The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-23
SEAMEN'S CHARGE SWEPT MEXICANS
 FROM VERA CRUZ
Marines And Sailors Surprised Citi- zens By Not Executing Mexican Prisoners Taken Under Arms ==- Spanish Cruiser Put To Sea When Bombardment Began ==- Federals Left 15O Dead In City

Vera Cruz, April 28-Esarly yesterday afternoon the city of Vera. Cruz was in undispslted possession of the A1ner1- can invading force Although there was no organized force used against them and the sniper5 were less in evidence than at any time during the lighting. eight Americans were killed and some 30 wounded While the Mex leans suffered more severely. the num- Der of their casualties has not been ascertained but the best estimates Ob- tafned by Captain William R Rush, of the baftIeshfp Florida, indicated that in the engagements of Tuesday and wednesday their dead amounted fo about 1ED No one knows how many Marfcans fen wounded, a large part Of them were taken away by fraends-
 In the streets about the plaza We'd negdmy afternoon lay Is or 20 bodies, a majority 0g them in citizens attire. some of Chs men evidently had been dead since the ensagenent of Tues day and the tropical heat made their Immediate d1sDoeEaa imperative. One of Che drgt orders given after the town had been caDtursd WAS to bury ysea. end oE one of the streets leading frun thg plama-
 F4msoRqKKHs FEAn3RD sTaAU1HT9uEs
 
 Wng given to advance carefully and tssamuh every building for men bear Fln8 aRxna Scores of prisoners were ktaz,su- nnost of them protesting vplUh- f1y. many hysterica1fy, that they vera Inca guzzzy of any unfr1endliness " hat km0mwuR tcr#a<d fhe Americans. Ac- Idnaer1nsd As The Mex11a1s are to their tDHn ccntsn71ug forces shooting inl1ne- kdlaAe1y all priso1aers taken, the cap ltuzed men could not but believe that kxhew would receive similar treatment tAk Ezze hands of the Americans. The guns found in houses were szhrown by the marines and bluejankets k1ruxn the upper Balconies of the houses Ito the pavement below
 TRs mont spirited action of We'd snesa4y was flae taking of the naval lanndaxuy-s Aside from that light there wAs no definite organised opposition bmzzesmm9erPd by the Auer1cans
 HAWAI- CuGEEGE aHEMHED
 Aot fire vas poured into tho ad- tVanEznB AzueE4cans from the naval foou@e9 w1zsch Cor . time held them Eb@nk Hut a fsw well directed shots l Gz1po and ErazEse tore gap1nE ho4es ir the seens Wazz and siIenced the xife snro oG f1e EeKscans inside Far to ftz1a E1BnE 1ns the harbor, the mine ship tsan Fsanrisco opened with her five flneh euzs and, taking the front of the foeiieEe. shot out window by window spl2uk1ng the shells with the precision to&4 tmrget rracttce.
 The blue9ackets then were able to .pro6eed with their movement
 A squad of soldiers, despite the shel1zng they had received Tuesday c0nfinued to give considerable trouble to the Anerfcans from the battered Beu1to 5uarez tower. After they had Deem aflenced and removed from the tOwers ff WAS discovered that the SOL d1srs had continued fighting for lacl of abzlfty to do anything else The shells from the warsl1ips Tuesday had torn away the. stairway in the tower sand the men had been compelled tt remain In IL
 BAEzExACKS ARE TAKEN
 AE 10 o'clock Wednesday, mornins the Americans were in undisputed pos session of all the city except the south west quarter in which the barracks are situated and few outlying dis zr11t4 At noon they had taken ths sbarrad1zzs When the city prison, whict facsg the main plaza of the city, wax captured, Lieutenant CommandeI Buukanan of the Florida made an in spec1fgn tour through it. There was great surprise among the Mexicanf who had gathered there that the 7,ris- oners were not released They ha6 Deen accustomed to seeing the victor always release prisoners and then inn press them into his army.
 Chief of Police Antonio viIIavicen- cio was taken prisoner by the Amer jeans shortly after they had occupied the main plaza, of the city. It was Isug. gested to him that he continue in his ofncfaI capacity to direct the city's protective systems He took the mat ter under advisement-
 Had the frightened mayor made IF his mind to accede to Admiral FIetch- CTS suggestion. which was made through Consul Canada, the Mexicani might have been spared the humi1ia- 4ior of being forced from their posi- ffong and undoubtedly a number os lives would have been spared.
 TRIED TO STOP SHIPPING
 Coinoident with the orders for the general advance of the Americans, ar aged, wf1ite-hafred Mexican carrying the white flag of truce, came down a street from the center of the city He carried a letter to the chief of police, the only authority he hoped to reach ana desired Consul Canada to read it. It was an urgent appeal to the chief of police to call off the snipers and prevent the bombardnent he believed would follow if they continued their fexecuti0n-
 Even before the messenger had climbed fhe stairs into the consuls rElcn CAntadn Rush was informed oe