Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-23
Rebel Leader Confident He
Will Make Quick Capture
of Stronghold.
HIS OFFICERS GET VIEW
OF FEDERALS' POSITION
Cefenses Are Elaborate and Planned
According to the Latest Ap-
proved Method.

Rebel officers returned from the extreme
front today after viewing some of the
federal Notifications through field glasses.
They reported that the defenses were
elaborate and laid out according to the
latest approved methods. so that troops
might move from trench to trench with
out exposing themselves.
Fresh earth was said to mark the lurk-
ing places of the enemy's big guns. Some
of the barbed wire entanglements We're
visible
Troops continued to pour into Bernie
jillo from the north today. Nearly all of
the supplies from Yermo are now here.
Marked by sharp brushes with the en-
emy, Gen. Francisco Villas spectacular
march against Torreon, which began last
Friday, was nearing an end today. Only
few haciendas and suburban towns re-
mained between his army of 1000 and
the actual siege of Torreon. At no point
does the rebel leader expect to meet
strong resistance, unless it be at Lerdo.
a short distance north Of Torreon. Re
ports are that more or less formidable
garrison of federals has been placed by
Gen. Refugio Velasco in Lerdo to check
the constitutionalists.
Mountain Is Fortified.
Cerro La Pila. huge mountain which
overshadows Gomez PaIacio. and which
is supposed to be fortified by the federals,
is the only other matter of concern to
Gen. Villa, but he does not believe that
any considerable body of federal soldiers
would detach themselves from the main
army at Torreon more than three miles
from the mountain.
With the possible exception of the re-
ported garrison at Lerdo, a defending
party on La Pila would have no support
and Gen. Villa believes it would have to
fall back on Torreon after a long-range
defense with the big guns.
Villa is confident that only few more
hours will pass, with little fighting. be-
fore his army is investing Torreon proper
He maintains that his force is SO grea,
which they may meet before reaching the
city Of Torreon. believing that Gen. We
lasco has kept the Torreon garrison in
| tact to repel the rebel advance.
The skirmishes which the rebels hav,
already engaged in have been more lik,
play than a part of war They have seem
ingly delighted in cavalry charges agains
the federal outposts. At this little city
the rout was disastrous for Velasco's
troopers. they having lost log dead II
land into the heart of Bermejillo, where
the rebels finally halted.
Federals Flee Before Villa.
Gen. Villa entered Bermejillo at +:
o'clock Friday afternoon. After run.
ming fight with advance guards of tht
federals for fifteen miles the enemy
numbering 200. was driven through Ber'
mejillo and about five miles beyond tc
Santa Clara, which was occupied by tht
forces of Gen. Herrera.
Federals retreated from Mapimi il
front of the advancve of column sent ou
from Peronal by Gen. Villa: Another col
umn was separated and sent from Cone
jos, under Gen. Benavides. to take Tia
hualilo. This clears the way for the ad
vance directly against Torreon. Gen
Villa is in communication with Gems
Urbina, Contreras and other constitu'
tionalist leaders. The railroad was cut
in many places by the federals, but the
repairs were quickly made and yester-
day there was direct communication with
the north.
Gems. Herrera, ortega, Benavides,
Garcia. Trinidad. Rodriguez and Jose
Rodriguez command brigades in the con-
stitutionalist army. Gen. Felipo Angeles,
the artillery expert, is accompanying
Gen. Villa as chief of artillery and second
in command. The advance of Gen. Villa s
army south was accomplished NItH eili-
cheney and eXactitude from the concen-
tration point at Yermo. The army ad-
yanced to Conejos. accompanied by the
supply trains. Early in the morning of
the 10th the main body started for
Bermejilio. Gen. Villa declared AT start
ing that he would sleep in Bermejillo.
and the prediction was realized at Per-
onal
Running Fight Ensues.
The column sent against Mapimi was
separated from the main column yester-
day, and the running fight with the ad-
vance guards began. The supply trains
which were left behind ay the main body
in it's rapid march from Conejos arrived
at Bermejillo yesterday
Ell PASO. Tex. March 23.-Published
reports that the rebels began an attack
on Gomez Palacio and Lerdo. important
suburbs of Torreon. yesterday. We're
without official confirmation early today
either here or in Juarez. The last word
received at / am today, when the Juarez
telegraph office closed, was that there
had been no fighting.