The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-04
DEATH TAKES HEAVY
TOLL IN A BATTLE
NEAR MATAMORAS
Mexican Rebels and Fed
erals in Deadly Struggle.
Town Practically in
Rebels Hands

Brownsville, Tex, June S.-Wbile q
hahdful of men were. still Offering
dogged resistance to the rebel troons
of Gen. Lucio Blanco, constitutional
ists' commander in chief of the state
of Tamaulipas, at 10 O'Clock tonight
Matamoras, Mexico. is practically in the
hands of the revolutionists after hat
tie waged without interruption since
lo;So o'clock this morning. Colonel
Eschasereta, with 100 volunteers. rem
nants of the federal garrison. is making
the last stand from the roof of tbe
cathedral and theatre in Hidala plaza.
but their subjugation before morning
Is regarded as certain.
Early in the night flames from burn-
Ing buildings in several sections of the
battle-scarred city lighted the slxv FOR
miles around and for a time it was
feared that the town was doomed. At
~ O'CLOCK however. the fire zones had
decreased.
Heavy Death Toll
The toll of death on both sides has
been heavy. Major Estaban Damos
federal commander, was wounded early
in the engagement. He was brought m
Brownsville hospital. His condition
Is reported critical Private Davis of
, ,ne ohiteo states cavalry, was wounded
py stray shot while patrolline tha
border on the American side of the
Rlo Grande and rumors are nersistent
'hat Miguel Barragan, mayor of Mata
fnoras, was shot and killed late TODAY
Authehtlc estimates of the dead and
wounded will not be available before
tomorrow one report brought by refu-
gees was that between two and three
huhdred of the combatants had been
Killed and double that number wounded
Ihe united States consulate. where
consul j. H. Johnson and his staff re-
NAMED during the lighting, was in the
dlfect line of fire the greater part of
the day, butt is stated that none of
those IN the building have been
wounded
one hundred and twelve of the fed
eral troops crossed to Brownsville this
afternoon and surrendered to the United
States military authorities.
shortly after 10 o'clock tonight firing
decreased, but the rebels continued to
hurl dynamite at intervals in an effort
to dlslodse Escaserreta and his forces.
General Advance
Inc rebels began general advance
toward the main part of Matamoras Mt
$50 this afternoon. Within an hour
they mad taken the customs office at
the terminus of the international bridge
and almost simultaneously the customs
house at the ferry connecting Browns
vile and Santa Cruz, a suburb of Mata-
noras. After that the fight was grad
ualiy narrowed to Hidala plaza.
Among the buildings burned set af1re
by rebel shells were IL dwelling houses
on the Para de Aramas including the
home of Major Barragan.
1t was estimated that Blanco's army
numbered about 1900 men, while the
federal garrison was composed of less
than third of that number
Several thousand spectators viewed
the battle from the United States side
of the Rio Grande, but were kept at
what was regarded as a safe distance
from the boundary by the soldiers of
troop M, Fourteenth cavalry, who pa
trolled the border for distance of six
miles. An automobile bearing a party
| OF sightseers was struck by a bullet and
put out of commission, but none of the
occupants was hurt.