Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-04-17

nurses were ordered from San Diego
to Douglas.
- FlWMN
F'EDERALS REPORTED
/ TRAPPED BY REBELS
Aqua Prieta. Mex, April 16.-In.
| surrecto leaders here report a battle
begun this morning east of Cabullona
| fifteen miles south of here. The fed
eral troops are said TO have beer
{, caught between two bodies of rebels
who far outnumbered the federals.
After conference with Colone
| Skunk. commanding the American
| troops here. Colonel Medina, the in
| surrecto jefe of Aqua Prieta, permit,
! ted an autobmoile carrying two
Americans to pass through the rebel
| lines toward the federal camp. The
/ Americans in the automobile which
flies the American flag are James T,
| Williams of Tucson, formerly United
States civil service commissioner and
| Charles Mexican, formerly of the
! United States army.
M3cn excitement pre-, ails In Doug
las and Aqua Prieta tonight over
the prospects of another battle tomor-
rowo.
Lieutenant Colonel William A.
skunk, commanding the First Unit
ed States cavalry at Douglas, today
sent James n. Williams. a newspaper
man of Tucson, and Charles McKean
a former army man, with a message
to Reynaldo Diaz, commanding the
the advancing force of federals The
message was the same as one deliv-
/ livered to the rebel chiefs in Aqua
| Prieta, that battle plans must be 50
arraAged that no bullets from either
| federal or rebel rifles cross the line
and stgain endanger life and property
on American territory.
| The two men went in an automobile
flying the Am sri an colo.3 and a
white flag and wsrs 2scurtci bv The
rebels to within sight of the federals
three miles south of Aqua Prfeta.
The messages were received by
| Diaz and his staff officers. IT e
! federal commander sent word to
Lieutenant-Colonel Skunk that evei y
| precaution must be taken against
firing ACROSS the Linz during the at
/ tack on Aqua Prieta.
| Diaz said:
| IF Americans were killed IN the
battle of last Thursday it must been
because of their failure tc Observe
care. If in our attack on Aqua Prieta
any shots crooss into American terri
tory ii will be because we are unable
to prevent it,"
The rebels have dug trenches be-
| tween Aqua Prieta and Douglas at
right angles to the American line to
prevent a flank movement on the
part of the federals, thus Keeping
| them from getting between the two
border cities.
Colonel Medina, commanding the
rebels, said to the Associated Press
correspondent tonight that he planned
to confine the fighting to the south
of Aqua Prieta, but would use the
city to protect his forces If driven
back.
IF we are defeated and compe cd
to give up Aqua Prieta our troops,
all mounted will not cross into Am
erican territory" he said. we will
either retreat east or west, taking
new stands in the mountains. We
prefer to die on Mexican soil rather
than flee into the United States.
United States troops of cavalry from
Tucson and Naca have arrived In
Douglas, auementing the force al
ready there. The troops were on duty
all day and sightseers were not per-
mitted nearer the boundary than
crowded ten deep for a distance of
mile during the afternoon.
The citizens of Douglas have ar
ranged to give first aid to the
wounded Many have volunteered
for red cross service and sixty-flve au-
tomobiles have been placed in SER
vice.
Tonight the dispositions of the reb-
els and federals were as follows.
In Augua Prieta are the combined
forces under Commandante Basararia
Garcia and Jefe Medina numbering
about 900 These are mounted.
Just to the rear Of the federal force
of 1900 men which about three miles
south of Aqua Prieta at nightfall,
was the insurrecto command Of An
tonic Garcia, numbering, the rebels
claim, 600. Behind that force was
column of 800 rebels, mostly on foot,
under Giron. and still farther to the
rear the little army OF Sonora Tala-
nantes and her two daughters, the
strength of which Is not known.
In addition to these forces, Juan
Cabral and his forces of 300, which
has been west of Aqua Prieta, was
tonight noted moving eastward. The
passengers and crew on the train ar
approach of the rebel band from the
west. II should arrive in Aqua Prieta
before morning.
An American who arrived today
from the Sierra Madres stated that
he had come through a rebel army
numbering $500 men. mounted, in
the mountains between Sonora line
and Casas Grandes, rapidly march,
ing westward. With this force Is
supposed to be Madero who was
wired two days ago OF the successful
capture OF Aqua Prieta This column
cannot reach Aqua Prieta before to-
morrow night.
United States army officers, acting
in conjunction with the secret service.
today confscated 10000 rounds of
cartridges In Douglas, which had
been received at the station of the
I'll Paso e. Southwestern railroad. con-
signed to John Popivitch. The cart
ridges were plainly marked as such
and had been under the watch of the