New Britain herald., 1914-04-23

immediately all prisoners taken, the captured men could not believe they would receive less drastic treat ment at the hands of the Americans. The guns found in houses were thrown by the marines and blue jackets from the upper balconies of the houses to the pavement below.
 Naval Academy Taken.
 The most spirited action of Wednes- day was the taking of the Naval Academy. Aside from that fight there was no definite organized opposition encountered by the Americans. A hot fire was poured into the advancing Americans from the Naval College, which for a time held them back, 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 Mexicans inside. Far to the right in the harbor the mine ship San Fran cisco opened fire with her five inch guns and, taking the front of the college, shot out window by window, planting the shells with the precision of target practice. The bluejackets IuSn were eI4Dlcu LO pEOCCcu WILL Slc task they had in hand. ..
 A squad of soldiers, despite the smelling it had received Tuesday. con- tinued to give considerable trouble to the Americans from the battered Benito Juarez tower. After they had been silenced and removed from the tower 1t was discovered that the soldiers had continued fighting for lack of ability to do anything else. The shells from the warships Tuesday had torn away the stairway in the tower and the men had been com pelled to remain in 1t
 NIexicans Are Surprised.
 At 10 o'clock Wednesday morning the Americans were in undisputed possession of all the city except the southwest quarter, in which the bar racks are situated, and 8 few outlying districts At noon they had taken the barracks. When the city prison, which faces the main plaza of the city, was captured, Lieutenant Com mander Buchanan of the Florida made an inspection tour through 1t. There was great surprise among the Mexicans who had gathered there that the prisoners were not released. They had been accustomed to seeing the victor always release prisoners and then impress them into the army.
 Chief of Police Antonio Villavicen- cio was taken prisoner by the sAmeri- cans shortly after they had occupied the main plaza of the city. It was suggested to him that he continue in his official capacity to direct the city's protective system. He took the mat ter under advisement. Had the fright ened mayor made up his mind to ac- cede to Admiral Fletcher's suggestion, which was made through Consul Canada, the Mexicans might have been spared the humiliation of being forced from their positions and undoubtedly a number of lives would have been spared.
 Order Was Too Late.
 Coincident with the orders for the general advance of the Americans an aged, white haired Mexican, carrying the white flag of truce, came down street from the center of the city. He carried letter to the chief of police, the only authority he hoped to reach. and desired Consul Canada to read 1t. It was an urgent appeal to the chief of police to call off the snipers and pre- vent the bombardment he believed would follow if they continued their execution. Even before the messen- ger had climbed the stairs into the consul's office Captain Rush was in formed of the contents of the note he bore and immediately sounded "cease firing and halt" But it was too late. The action had been begun all along the line and it was not considered wise to attempt fur ther measures to stop it. The com manders order their men forward at double quick which they carried out with vigor that afterwards gave them the city.
 Blood bespattered sidewalks, brok- en windows and bullet scared walls gave the plaza gruesome aspect. Within the Dilagonca hotel, there were forty Americans, most of them women, who had been there since the commencement of hostilities. When the square was taken they were imm ediately notified that they might go to other places if they so desired but that they probably would incur no further danger by remaining in the hotel.
 Many Refuse to Obey.
 It was not until late Tuesday that the last of General Maas' men on top of the hotel received written or- ders from outside the city to yacate their position. The order was obeyed by portion of the hundred men who were occupying the roof advan-