The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1914-04-09
TORREONCAPTURED
Garrison Completely Routed After
Week Of Hard Fighting.
Rebels Lose Heavily; Villa Thinks
Federal Loss Almost Total
ViIlasFeeds Hungry.

ly into the hands of the rebels at
1920 o'clock Thursday night, accord
ing to announcement made here by
General venustiano Carranza.
Tho news was first announced to
the world when the bugler In front Of
Carranza's residence blew the STAG
cato notes OF victory. The paean, Car
rama said, was sounded even before
1t was heard In Torreon, Villa delay
ing out of compliment to his chief.
The meager bulletins, excitedly an
nouncing victory after the bloodiest
series Of battles known to modern
Mexico. said that Villa captured a
large number of prisoners and that
the fleeing remnant was being pur-
sued
With Torreon at last completely in
his hands, General Francisco Villa
was already preparing next day for
attacks on Monterey and Saltillo. In
the meantime his men were doing
their utmost to get in food supplies
and make the city habitable. A thor
ough cleaning up was urged, II pes
thence was to be avoided. The in
habitants were ON the verge of star
vation-
Considering the number of men en-
gagged in the past IL days fighting the
losses were enormous. OF the rebels
200 were killed in Sunday nights fight
/ ing alone, and it was estimated 500
federals were slain and 1000 wounded
the same day. Villa put the number
of rebels killed after his men got In
side the city at 500 and the wounded
at 1900.
Askad hoxx, x.,,rr ~oho1o en- 49,
first to last, Villa replied You'll
not go far wrong if you say the federal
| loss was total"
Villa promptly put his prisoners to
work burying the dead, caring for the
wounded and clearing up the wreck
age. The damage done by shells,
bombs and fire was enormous, and
the removal of the debris will be a
heavy task.
The food problem, too, was a serious
one. Supplies were ordered rushed
from Chihuahua city and Juarez, and
details were sent out to drive in herds
of cattle from neighboring ranches.
Soup kitchens were opened under mil
itary management. and all applicants
men, women and children, federals
and rebels, complaints and non-com
batants, shared alike while the food
lasted.
To facilitate the assault upon Mon
} terey and Saltillo, Villa had forces o
| federal prisoners at work repairing
, the railroad eastward and rebuilding
the bridge over the Nazas river, which
was destroyed during the fighting.
Villa was inclined to think boil
Monterey and Saltillo would fall easi
ly- In view of the Torreon garrison
destruction and the city's capture
: with a greater store of artillery an
military supplies than the Huertista
: possessed anywhere outside Mexic
City, he could not believe it would b
J deemed worth while to reinforce tn
I defenders of either of his next point
of attack. And unless they wer
strongly reinforced, he felt confiden
{ of making short work of them.
The fighting at Torreon over, tn
rebels and their federal prisoners fra
ternized readily. BY their desperat
, resistance resistance which was
great surprise to Villa-the federal
had won the rebels respect On tn
other hand the federals were surpris
! ed at being fed and well treated Man
e of them would have surrendered soor
: er, they said, but their officers cor
q WINGED them they would be torture
: to death if captured.
1t was opened dramatically. Ridin
along the line of his troops, Genera
Villa pointed to the city and shouted
!, Comrades, there's Torreon. We mus
= take it. viii you follow me?"
The response was a thunderou
chorus of cheers. "Esta buenoi" erie
Villa Let us CO."
h The roar of the rebel artillery an
the rattle of rifle fire followed imms
diately. From that time forward tn
: constitutionalists closed steadily in o
t the town. The federal artillery an
!. riflemen fought coolly and courageous
ly, but their enemies advance was q
no time even checked.
What surprised the rebels most wa
the federals' continued resistance a
; ter the former were actually in tn
streets of Torreon- They had expec
/ ed a fight to get into the town, bt
e once inside they had believed it woul
It be over.
!. Instead, the thoroughfares wer
found strongly barricaded and hel
by federal troops. who contested ever
step of their foes advance, fightin
i from behind the barricades and pou
4 ing a murderous fire into the reb'
# ranks from the tops of flat roofe