The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-01
REBELS REFUSED BY PLUCKY LITTLE BAND0F FEDERALS Band of 2OOO Hurled Back, Shattered and Bleed
 ing, From Topic
 
22O ARE KILLED AND
 AS MANY WOUNDED
Commander of Topic Garrison Planned His Defense Shrewdly and Rebels Fell Blindly Into Two Traps.
 Faced Fierce Fire

Tepic, Mexico, April 26.-tBy Courier to l Fl Paso. April 30.)--With 220 dead and l more than this number wounded, many of whom were unable even to crawl from the field of battle 200O rebels under com nand Of Manuel Guerrero, have been com pletely routed by the garrison of this city, aided by the police of the local com 1 nandery.
 The attack began April 24. the rebels operating in the hills surrounding Topic on the day previous and demanding the surrender of the garrison, which was un- der the command of Col. Martin Espinoza. Wednesday afternoon Colonel Espinoza replied to the messenger from the rebel chief with a cannon ball. which, landing on the fiat topped hill on which mum Der of the rebels had gathered, killed three of them and wounded two others. At 8 o'clock in the afternoon the rebels, leaving their horses i'll the hills and crawl ing the several hundred yards across the plains, attacked Topic from the north, east and west
 Only ATS Federals In the garrison were 315 men of the Seventh, Eighth and Fourteenth cavalry all dismounted, their horses remaining in tho patio of the cuartel Added to these was a small body of state police mounted and 110 foot police from the citys streets a total force of 475 loyal federals. It was seen that the rebels would en- ter if possible by the main roads, which penetrated the heart of the capital, the fourth, leading to the south, being little more than trail.
 Putting a small guard at this last en- trance way, Colonel Espinoza sent a third part of the state police mounted on the best horses in town to each of the main roads to receive and return the first fire of the rebels. Behind them were placed six squads of regulars 50 men in each squad, one body just behind each party of cavalry. and one half way into the main plaza.
 This gave occupation to all the mounted police and 300 of the regulars, the remain ing 15 of whom were left in the ciartel while the foot police of the city were armed with rifles and distributed through the Alameds Plaza, Parque Portirio Diaz. Jarsinsan Fsonasn. pass'se Sarpgc a nd Lcnla de la Cruz.
 Three Operating Guns
 On the roof of the cuartel three men were operating the three-pounuer, throw ing solid shot into the rebels as they were approaching while in each of the three entrance ways mentioned a rapid-fire gun was planted to reinforce the cavalry and the foot soldiers
 The steady fire of the three-pounder gave first warning to the inhabitants of Topic that the battle was on in earnest and did such effective work in the ranks of the approaching rebels that they were delayed until the garrison had transported abundant ammunition to all the outposts and completed all necessary preparations for the battle.
 Then at o'clock In the afternoon the l.,. i,, s4atb Slrillad forth the call to battle. Doors were bar ricaded. shutters changed on windows and Topic buried itself within it's three-foor walls while the handful of defenders gathered themselves into one mass ready to receive the onslaught of Guerrero's hordes.
 Machine Guns Begin to Purr
 It was not long in coming. Even as the reports of the first bugle call died into sharper command to open fire three half-hidden machine guns responded with an opening rattle that soon be- came deafening purr. The young gun nors of the federal army had the range and the elevation, rebels began to fall by ones and twos, here and there. then by squads as the assailants rose from the furrows of the fallow field to run forward 10 yards and then to drop again Into the sheltering earth.
  ing through the ranks the rebels rushed on, seemingly increasing in numbers. until they were within 20D wards of the stone walls which hid the machine guns and the waiting cavalry
 Then for one instant the song os8 the rapid firers ceased. The cavalry rien, sabers and carbines sheathed, bat with revolvers in each hand and bridle reins hung about their necks, leaped to meet the foe.
 It was short sally, but 1t took the rebels by surprise and many of them fell. Their sabres were drawn and the mounted police quickly cut the.r way to the second line of rebels where they turned and amid a hail of bullets ralloped to the cover of the lwalls.
 Second Fatal Mistake
 The rebels, thinking the force of the garrison had retreated into the cuartel. followed in a headlong charge. Then from machine guns and rifles, well behink thick stone walls.