Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-04-21
MEXICAN BULLETS
HIT AMERICANS
Residents of Douglas Wounded
During Hot Battle.
REBELS ARE AGAIN VICTORS
Diaz Troops Lose Heavily In Fight
With Insurrectos at Aqua Prieta
Mayor Protests to
Taft.

DOuSIaS, ArlZ.-glCLOry crowns the
1000 insurrectos defending Aqua
Prieta, the Mexican town just across
the border from this place after an
all-day fight, the most sangulnary
conflict of the Mexican revolution.
The desperate effort of the 1000
Mexican national troops under Lieu
tenant Colonel Diaz to retake the city
has failed and the federals have sui
fered heavy losses in killed and
wounded So far as Douglas was con-
cerned President Taft's demand that
hostilities be conducted in a zone in
surfing safety to the Americans was
utterly disregarded.
Throughout the battle bullets rained
necessarily in the streets and riddled
the houses of this little Arizona town.
The only reliable data of casualties
that can be obtained on the American
side Of the line were seven American
men and women have been wounded,
most Of them while going about their
business many blocks north Of the
supposed border line The wounded
in Douglas are being cared for at
Red Cross hospitals, established for
Mexican wounded.
A protest has been wired to Presi-
dent Taft by Mayor Mcclure as fol-
lows:
Six persons have been shot in
Douglas during battle between Mexi-
can federals and insurrectos. Battle
still raging. Worst yet to come. Bull
something be done for our population?
Signed, S. F. Mcclure, mayor of
Douglas"
simultaneously with this protest,
Lieut.. Col. William A. Skunk, com
handing the United States troops
here, wired a list Of known to be
wounded in this city.
From four o'clock in the afternoon
until late in the night it was not safe
on any street in Douglas for people,
mauser bullets striking residences,
business blocks, shelters, railroad
shops and cars and cutting wires and
ricochetting from telegraph and tele-
phone poles. And military authorities
here say the worst is yet to come. In
stead CT fighting the battle in the des
ert as they proposed the rebels in
trenched in and around Aqua Prieta
in such fashion as to make hopeless
Douglas immune from bullets and the
federal army instead Of attacking
from the east or west as has been
promised advanced from the south
west, which placed Douglas much in
the same situation as the background
of target.
American troops did everything pos
sible to protect the unfortunate Doug
las residents. Spectators were driven
back from the boundary line a dis
lance Of six blocks, but notWithstand-
ing all their efforts several persons
were wounded. The inhabitants of
Douglas, despite the obvious danger,
were not to be denied the spectacle of
battle. They crowded the roofs in
vast throngs and darkened every point
of vantage throughout the long hours
of conflict.
That more were not wounded is
surprising, but that any were wound
ed at ali leaves Washington with
grave problem to face So far as can
be determined when dusk stopped the
fighting the rebel loss was trif1ing.
consisting Of several score wounded
and about twenty dead, while the fed
eral losses are estimated at more than
eco
In all particulars the battle was
thrilling and dramatic novelty in this
war of outposts. 1t began with the
first rays of dawn and continued at in
tervals throughout the day, marked by
ferocious and determined battling on
both sides and by quality of valor
not expected or hitherto displayed in
this desultOry internal war The DO
sitions of the rebels throughout was
that Of the defensive. Protected bv
Entertainments they exacted a bitter
price from the federal forces instead
of an ineffective clash. usually eli
NAKED by hurried retreat The fight
was a standup battle on the side of
the federals, suggestive of the old
shoulder to shoulder days of the
American rebellion In an omen
stretch of desert, little like theater.
by the blazing rays Of an April sun.
the two forces exchanged a perpetual
fusillade, hour after hour, that marked
up a conflict Of exceptional ferocity
and determination. Throughout the
night the Mexican troops had been en-
camped at Sulphur Springs, a water
hole five miles south Of Aqua Prieta
Deputy Sheriff Dies IN Accident
Sprin gfield Il-CharleS Groves of