Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-04-08
NEWS WRITERS WHO
TRAVELLED WITH VILLA
[Continued From First Page1

of death and conflict. During the first
days light artillery and infantry at
tack on Gomez Palacio the federal fire
grew so hot that things seemed to
be going badly for the rebels. Men
began to leave the trenches and make
their way to the rear. Two cannon
were attached to caissons that were
waiting to be placed in position at a
certain point and began also to move
backward. the drivers urging the
mules on in plain. incipient panic.
"All at once Mexican boy, about
Is years old, rode on horseback
through the mesquite in the direction
OF the rearward movement. 'Vuelva!
(Go backD he yelled again and again,
putting spurs to his horse. And at the
word from a mere boy the cannon
were stopped and turned, the men
FACED the shot and shell from the
south once more and all marched
cheerfully beck to the field they were
about to abaAdon.
Proprietor Surprised
I'm simple Justice it must be said
there We're few evidences of vandal-
ism. There probably has never been
a better natured army than that which
villa commands. The morning of the
soldiers rode up to a well-kept cottage
on the ground of the soap factory.
the proprietor from the front yard
watched them anXiously. One soldier
drew in the gallery where a mag
nlf1cent climbing rose vine was bril-
liant with red roses. He took one.
waved it gaily to his companions. and
all rode on, leaving the house owner
astonished at this illustration of mill
mndprgtlOn nj l.
typical. In battle. and too often out
Of 1t. the Mexican is ruthless. Under
ordinary circumstances he is appar-
entity the most polite and agreeable of
men.
There is one branch of the federal
service, however, for which the rebel
has constant stock of ferocity. This
fs,,l 5 the volunteer branch. made UP of
followers of Orozco in the anti
Madero revolution. called 'colorados'
IN the military slang of the day. All
colorados' must and should die.
Halt Train to Shoot
"a prison train to the north seldom
reaches Chihuahua without making a
halt somewhere en- route to shoot Two
or three men identified as former fol-
lowers of Orozco. 1t is said that
Bachimba, the place where Orozco
was defeated by Huerta is a favorite
place for such summary executions.
ON the other hand, the regulars the
poems are regarded with a certain re-
spect and treated almost with consid
GRAFTON. They are forced into the serv-
ice, rebel officers explain, and only
night because they have to-
Through the whole campaign Villa
has been direct and simple in his
methods. Torreon was taken bv main
strength and tenacity. When will
Iorreon fall" a newspaper CORE
spondent asked Villa at headouarters
the day after the failure of a night
assault from which success had been
expected. l don't know he said sim
ply All l know is that the town is
going to be taken before we quit
Bloody Angles There, Too
The sieges of Gomez Palacio and
Iorreon had their bloody angles
Shattered remnants of almost ami
hliated companies reeled back from
La Pila, the fortified hill protecting
Gomez Palacio. and similar catastro.
phies punctuated with evidence of
high courage marked the taking of
Santa Rosa and Caiabazas Hills. form
ing the western wall of Torreon. The
rebels gained the positions but thoy
paid the price. At other points along
the line the dead scattered over the
open plain attested that there, too.
the federal fire had been concentrated
and deadly.
The taking of Torreon has con-
firmed Villa in his belief in night
fighting-his principal contribution to
data of the science of Mexican war
fare. 1t is true that at night there
may be confusion and troops may fire
on their own side. as is said to have
occurred once during the siege. On
the other hand. he holds night at
tacks give the assaiIants nrotootio,,
they would not otherwise have. keep
the garrisons In constant suspense and
have greater moral effect on the
enemy