The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-30
NO NE MS FROM
 FRONT IS ILL NEWS TO REBELS Villas Silence Leads Sym pathizers to Fear Bad
 Luck at Torreon FEDERAL DEFENSE IS
 AMAZING EXPERTS Constitutiollalist Leader IS Reported Slightly Wound
 ed Tn Recent Fighting

Chihuahua, Mex. March s0.-F'or. seven days. Francisco Villa, leader Of the eonstitu revolution. has waged his battle against Torreon. For six days the fight has been the bit. terest and the loss Of life the heaviest in the recent history of Mexico. judg-z ing from the meagre press despatches received from the front and the sto-s ries of slaughter told today by many Of the 58s wounded veterans of Tor reon who are interned in hospitals here
 Constitutionalist sympathizers and rebel officers in Chihuahua again have become anxious as to the fatezcf their military leader and the remnants of the twelve thousand men who march ed to Torreon with him to engage in. the revolutions first decisive battle. No word from Villa came early to- day to relieve the anxiety which ob- tamed throughout Chihuahua Re- ports that heavy reinforcements were haasteIing to relieve General Refugio yeIasco, the federal comm ander at Torreon who has made such re- sourcefuI resistance against the reb- els. were received here with misgiv- .ngs.
 NO NEWS IS IIH NEWS.
 But it is the fact that no news Of Villas progress has been had for many hours that IS responsible for l sthes greatest anxiety as to his date. rebel leader in the past free access to telegTaphic comm ication was l given newspaper correspondents at 1 the front but. when he met reverses, Villa would allow no news sent over the wires. ss Army officers here fear that Villa and his army are in difficult and perhaps dangerous position The
 many days Of almost constant az gressive warfare at Gomez PaIacio and within the city of Torreon it is thought have exhausted both men I and supplies.
 From stories told by the wounded the rebel vanguard ran into a trap al fGomez PaIacio which cost them dear l Iy in men and ammunition- Bat, spurred by the seemingly irresistible
 energy of General Villa, the soldiers pushed on, wrestling success from I what looked like defeat and carried their fight to the very heart of Tor reon. SURPRISED AT DEFENSE
 Those familiar with the geography of Torreon and it's vicinity cannot un-
 de1stand how General Yelasco haf
 oeen able to withstand the vigorous attack by numerically superior
 force as long as he has, he having sI been driven, according to report, tt the very southern edge of the city The only solution which presented It-
 self was that General Velasco and hIs men had succeeded in holding ths j roundhouse and railroad buildings 1T
 spite Of any artillery fire which Vills
 might have been able to direct agains
 them
 There are those optimistic enougf
 to believe that Villa. has driven tn.
 federala from the stronghold and i.
 pursuing them down the valley to tha
 south with the intention of so den1or Fl a1izing the federal forces that his pos
 session Of Torreon might be undis turbed until he can reorganize his owl
 army.
 This theory is discounted, however E because of the fact that no news O
 any character from the front has bee
 received since Villas message Satur day night declaring that it was matter of only short time befor
 Torreon would be his