Omaha daily bee., 1912-10-06
TOWN AND HILLS ARE ASS.
Insurgents Refuse to Abandon Posi-
tion Near Railroad.
HUNDRED REBELS ARE KILLED
Four Americans Reported Dead and
Several Wounded.
UNITED STATES NOT AT WAR
Officials Explain that Action Was
. Taken to Keep Open Railroad
to Get Supplies to starv-
ing Foreigners.


WASHINGTON. Oct. 5.--Four American
! marines were killed and six wounded
Yesterday, when the American forces
took the town of Coyotepe from the
Nicaraguan rebels, according to a cable.
gram received early today by Minister
Castrillo from Chamorro, minister Of for
| eign affairs in Nicaragua. ..
The cablegram to Minister CastriIlo
dated Managua, October 4. was as fol.
lows: .
Masaya taken today by assault. We
had 100 dead. 200 wounded. Americans
early took Coyetepe with four dead and
six wounded. Correa simultaneously took
Barranca. Zeledon fled with followers
and was captured eight leagues from
Masaya, wounded and died later. Today
visited the American minister to ex-
press deepest sympathy for marines
death. Granada municipality requested
marines bodies for burial at that city.
beg you express to Department of
State my deep sympathy.
"CHAMoRRO. Minister of Affairs"
zeledon, spoken OF in the cahlegram,
was a rebel general, a Honduran. In the
employ Of Mena, the fallen dictator, re-
Gently captured and taken to Panama for
exile.
United States Not ut War.
Though the lives Of American marines
have been lost and others have been
wounded in what appears to have been
one of the most sanguinary battles fought
in Central American in many years, vet
technically the United States is not en-
gagged In war.
As defined by the State daptrment the
status Of the relations between the
United States and Nicaragua Is one OF
friendship. What Rear Admiral South
eriafd has derr In attacking The Near
aguan rebels IL declared to have been
purely In pursuance Of duty imposed
upon the navy many times in the stormy
history of Central America-tha OF for
chilly protecting American lives and prop
erty as we'll as Of the citizens OF Euro
pean nations.
The admiral has strictly refrained from
intervening in any way between the war
ring factions in Nicaragua, and has con-
fined himself entirely to opening up rail-
way communication and maintaining It
free from Interruption that the large
foreign element scattered through the
Nicaraguan towns might be able to re-
ceive food.
For nearly a week after the American
naval forces managed to open the way
from Managua to Granada, where the
conditions of foreigners was pitiful, Gen.
eral zeledons rebel forces, entrenched on
two hills at Barranca, aetuallyecommande
the line Of communication by rail
and interfered with the free movement
of supplies and prevented the unfortu-
nate sufferers of famine from making
their escape to places OF safety
ZeIedon Defies Americana.
Admiral Switzerland had several inter-
views with the rebel chieftain after the
surrender and deportation OF General
Mena. the principal figure In the reyolu-
tion, but he found that Zeledon was nor
only determined to refuse any offer of
amnesty held out by President Diaz. but
was determined to retain the position
he occupied; threatening the railroad.
The admiral was finally obliged to de-
liver an ultlmatum, warning zeledon that
after twenty-four, hours notice the
American naval force would undertake
to drive him from Barranca Hills This
time limit expired at 8 o'clock yesterday
morning and. as the official cablegrana
received by Minister CastrtIlo today in
dicates, the American marines did ex-
actly as they had undertaken to do, even
at the cost Of q few lives.
Both the state and naval officials are
anxious to have 1t appear that what has
been done by the American naval force
was In response to formal request
from the titular government Of Nicara-
qua, an important consideration in esti-
mating the result Of this display OF force
by the American marines.
Though keenly appreciative Of the sem
timents inspiring the Nicaraguan gov
ernment in its offer to bury the dead
marines in state In the city OF Granada,
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