Cabinet Give Consideration.

Aqua Prieta, April 1S-The rebel
army. after almost eighteen hours of
incessant fighting yesterday in de-
fense of Aqua Prieta, quietly vacated
the town during the night. 1t NOV
ed out silently and when the day
broke. they were nowhere to be seen,
The Mexican federal troops entered
the city at dawn encountering no re-.
slstance.
The federals approached the town
from the south and east during the
early hours. coming In slowly and
cautiously lest they encounter an am
bush. Great was the surprise of the
commanders OF the government troops
on finding when they reached the reb-
els entrenchment and say they had
been abandoned and that no insur-
rectos were in sight.
The federals continued to come In
still more slowly, presumably expect
Ing at every moment to encounter a
surprise. But they found no rebels
anywhere. The latter had vanished
as completely as the night. There
was no indication even of the direc-
tion they had taken. Reason for their
evacuation Of the city after their all
day defense of 1t was not at first ap-
parent. The most logical conclusion
seemed to be that they had exhausted
their ammunition.
Later developments showed the reb-
ell army to be badly disrupted. It's
leaders gave up the fight and the men
IN the ranks appear to have fed in
the directions Of their own individual
choosing. Col. Medina; who had as
sumed the command of the rebels at
Aqua Prieta last night, made his way
ito the American line before dawn and
i surrendered to the United States
troops. He was jefe politice (mayor)
of the town. He was Immediately
placed under guard and held at the
headquarters of the American caval-
ry at the ball park.
The victorious force which occupied
the town this morning numbered
about 1900 men. Lieut.. Col. Reynolds
Diaz was in supreme command.
The government losses in yester-
days fighting may never be known.
The federals declined the assistance
Of the Red Cross today, stating that
the army would care for its own
wounded. During the fighting yes
terday the federals removed their
dead and wounded to the rear. It is
understood that those killed were
buried on tho field.
An Associated Press correspondent
passing through the streets at Aqua
Prieta say a few bodies of rebels ly-
ing in the thoroughfares. At the bull
ring there were everywhere the evil
dences Of yesterdays fighting and
ample signs that the federals had &C
curate information of the strongholds
occupied by the rebel forces. The
main towers of the bull ring entrance
we're literally shot into sieves. thou
sands OF bullets pierced them. For
time the machine guns poured a hail
of lead into those towers and over the
tops Of the adobe walls from which
! the garrison was firing. In the west
of the bull ring were two bodies
One was that of an American.
That the rebels evacuated Aqua
Prieta because they exhausted their
ammunition was apparent from the
stories related by one of the two who
did not flee and by the federals who
entered the town. Great quantities of
empty cartridges were lying every
where in the trenches and the bull
rings and in the protection prison.
Washington Interested
Washington. April 1s-Positiye as
surance that the Mexican government
will adopt definite restrictive poi
'cy' along the border and the news from
Douglas that the rebel forces have
evacuated Aqua Prieta did much to-
day to relieve the high tension under
which President Taft and the men,
bers of his official family have labor
ed for the last few days. The assur-
ances from Mexico followed the de-
mands of the state department that
the fighting which endangered Ameri-
can lives in the border towns must be
stopped.
With the declaration by the presi-
dent and his advisers that no Ameri-
can soldier will cross the border line
without the consent Of congress, the
administrations next move Is anX-
iously awaited especially by the meul-
bers of congress. 1t seems almost
certain that the problem soon will
reach the halls of congress. The in
terest of official Washington in the
situation is keyed to the highest pitch
and the border developments brought
the officials Of the state and war de-
~. rt,nant tn their desks earlv fodhv