Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-05-02
GRAPHIC STORY
OF VERA cruz
Capture of Mexican City After
Two Days Fight Presents
Vivid Picture.
VAlOR OF OUR BLUEJACKETS

Warships Shelled Buildings in Which
Mexican "Snpers" Had Taken Ref
uge-Natives Surprised at Cour-
tesy Of American Troops.
Vera Cruz, Mexico, April "a
Twelve Americans were killed and
thirty wounded before the city of
Vera Cruz came into the undisputed
possession OF the American invading
forces after a two-day fight. Although
the Mexicans suffered more severely.
the number OF their casualties has not
been ascertained The best estimates
obtained by Capt. William r. Rush
of the battleship Florida indicated
that in the engagements Of Tuesday
and Wednesday their dead numbered
about one hundred and fifty. No per
son knows how many MeXicans fell
wounded, as many of them were taken
away and hidden by friends.
In the streets about the plaza
Wednesday afternoon lay fifteen or
twenty bodies, majority OF them at
tired in citizens clothing Some of
the men evidently had been dead since
the engagement Tuesday and the
tropical heat made their immediate
disposal imperative. One OF the first
orders given after the town had been
captured was to bury the Mexican
( dead In a trench at the sea end of
/ one of the streets leading from the
/ plaza.
Scores Are Taken Prisoners.
When the city was taken the order
was given to advance carefully and
search every building for men bearing
arms. Scores Of prisoners were taken,
the majority of them protesting vol
ubly-many hysterically-tha they
were not guilty of any unfriendiiness
toward the Americans. Accustomed
as the MeXicans are to seeing their
own contending forces shoot imme-
diately all prisoners taken, the cap
tured men could not but believe that
they would receive no less drastic
treatment at the hands of the Ameri-
cans. The guns found in houses were
thrown by the marines and blue
Jackets from the upper balconies TO
the pavement below.
The most spirited action was the
taking Of the naval academy. Aside
from that fight, no definite. organized
opposition was encountered by the
Americans. A hot fire was poured
from the naval college, but a few
we'll directed shots from the cruisers
Chester, San Francisco and Prairie
tore gaping holes in the stone walls
and silenced the rife fire of the Mexi
cans inside. The bluejackets then
were enabled to proceed with the task
they had in hand.
Escape From Fight Cut Of.
Despite the Smelling it had received
Tuesday, a squad of soldiers continued
to give considerable trouble to the
Americans from the battered Benitc
} Juarez tower After they had beer
siTenced and removed from the tower
It was discovered that the soldiers
had continued fighting for lack O
ability to do anything else. The shell:
from the warships Tuesday had tori
away the stairway in the tower anC
the men had been compelled to remain
IN 1t.
Appeal From Aged Mexican.
Coincident with the orders for thu
general advance OF the Americans al
aged. white-haired Mexican, carrying
the white flag Of truce, came down
street from the center of the city
He carried a letter to the chief Of pc
lice, the only authority he hoped t.
reach. and desired Consul Granada t.
read It. 1t was an urgent appeal t.
the chief of police to call off tn
snipers and prevent the bombardmen
he believed would follow If they con
tinued their execution.
Even before the messenger hat
climbed the stairs into the CONSUL
office Capt. Rush was informed OF tn
contents of the note he bore and in
mediately sounded cease firing" AM
halt" But it was too late. Tn
|. action had been begun all along tn
line and it was not considered wis
to attempt further measures to sto
It. The commanders ordered thei
men forward at double quick, whic
; they carried out with vigor tina
afterward gave them the city.
, Evidences Of War.
, Blood-bespattered sidewalks, broke
l windows and bullet-scarred walls CAV
4 the plaza a grewsome aspect. With
the Diligencia hotel there we're fort
Americans. most of them women, VIII
had been there since the commence
, ment of hostilities. When the squar
: was taken they were Immediately NJ
, titled that they might go on the Spar
| ish cruiser Carlos v. outside tn
, breakwater in order to give the Prairi
, room to fire her guns. The SPANS
:. commander refused saying that h
, dared not maneuver his boat In S
small space at night. He also d,
cfared that he needed to take on
4 supply Of fresh water. Admire
n Fletcher insisted yesterday that hi
. order be carried out, and the Carlo
/ te{I