The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-20
FIGHTING GOES ON
BEFORE ALT|LLO
Desperate Battle in Progress. but
Report Gives No Details
of Engagement
PAREDON IN HANDS OF REBELS
Force of 5000 Federals Said to
Have Been Defeated by
Villas Soldiers.

FL Paso. Texas, May 1e.-Desperatc
dghting is in progress before Saltillo
but tho wires direct from the front
OF General Francisco villa. have
Drough, no details OF the engage
ments.
Whether villa has fought his way
through the outer dcicnses OF IL" Fed
cral stronghold and is knocking on
the gates ot Saltillo itself. or whether
a desperate defense of the positions
north OF the town havo suffered TO
check the Constitutlonalists advance
was uncertain from the little news
that came through.
Tho only direc; Information reach
ing here was IN dispatch from Isidor
>'ap.la, acting Minister OF Foreign
Affairs. Ia the Cons;itutional!st gov
ernment. which Informed the Consti
tutionalist tunta here that General
Villa had defeated u force of 5000
Federals at P.rcdon, iniiict!ng heavy
casuait!cs. capturing 500 prisoners,
several machine guns, 100000 rounds
OF ammunition and other valuable
erals were among those said to have
been killed.
NEITHER TIME NOR DATE
SPECIFIED IN DESPATCH
Neither the time nor date Of the en-
gaSement was specified IL Fabelas =
dispatch which was sent from Durango
early this afternoon, and which reach
"a mere four hours later
General CarranzA and his STAFF.
among whom was Senor Fabela, re-
turned TO Durango late last night
from Sombrcrctc, Zataecas. Ii Is re-
Eardcd here as possible that the news
contained In the dispatch may have
been sent on - wire from the front
several days ago
The mention ot the engagement OF
5000 troops at Parcdun has proved q
puzzle to men here who have followed
thc campaign closely. The first SERBS
GUS engagement of the campaign wRs
reported to have occurred near that
point on Friday. when 800 men of the
Haragoza brigade. under General Raoul
ladero, surprised and scattered It Fed
cral force OF 4c0
MaGero then WAS reported 10 have
occupied the town OF Paredon. The
Federal garrison vas said later to have
retired TO Ramos .ar;spe. six miles
north OF Saltillo after cutting tho
railroad from Paredon as they re-
treated.
LAST DIRECT NEWS
To COME FROM FRONT
This !s the last direct news Of the
campaign 10 reach here from the
front, although other minor skirmishcs
We're runo.ed. The question Of how
the 5.oO9 Federal troops could reach
Parcdon and participate in n battle
there. lhirty-iive miles from the Fed
eral base at Saltillo, remained uusolv-
ed tonight.
If the Durango dispatch IS correct
and the engagement took place after
the defeat administered to the Federal
force by GENERAL Madero. 1t may In
dicate that"the Fedcrals have advanced
in force from Saltillo. driving before
them the Constitutionalist scouts and
Reconnaissance parties known 10 be
operating in the country between sal
tiilo and Paredon.
Another possibility is that an aug
mented force q; Federals from Mon
clova, fleeing before General Francisco
MurEia who advanced from Picdras
Ncgras against them. stumbled into i
brush with General villas forces.
II Is possible the news from Fabela
may be an exaggerated account OF the
first Paredon engagement.