New Britain herald., 1914-04-23
aching Serious Proportions and Americans ard
to Mexico City to Be Se:zed

the harbor the mine ship San Fran cisco opened fire with her five inch guns and, taking the front of the college. shot out window by window planting the shells with the precisionI of target practice. The bluejackets then were enabled to proceed with the task they had in hand.
 squad of soldiers. despite the smelling it had received Tuesday con tinued to give considerable trouble to| the Americans from the battered Benito Juarez tower. After they hadN been silenced and removed from the tower it was discovered that tho soldiers had continued fighting forX lack of ability to do anything else The shells from the warships Tuesday, had torn away the stairway in the tower and the men had been com pelled to remain in it.
 Mexicans Are Surprised.
 At 10 o'clock Wednesday morning the Americans were in undisputed possession of all the city except thd southwest quarter in which the bar racks are situated, and a few outlying districts. At noon they had taken thd barracks When the city prisonI which faces the main plaza of th4 city. was captured. Lieutenant Com nander Buchanan of the FloridaN made an inspection tour through 1t There was great surprise among the| Mexicans who had gathered there that the prisoners were not released ! They had been accustomed to seeing the victor always release prisoners and then impress them into the army
 Chief of Police Antonio villavicen cio was taken prisoner by the Ameri} cans shortly after they had occupied the main plaza of the city It wal suggested to him that he continue ii his official capacity to direct the city protective system. He took the mat ter under advisement. Had the fright ened mayor made up his mind to ac cede to Admiral Fletcher's suggestion which was made through Consu Canada, the Mexicans might have beei spared the humiliation of being forced from their positions and undoubtedly a number of lives would have bee spared. Order Was Too Late. Coincident with the orders for tiM general advance of the Americans, a II aged white haired Mexican, carrying the white flag of truce came down street from the center of the city. H carried a letter to the chief of police| the only authority he hoped to reachI and desired Consul Canada to read ifI It was an urgent appeal to the chief ol police to call off the snipers and pre} vent the bombardment he believed would follow if they continued theii execution. Even before the messen ger had climbed the stairs into tn \ consul's office Captain Rush was in formed of the contents of the notd he bore and immediately sounded "cease firing" and halt But il was too late. The action had beeII begun all along the line and it wa4 not considered wise to attempt fur ! ther measures to stop it. The com manders order their men forward at double quick which they carried out with vigor that afterwards gave them the city.
 Blood bespattered sidewalks, brok en windows and bullet scared waliz' gave the plaza a gruesome aspectl Within the Dilagonca hotel, therd| were forty Americans, most of then} women, who had been there sincd| the commencement of hostilitiesy When the square was taken they were immediately notified that they1 might go to other places if they sd desired but that they probably would incur no further danger by remaining in the hotel.
 Many Refuse to Obey.
 It was not until late Tuesday that the last of General Maas' men orj top of the hotel received written ord ders from outside the city to vacat<I their position. The order was obeyed by portion of the hundred mer1 who were occupying the roof advanl tage points in the interior, but a small portion of the band determined to disobey the orders of their super1 iors and fight to the last.
 These men, however, surrendered Wednesday morning. A lieutenand who was in command of the Mexica n s was led out a prisoner and although he had fought desperately he trem bled and turned pale in the he J lief that he would pe summarily ex J ecuted
 None of the American women were in any manner mistreatod bv tn. Mexicans during their occupation of the building. A few of the woraen ct ed tho A1aytcang ;.. ~ fT