Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-26
Mexico City's Report of Re-
pulse of Villas Army Not Ac.
cepted by Constitutiona|ists.
HUERTA FORCES USE
ARMORED AUTOMOBILES
No Tidings Reach Ell Paso or Juarez.
Conflicting Reports Received
in Washington.

JlAREZ, Mexico. March oS-tn atmoS-
phere of pessimistic anxiety enveIoped
constitutionaist sympathizers today over
the possible fate Of Gen Francisco villa
and his 1000 rebel soldiers who. at Ia
reports. were engaged in desperate fight
ing at Gomez Palacio. a suburb of Tor
reon.
FOR two days no definite word came
from the front.
At noon an unofficial report was re-
ceiVed saying an intermittent artillery
duel was carried on at Gomez Palacio
during the night. There were no details
News dispatches from Mexico City, re-
celved last night. declaring that the war
department had issued a bulletin to the
effect that Villa was in full retreat, are
not believed generally in Juarez, but the
report caused rebel officers to make fur
ther inquiries for news from the battle
field.
Manuel Chao, military governor of Chi
huahua, haunts the military telegraph
operator day and night. in the hope of a
message from Villa, telling of the for
tunes of war. No explanation was Of
fered by rebel officers of the fact that
communication ceased after the attack
on Gomez Palacio began. while it had
come freely during Villas triumphant
southwark march.
Claims Rebel Rout.
MEHICO CITY. March 26.-The war
department last night made the claim
that the rebels under Villa were routed
at Torreon with great slaughter carly
yesterday. Eight hundred men under Gen.
Joaquin Mas and Gen. Javier de Moure.
it was announced. arrived opportunely
from Saltillo in time to add greatly to
the federal victory. The rebels were
said to be retreating northward, with the
federals pounding at their rear.
1t was admitted that Villas men en-
tered Lerdo. suburb of Torreon. but il
is explained that this was a ruse on the
part of Gen. NelaSco to ambush theni AS
soon as they were well into that terri
tory the federal artillery shelled them
out. the cavalry charging as the rebels
| started to retreat
Used Armored Autos.
Gems. Mas and de aioure are reported
to have made the distance between Hi
polito and Torreon in fifty armored auto
mobiles which they were carrying. the
| railroad having. been cut at HipoIito
| The rebel losses in dead and wounded
are reported to be two thousand
Little News Received.
Ell PASO, Tex, March 2s-Measer
advices from the front yesterday were
| mixed in character. but out of the med
| ley, schooled observers here said they
| drew the conclusion that the rebels met
at Torreon and Gomez Palacio an
enemy in nowise Inferior and that their
| attack had been checked at the outset OF
| the battle proper. Rebel officials at
Juarez, as well as refugees in thfs city,
| said they placed more reliance OH dis
| patches from legitimate correspondents
| at the front than on so-called Official
dispatches. One of the correspondents
| yesterday wired: villa says wires will
| be open when he reaches Torreon.''
In the course of the day no other press
| dispatch was received, but this one it
was said. plainly carried the inference
| that the attack eon Torreon only had be-
gun.
Rebel advces here yesterday were that
Villa was attacking the outskirts of Tor
reon and that two-thirds of the rebel
army. under the direct command of Gen
Benavides. was engaged.
Unconfirmed rumors had it that Villa
| had executed 30 federal prisoners and
that In one assault IS federals were killed
and 200 wounded.
Constitutionalist sympathiZers placed a
gloomy construction on the failure of de-
tailed newspaper dispatches TO get
through.