The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-04-03
ToRREON KNEELS AT
FEET OF VILLA
CONTINUED from page IL

CONTINUED from page IL
way here. Early In the fight he tool
PRECAUTIONS to prevent surprise by de
stroyins the railroads in all directon
and maintaining scouting parties MT.
miles out to watch for approaching
bodies of the enemy
The siege Of Terrson.
Il TORRDON, DURANGO. Mexico
April s.-To the magnetic personality
of Francisco Villa. one time bandit
now commander In chief Of the com
bined forces OF tina Mexican constitu
tlonalists. should so the whole cred!'
for the great victory just achieved IN
the capture of this city. according 70
/ the opinion OF his followers.
/ The fight for the possession OF Tor
reon itself was the greatest ana most
| desperate OF the whole series OF des'
perate battles which marked the Tor
reon campaign. Ten thousand rebels,
in frenzy OF enthusiasm fought all
of Saturday night and Sunday In the
open. yelling like demons and encour-
aged to advance upon the federal en-
| trenchments under a whitening fire,
by the presence on the firing line OF
Villa himself Armed with rifles and
carrying no insignia OF his high Of
| fee, the commander In chief fought
like any common soldier. Before the
final assault on Torreon began at s
O'Clock Saturday night, Villa rode
along the rebel line pointing at Tor
reon.
There is Torreon We must take
it tonight. VIII you follow me into
it. comradss?" he cried.
YES, yes" came the answer in ,
thunder of cheers.
1--WE will die for you. general.
"Esta Bueno," said Villa simply.
Let US go"
Instantly thousands of tiny darts
Of fire leaped from tn. rebel rifles on
all sides Of the besieged city and the
big guns of the attacking thousands
began to boom, hurting shell after
shell against the doomed garrison.
The federal artillery was not idle nor
were the federal rihemen inactive.
Villas men advanced steadily. Al
though great gaps were torn through
their ranks by the bursting federal
shrapnel, they never faltered. Yells
of rage and curses rose from them
and they continued to advance. Moth
ing could stop them.
Rebel officers everywhere fell from
their saddles and riderless horses be-
gan to plunge through the ranks OF
the advancing hosts.
Before the attack was an hour old,
wounded rebels began the attempt to
get to the rear, some weeping, others
cursing. all deploring the fate which
prevented them from participating in
the final, triumph of the constitutional
forces.
A correspondent came upon one
young rebel Officer whose left arm
was torn to shreds by shrapnel. He
was attempting with his other hand
to stanch the flow of blood. He wept
with disappointment.
Il don't mind my arm So much he
said. but I am sorry to miss all the
fun"
Step by step, street by street.
Villas army entered the town from
all sides. They fought from house to
house through barricaced street after
barricaded street until the forces got
SO close to each other that Villa had
to order his artillery to cease firing
or shorten the range in order to pre-
vent killing his own men.
Villa himself was riding everywhere
and everywh ere he was greeted with
vivas and the dine Of 10000 rifles.
The federal artillery meantime con-
tinued its steady nre but many Of their
shells overshot the mark, principally
because OF thu rapid advance OF the
rebels towards the center of the city.
Hand grenades hurled by both sides
wrought havoc in the ranks OF both
armies. So close had the fighting be-
coma that federals, stationed on house
tops In several places actually caught
in mid air bombs thrown at them by
the enemy and hurled them back on
the rebels heads.
This sort of fighting continued until
Sunday night.
The federal garrison, fighting d.s-
perately was gradually driven back
towards the center of the city, desert
ing the barricades and taking refuge
in the cuartets OF the town. There
they remained and fought with great
savagery and in nearly every case It