Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-04-02
T0RREON CHIEF
MAKESOFFER TO
sURRENDERC|TY
Truce Arranged for Period
of Three Hours to Talk
About the Terms
VILLA INSISTS ON
KILLING TRAITORS
Is Expected to Agree, How
ever, Rather Than Let
Battle Continue

Eagle Pass, Texas. April 1.-Dis-
patches from the American consul at
Durango, forwarded to Washington via
this city are reported today to an
nounce that the federal commander at
Torreon has offered to surrender to
General Villa, that a. truce has been
granted and that the federal and con-
stitutionalist commanders have met
and are today arranging the terms OF
capitulation.
General Velasco, it Is said, first
called for three-hour armistice and
offered to surrender the town if the
garrison could march out with honors
of war and if Villa would parole the
officers and guarantee not to kill the
volunteers as he had threatened. The
dispatch announcing the truce and Of
fer of surrender has been forwarded
to Washington
William P. Blocker. American consul
at Piedras Nesres,' refused to reveal
the contents of the dispatch from Du-
range but admitted that the message
had been received and forwarded to
Secretary Bryan.
According to information from
authentic sources. General Villa has
taken the railroad station in Torreon
and for the past two days has been
working HIS way from house to house
toward the center of the city. He Is
said to. have. taken nearly half the
town but the assaults resulted in an
appalling loss of life on both sides.
Offers to Surrender.
Last night General velasco hoisted
white flag, it is said. and asked for
three hours truce to present propo-
sition for surrender. The truce was
granted, it Is understood. and the fed
eral commanders offered to turn over
the city with all military stores If the
lives of all officers and men were guar
anteed.
1t is also understood that Villa at
first demurred, saying that many OF
the garrison, including General Oroz-
CO, who Is said to be in Torreon, were
traitors and must be executed. 1t Is
said another armistice was arranged
for today, however, when Villa would
probably accept the offer of the fed
eral commander.
It is known that a federal column OF
reinforcements left Saltillo for Tor
reon March 80 but as all railroad lines
are cut it will require several days for
the relieving force to arrive at Tor
reOn.
FederaIs Hold Barracks.
Juarez. Mex, April 1.-At one
o'clock this afternoon General Carran.
"a, through Roberto B. Pesoueria gave
out statement to the effect that the
federals still hold the general barracks
and two smaller barracks in Torreon.
This indicates that there have been no
material changes in military positions
in the city in several days.
A telegram from Gomez Palacio to
General Manuel Chao at Chihuahua
was copied here. 1t said that a train
of wounded left Gomez Palacio at 2
o'clock this morning and added that at
that hour fighting continued.
Miguel Diebold, Mexican federal
consul at Ell Paso made public tele-
gram from General Joaquin Mas. the
federal commander reported advanc-
ing to the relief of Torreon:
Reported fall of Torreon untrue.
Deny all such reports
The message was dated today and
purported to come from Saltlllo just
east OF Torreon by way Of Eagle Pass.
Texas.
1t was rumored here that one OF
Mas troop trains was destroyed by
dynamite at San Pedro de Las Colon
las, a railroad station between Saltillo
and TorreOn