The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-01
Reports of Its Fall Received in Juarez Prove to Be
 Erroneous
GEN. VILLA ABOUT TO
 RESORT TO DYNAMITE
Operator at Gomez PaIacio Refuses to Transmit Messages From Rebels. People Swarm Over the
 International Bridge

Juarez, MeNa March S1.-Generai .earranza states positively al D. m. tonight that while there was every reason to hope for the early capture of Torreon, the town had not fallen and that the position of the troops had not changed materially in the last el hours
 This information was given out through Roberto Y. pesqulera. eonfl- dential agent of the constutionalists, and Brezeda. secretary to carranza. They also traced to its origin the re- pert today that the city had fallen
 .fhe situation in nutshell" Senor Pesaaiera said, is that the capture of rorreon seems certain. but no one can predict whenH
 II was learned tonight thafs General Monclovio Herrera who has been en- gaeed in the fighting at Torreon. has begun d march eastward with the eN- peetation of meeting federal reinforce ments marching on Torreou from Sal tillo.
 Al midnight save for Horrsra's de- rarture, it was said the situation Ut Torreon proper was unchanged
 Juarez Excited by Reports
 This city was thrown into state or hleh excitement late today when 1t was reported that Torreon had fallen
 Rebel officials telegraphed To Go- me1 ralacia asking General Villa if the news were true The operator there replied he was under orders to transmit nt no messages of any kind
 Ihc first report was that Marion Letcher United States consul at Chi huahua, had transmitted to w. j. Bryan. Secretary of State. n report from George Garothers, vice consul. who has been at the front with Villa that Torreon was captured at 20 o'clock this afternoon. on the heels of this some rebel off cial telephoned to the offices of the Mexico and Northwestern railroad here that the equalization of the federals spread rapidly and in n few moments speraq rapidly and In q few moments ] the stre@ts leading to the telegruph office eva iamned, Al the natefna- 1 iotal brtdgr there was a stream of iu- tefest ted persons pouring in from Fl Paso and orders were issued that all be searched for weapons. The saloons. which were allowed to reopen Hast night, were again closed
 iHdt SbiiftutnE WbS wrong Wllh me news began to be suspected when rebel seekers for information, Singly and in se ekers fo rinformation Singly and in groups they returned from General CaranHa's office. shaking their heads and went to the telegraph oNiee. Here, too verfication was lacking and final ly Fredcrco Gonzales Garza tele- graphed directly to General Villa only to be informed by the operator that his message could not he handled
 The whole incident left the impress sion that something of importance was takinp place in the south and if was hoped that official announcement of victory merely was being delayed for some rprpose known only to Villa.
 telegram from Villa to Carranza sent this morning and given out this afternoon felieitated Carranza on his welcome to Juarez and said that Villa hoped to announce the surrender of Torreon in few hours Another tefe- gram purportlng to come from Villa said he was meeting with desperate re- sistance in attempting to take the gem eral barracks, the last position held hy