The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-22
FIGHTING
NEAR TORRE0N
outpost Town of Birrnijillo
Has Been Captured
BY Villas
Men.
BLOOD FLOWING TODAY
Rebel Troop. Have Been Promised
That They VIII Sleep
in Torreon To-
night.
BLOOD FLOWING TODAY

stitutiOnalist army has begun all along
the line, according to dispatches re.
ceived here late tonight.
Following the capture Of Bermijillo
this afternoon after battle of several
hours, Villa hurried several regi.
ments of Eorsemen after the retreat
ing federals and the towns of Santa
Clara and .Brittingham Junction were
seized in rapid succession. The lat
ter place is twothirds of the way from
Bermijillo to Gomez Palacio, the
chief outer defense Of Torreon itself.
Since the capture Of Bermijillo at
2:15 this afternoon, the fighting has
been continuous. Fighting stubborn
ly and resisting every foot OF the
rebel advance, the federal defenders
of Torreon gave ground slowly all af-
ternoon. At Santa Clara they che .ked
Villas advance for an hour but they
were finally compelled to withdraw in
some confusion.
The flight from Santa Clara to Brit
tingham Junction was more precipi-
tate. as Villa had thrown almost his
whole cavalry division into the battle
and was able to attack tbs enemy on
the fanks. Nevertheless the Huerta-
istas reached Birmingham in safety
and another desperate struggle vas
staged there. Before evacuating that
place, the federal commander prac-
tically destroyed the town, setting fire
to most of the buildings and dynamit.
ing several road bridges.
Meantime, according to dispatches
received here, Villa had determined
that time for rapid action had arrived
and he notified his subordinate COM
manders to get into action at once.
1ney have responded to the call and
have opened the general assault. Cour-
iers with dispatches for and from Viii
la rode through Bermijillo by the
score tonight. They all say the rebel
chieftain is beside himself with eager
ness to conclude the attack. He has
promised his troops that they VIII
sleep Sunday night in Torreon and is
determined to make good his word.
1o6 Dead.
Ell PASO. Texas, March 21.-'Gen-
eraI Francisco Villas constitutionalist
army has captured Bermijillo, one of
the most important outpost towns in
the Torreon district. After a sharp
battle in which the federal defenders
were repulsed and retreated towards
Torreon, leaving 1O6 dead on the field,
Villas forces entered Bermijillo at
2:15 p. m.
This word was received tonight in
a special dispatch received by an Ell
Paso newspaper from it's correspond
ent with the constitutionalist column.
The correspondent said the federal
commandant took with him all of his
wounded excepting those who were
evidently overlooked in the haste
with which the Huertaistas abandoned
the place.
Gen. Eugenio Aguirre Benavides,
commanding the Zaragosa brigade Of
veterans, this afternoon occupied
Tlahualilo, the terminus of branch
railroad line running north from Tor
reon by way Of Sacramento. The con-
stitutional column will begin the
march against Torreon Immediately.
but it's progress will be slow, owing
to the poor condition Of the railroad.
Not content with capturing Bermi-
lilo, General Villa ordered General
Benavides to give the enemy no rest
but to pursue him to the very suburbs
of Torreon.
A dispatch dated Bermijillo and
timed six D. m, received tonight, said
the constitutionalist army was con-
centrating there as rapidly as forced
marches would allow. AS fast as his
detachments arrived, Benavides sent
them south against the retreating reb-
els. The Huertaistas offered strong re-
sistance for an hour, but were finally
driven out in confusion.
Villa is rushing every available cav
alry man to Bermijillo in the hope of
getting formidable force between
the main federal body and 1orreon,
and cutting the retreating force off be.
fore it reaches Gomez Palacio. Fail