The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-02-18
SIXTH DAY FIRING
OPENED BY REBELS
Throughout the Morning Fight.
ing Is General.
HEAVY FEDERAL CANNON
Apparently Not Effective Against
the Opposition, as an Order to
Stop Firing Was Given Federal
Troops In the Afternoon.

Stop Firing was Given FeoSFa'
Troops In the Afternoon.
About twenty minutes past 2 O'Clock
on the afternoon of the sixth day OF
the fighting in the City Of Mexico the
government gave general order to
cease firing. At that time General
Jose Maria de la Vega, commanding
the Maderista forces to the east OF the
rebel positions, said the government
troops had been unable to advance
President Taft declared he would not
favor Intervention unless Americans
and other foreigners we're openly at
tackled in Mexico.
President Madero sent another ulti.
matum to Diaz demanding his surren.
DER Rebels replied with shells
On the sixth day the battle began at
6:45 o'clock by the rebels firing upon
the Federal concentration points.
Diaz asked American Ambassador
Wilson to recognize the rebels as bel
ligerents. claiming that he vas In full
control MIR. Wilson refused, saying
that Madero also claimed he was In
complete control.
The convent near the national pal
ace was wrecked and Q number Of in.
mates killed.
First salvo from the rebels was fol-
lowed by others In rapid succession,
and then the machine guns commenced
their whirr and pstter, the fire being
concentrated where government troops
we're gathering. Federal guns did not
delay In making vigorous reply.
BY I o'clock the firing had settled
into steady fusillade. All around
the arsenal the fash of the field guns
and also the quick 6rers was inces-
SAINT Federal officers at that hour
insisted their men were preparing to
nake forward movement on the reb-
Ell lines.
A constant stream Of refugees, most
of them Mexicans, were observed car
rying bundles and scurrying toward
the suburbs from the densely populat-
ed district between the arsenal and the
national palace % soou Is the firing
became intense.
Ia many churches services we're held
and prayers offered for the restora.
ton OF peace in the capital Refugees
knelt by the hundreds in the old edi-
fees and Joined in the prayers. At the
same time trusting not little to the
heavy walls for protection against
flying projectiles.
Diaz made preparations TO contest
every inch of the advance OF the gov.
eminent troops advance and said his
followers and himself preferred TO die
al their posts rather than surrender;
that they would not ask olemency.
Casualties in the fighting on the hfth
day, including soldiers snd noncom-
batants. are estim ated 1t 5000 killed
and wounded, great number having
been slain. During the lull . message
was sent Diaz stating that no quarter
would be shown him and his follow
ers, since they have violated all rules
of civilized warfare by the throwing
shells.
The warfare has caused. . serious
shortage OF food and other necessities.
Hundreds Of families have been living
on short rations, fearing to venture
into the streets to buy food.
During the heavy Smelling upon the
9th day great havoc was wrought 10
the palace section. TIE American
club Was riddled and the second and
toird floors wrecked. OF forty Ameri.
cans in 1t at the time four had almo.t
miraculous escapes
During the heavy Smelling OF the
palace Diax moved some OF his forces
o the southeast Of the city and palace
was made the target Of both she'll and
rife FIRE from that, district Coinci.
dentally, the rebels succeeded 10 ex.
tending their zone OF activity 10 other
directions.
The rebel fire toward the palace
was intended to not only to bring
about its surrender. but also clearing
of intervening high buildings OF the
machine guns and riHemen and silenc-
ing the Federal battery operating in
San Juan Letran street. at q point
midway between the arsenal and the
palace.