Arizona republican., 1912-05-01
Orozco's Commanders Soon to Begin Movement to Invest City of
 Torreon
DECISIVE FIGHT
 IS ANTICIPATED
Revolutionists Are Thor oughly Equipped and Are Confident of
 Success
4SS0ciated Press DiSpdtchI

I Associated Press DispdtchI
 AT THE REBEL FRONT, ESCA- LON. MEXICO. April 30.-The south ern advance by the rebel army is well under way and indications are that within three or four days Oroz- co.'s forces will be within striking distance of the federals in the neigh borhOod of Torreon. Scouts report that Huertas' men appear to be pre- pairing only for defense. although the possibility of d conflict with a government force on the road re- mains. The advance movement to the southwark for which the rebels have been planning assduously since the defeat of the federal forces at Parral. was begun Sunday morning when Colonel Jose Flores AlatorreZ's column was dispatched from Escalon to reinforce SalaZar at Sierra Mojada, and 2500 cavalry under Generals Ar gumedo and Campos were sent south to join a force of HOO men with which General Murillo has been har assing the federals in the vicinity i of Bermejillo. General Luis Fernan ! deg has moved up from Bellano to
 the garrison at EscaOn, Colonel Cae- ] sar Candles. with 12g9 men, has gone westward to intercept a force of federals under General Trucy Aubert, | who is said to be coming north from Mapimi along virtually the same route which Id to his undoing at the battles of San r dro. and Atotonilco. the last week of March. Rebel ar tillery under Major Luis Lavallo Case will remain at Bellano until such ! time as needed at the front.
 Not only has the advance from the north begun but is said Torreon is being menaced from the south and west by 5000 rebels from the La Guna district. Men who know the country thoroughly and have valuable reputatons as fighting men, are the rebel leaders in the field. who are icCnfident of the outcome of the move ment. They have waited until they are ready. they say. and believe the equalization of Torreon and it's oc- equation by the liberal forces are questions of only few days. They hope to destroy utterly the federal army under Huerta. The entire reb- el force k well supplied with ammu- hilton or both rifles and big guns and has ample food and forage for men and horses
 TEPIC. April 36. by courier to Fl Paso. April 30.-With 220 dead. more than this number wounded; a band of 1000 rebels under command of Manuel Guerrero. was completely routed by the garrison of this city, aided by the police of the local com imandery The attack began April 4. the rebels appearing on the hills surrounding Topic the day previous. and demanding the surrender of the : garrison which was under command of Colonel Martin Espinosa. The town is eXcellentlH situated for de
 fense The rebels did not dare ap } pear closer than the rim of the low , hills surrounding the level places
 upon which the town is situated. on the low hills they were plainly
 visible. and were driven twice away by the fire of I three pounder, : placed on the roof of the local Quartet. before the battle actually began Wednesday afternoon Els pinosa responded to d messenger from the rebels by firing the car-
 non The ball landed on the hill ' killing three rebels and WoundiLG two. At three o'clock the rebels, | leaving their horses on the hills, and
 crawling several hundred yards l. across the plain. attacked Topic
 from the north, east and west
 The federals repulsed the rebels with cavalry. and machine guns. BISBEE April 3o.-After having
 been successively attacked April ;i
 and 16 by rebels who were repulsed | by Americans on both occasions, = ] Comichi ranch. the largest in the
 1 territory of Tep!c. owned by Cali [ 1 fornians was abandoned by the de- lenders who underwent terrible hard I ships in escaping from the country. q according to refugees arriving here q today.
 z. NOGALEs. April 5o.-Anticipating
 early intervention by the Washing
 alol and Sonora. continue to arrive
 here.
 MEXICO. April 30.-The seizure
 yesterday by the Mexican police ot
 thirty out Of q thousand rifles ship
 ped to the American ambassador for
 use by the American colony, was :, explained today by the governor of . the federal district to be pursuant
 to an order by the secret police in- - tended to prevent traffic in arms ? Continued on Page 9.