The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-04-12

according to indications visible here
to-day. After hand to hand encount-
err lasting several hours, the rebel
forces drove the federals out Of the
city so precipitately that the latter
were compelled to abandon their
dead and wounded. An examination
CT the town by rebel officials today
showed numerous dead bodies in the
streets and in adobe houses. With
the federal dead were found the
corpses of rebel soldiers, showing
how closely the rival armies fought.
| The losses on both sides were
heavy. The rebel wounded are be-
| ing cared for in hospital trains
brought up from Torreon this after
been sent back to Torreon hospitals.
The federal wounded are cared for in
the same way
Tonight burial parties are going
about burying, or burning the corpses.
Many federal prisoners were taken
and all of these are being employed
| in this work Several hundred rifles
and a quantity of ammunition were
captured by General Villas troops.
News here regarding the fighting
near Benavldes and Parras comes
through Torreon and General Villa
has ordered strict censorship. All
that is known is that a savage battle
was raging near Parras at last ac-
counts.
! Censorship on Again.
Ell PASO. Texas. April I.--Gen-
eral villa has re-established the
rigid censorship which prevailed for
days during the Torreon campaign.
Every time he has done this, subse-
quent developments have shown he
was meeting stubborn resistance or
was near defeat. The federal forces
which retreated from San Pedro Fri
day instead Of following the railroad
towards Monterey has turned south
ward, indicating an intention Of
Of making for Saltillo. There was
sharp fighting last night and early
today at Benavides station.
Parras, where Velasco Is supposed
to be beseiged by Villas main force,
is the home of Francisco I. Madero,
the murdered president of Mexico.
The constitutionalists hope to avenge
their late chiefs assassin by admins
tering singing defeat to Huerta's
army there.
Fighting Velasco.
Ell PASO, Texas. April 11.-Aside
from brief dispatches that Gesper-
ate battle was being fought between
Torraon and Saltillo, no word had
come from the headquarters of Cen
eral Francisco Villa at Torreon to-
night. The lack Of news was regard
ed by constitutionalists in Juarez as
ominous and the belief was gen sIal
that the engagements progressing at
Parras and other points near San
Pedro, Coahuila, was taking the en-
tire strength of Villas seasoned army.
+ Two separate battles We're in pro-
gress when the last meager reports
were received early today. The most
important was that at Parras, ninety
eight miles east Of Torreon and 100
miles west Of Saltillo where General
Refugio Velascos main body of fed
erals was being attacked by the com
bined consttutionalist forces OF Gen
eral Francisco Cos, General Luis Her.
rera and General Eugsnio Aguirre
Benavid'es. The latter brigade-the
Zaragoza brigade-bore the brunt of
most of the early fighting before Tor
rson and lost nearly forty percent OF
its strength.
Nearer to San Pedro, another fed
eral column was being engaged by
troops Of Generals Torribio Ortega
and Rosalio Hernandez. The id an
tity of this column has not been es-
tablshed
U. S. Marines Almos: Landed.
VERA CRUZ, April 11.-Only by
hairs breadth was the landing Of
United States marines in Tampico
averted, it was reported tonight when
additional details Of the arrest of an
officer and men from whale boat of
the Dolphin by Mexican fe9erals
were received here.
General Mas, military governor OF
Vera Cruz is making every effort to
obtain full details Of the arrest and
the demand OF Rear Admiral Mayo
that the American flag be saluted by
the firing of twenty-one guns. His
investigation is being conducted at
the order OF General Huerta
According to information h ere, the
United States transport Prairie left
her anchorage yesterday afternoon
and tied up at the Tampico wharf.
She was loaded with marines ready
for landing. Preparations for send
ing the men ashore We're going for
ward rapidly, when the launch was
seen hurrying across the harbor.
There was an interval OF waiting and
the launch steam ed up at full speed
and sealed envelope was delivered
to the officer in command. The
launch oore to tho Florida outside