New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-26
FIGHTING NOW AT
VERA CRUZ EDGE
Villas Troops Driving
Back CarranZa Men in
City's Outskirts.
MANY EXECUTIONS
IN THE CAPITAL
Fifty Suspects Reported Shot
While Villa Sends Out
Christmas Greetings.

christmas OreellnSS.
Vera Cruz, Dec. 25.--Fighting has
/ occurred between the adherents Of
/ General Carranza and those of General
/ Villa in the outskirts of Vera Cruz.
The Villa forces are advancing in
unknown numbers, while the Car
rama forces have been obliged to fall
7 back
A strict censorship has been en-
/ forced.
General Carranza was made happier
to-day by receipt Of news from Tam
pico that followers of General Villa
had been defeated At Ebano Station,
near Tampico. The news officially
given out was that one Of the Cedillo
brothers. who was acknowledged TO be
a fighter Of importance and who was
/ formerly with Carranza, was killed.
and that the Villa forces had lost
heavily. II was added that three
cannon and few machine guns were
taken by Carranza's men.
lBy Gable 10 The Tribune
Mexico City. Dec %. While General
Villas Christmas message was being
received by his commanders through
out the country, Major Adolpho tlerro.
notorious as the slayer of the British
subject. William Benton, at Juarez
carly in the year, was secretly putting
scores of men to death in the capital.
Given authority by Villa to appre-
bend enemies of the convention, tierro
for days has been carrying on cam
paign of death among persons whom
he CHANGED TO suspect, and who have
been sent TO the firing squad IN detach-
ments of a dozen At a time. More than
fifty secret executions, all by order OF
Fierro, are said to have occurred IN
this city to-day
Villa, it is asserted. has been kept
in ignorance of Fierros activity.
The Christmas greetings sent by the
general to all commanders OF his troops
in the field and to all commanders OF
Carranza forces IN Villa territory were
short, and merely extended the compll-
ments Of the season to his brothers IN
arms
Villa sent orders early to-day 70 all
commanders 10 cease fighting for the
dav unless attacked. He declared it
was his wish that the Prince Of Peace
should be honored by one day at least
of entire peace in Mexico.
by Telegraph 70 The Trbun,
Naco. Ariz.. Dec. 25.- Hostile MeXi-
can armies at and near Naco, Sonora,
witnessed with apparent establishment
the celebration of Christmas in an
American way by American soldiers.
Peace conferences, which had been
conducted by General Hugh l.. Scott
with the Mexicans, were suspended for
the day. and the 5000 American sol
diers spent the day enjoying their gifts
which had come in carload lots from
all parts OF the land and in eating spe-
cial Christmas dinners, prepared under
difficulties, but elaborate in the va
riety Of food, many Of the messe,s
having wild game killed by the sol
diers.
Fl Paso, Tex, Dec. 25.-Julian c.
Medina, a blacksmith, has been ap-
pointed Governor of the State of
/ Jalisco by General Francisco Villa,
according 10 advices reaching here to-
day. Miguel Dieguez, the Carranza
appointee who was deposed when villa
forces recently captured GuadalaJara,
was a carpenter.
During his recent visit 10 Guada
laiara. General Villa sought the loan
Of 100000 pesos from the people or
the state. The major part of this
sum. it is said, will be supplied by the
Church party, which is gratihed over
Villas action in reopening the
churches closed by the Carranza Gov
+ ernor. The business men are con-
tributing to the fund. it is said.
Washington. Dec. 25.-Provisional
President Gutierrez of Mexico has com
pleted the selection of his Cabinet,
with the exception of the portfolios OF
Justice and Interior, by appointing men
from both the Villa and ZapaSa follow
! ings. His representatives here received
a message to-day giving the compost
tion Of the new Cabinet as follows:
Foreign Relations, Jose Ortiz Rodri-
guez; War, General Jose Isabel Robes;
Finance, r. T. Villareal; Public
Works, Valentin Cana. Education
Jose Nasconcelos; Communications,
Jose Rodriguez Cabo; Agriculture,
General Manuel Palafox.
Cana and Palafox are Zapata follow
ers, the latter being once Zspata's sec
rotary. The other members are follow
ers OF Villa. Vasconcelos formerly was
special representative of General Car
rama here and visited England on a
special mission.
The Gutierrez government, to-day
message says, is doing away with the
military tribunals and is administering
justice through civil tribunals.