The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-17
MEXICAN WAR
FILLS CEMETE
Five Hundred Rebels Reported
Killed in Canon
by Huerta's
Men.
EscALoN is ATTACKED
Dictator is Not Worrying Over vrifllna
Incident Of Murder a
American Post
master.
IBy a United Press staff correspon-
dent -


dent]
MEXICO CITY. March 17.-Gen-
eral Huerta does not believe Mexico
is in any way responsible for the kill
ing of the postmaster at Tecate,
Calf, or the burning of the Ameri-
can custom house. He told Charge
O'Shanghnessy that he believed in
yestigation would show the postmas-
ter was murdered by robbers.
O'Shaughnessy motored to the office
of. the foreign minister in downpour
OF rain shortly after midnight for a
conference regarding the Tecate af-
ifairs Early in the evening he had
talked with Huerta. The dictator
readily discussed the California de-
/ velopment but displayed little concern
over charges that the postmaster was
murdered by Mexicans. Huerta IS
especially solicitous of O'Shaugh-
messy. He provides guard for the
American embassy each night and
! has doubled the body guard accom-
panying O'Shaugbnessy during the
day. The possibility of commission
of United States senators visiting
Mexico City has been discussed in
= Official circles here and SO far no obs
y ieetions are voiced At the foreign
! oface N ives, said the senators woulN s!.
t be gladly welcomed.
: Getting Down to Business.
Z Ell. PASO, Texas, March 17.-Esca-
& Ion. the constitutionalist base, north
; of Torreon, was in grave danger Mon
day of falling into the hands OF the
; Mexican fed srals, according to code
4 press telegram received here today.
r SO serious was the situation, say the
q dispatches, that General francisco
Villa, commanding the constitutional
, ist army, General Felipe Angelese.
!, commanding the rebel artillery and
}. their staffs hastened to the front
!. The dispatches state that General
3 Eugenio Aeuirre Benayides. with 5000
h rsbels and many cannon was compeli-
r cd to fight desperately all Of Monday
>. to preyent the fall of Escalon Federal
a troops under General Ricarto Pen.
are said to have performed brilliant
ly but could not take the reb as
STRONGHOLD with its enormously yalll-
able supplies. Pena retired at night
!. fall No report of casualte es in this
engagement has been received at Chi
n huahua and Gen scal Villa has receiv.
ed no report from any other part oi
the Torreon battle field. When Villa
ana ANGELES left here they were as
eorted by 1000 cavasynen They
c. were due at Escalon Monday night.
l. Since Villa first hegan Preparing
s for the Torreon campaign he has
% been concentrating his provisions anu
v supplies CT ammunition at Escalon
c. Food for long campaign and mil
o, lions of rounds OF ammunition are
g stored there. Hence the vital neces
le sitv of holding that city.
a The dispatch saving the federals
a wsre attacking Escalon, caused grea
e, surprise here as none had supposed
to they were that far north OF Torreon
ie It is stated that General Villa, befor'
IL leaving for the south. ordered the cen
m sor to tighten his lines and forb.t
II newspaper correspondents to file any
OF thing today.
is Whether this is true has not bee
n definitely learned, but it is generall
IN credited by newspapers here. Code
ne prepared by the few correspondents i
the field have thus been rendered use
less.