The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-02
Huerta Forces Said to Have
Been Starved Out of I'M
portant Stronghold by
Rebel Adversaries
REPORT AUTHENTIC,
DECLARES GENERAL
FRANCISCO VILLA
Federal Troops Leave City to Mercy
of Constitutionalists Rather Than
fs Face Active Siege-Rebels
Will Press on to
Mexico City

Juarez. Mex, December 1.--Rather
than endure starvation, the federal
troops have evacuated chihuahua City,
according TO advices received tonight
by Gen. Francisco villa, the rebel
leader. The evacuation leaves the city
open 10 possession by the rebels. The
town was invested by rebel troops
weeks ago.
The report received by villa states
that Salvador Mercndo, military COVER
nor of the state, with 1000 federal
trops. had left on foot for Ojiniga on
the United States border, neal Marta,
Tex, that Generals Jose Inez Saiazar
and PascuaI Orozco with more thnn
1000 federals had retreatea to the
mountains west of the city and that
hundreds of civilians, including women
md children, who were on the verge of
starvation, had started out 10 walk
to the United states border.
Important City
Chihuahua. with population normally of
35.OO0, is the second city of northern
Mexico. Neither in the Madero revolu-
tion nor in the present uprising has Chi
huahua been taken from the federals.
Its garrison and the commanding posi-
tions for sharpshooters and machine
guns. afforded by the cathedral and pub
lie buildings heretofore had presented a
formidable barrier to invaers. Had the
rebels reached the city and the federals
resisted 1t was believed a fight in this
city would result in great loss of life
and property.
Conditions i'm the city We're said to be
such that life there was no longer en-
durable. The Spanish viaduct conveying
water from the mountains was reported
TO have been destroyed and the food sup
ply exhausted. General Villa tonight
telegraphed details Of the evacuation "a
General Carranza at Hermosillo. stating
the proposed advance of tha-rebels south
ward TO Mexico City now would be ex-
pedited. The possession of Chihuahua
City, he said, would make rebel territory
of the country straight through to Zaca-
tecas and operations would begin about
that city and at Aguas Calientes.
General villa said Federico Moye, a
civil governor of Chihuahua state, his se-
lection being based on the belief that he
would be acceptable to the rebels.
Report Is Authentic
''The report of the capitulation of Chi
huahua is authentic said Villa. at
came to me in an official dispatch which
said the city was evacuated on Sunday.
A rebel courier at once set ont ,and rode
1870 miles northward where he met the
rebel advance guard. This was a point
called Villa Ahumada, where we nave es-
tablshed telegraph communication.
have transmitted the details to General
Carranza, the head of the revolution.
1T is my purpose now to send a force
to intercept Mercado, who is fleeing to
Ojlniga, and also to capture Orozco and
Salazar. Our main body probably will
the advance southwark We will be
nearing Mexico City within month";"
Five hundred thousand dollars worth
of provisions and clothing and $100, ,00t
from the Banco of Miners We're confis-
Gated in Juarez by Villa to support the
rebels. The property was taken through
the refusal of merchants to accept paper
money issued by the rebels The store
keepers, most of them Spanish, appealed
to United States Consul Edwards and
later closed their shops and handed over
the keys to the consul.
Consul Edwards later returned the keys
to the owners. saying he could not guar
antee the safety of the property Mean
time the places We're forced open and the
goods and money taken. 1t was said the
property was insured in an English COM
pany against looting.