Evening journal., 1914-04-03
Bv The United Press.

BY The United Press
cONSTITUTIONALIST HEAD
QUARTERS, TORREON, Mex, April
3-To the magnetic personality OF
Francisco villa, one-time bandit, now
field commander-in-chief OF the COM
bined forces OF the Mexican Consti-
tutionalists should 80 the whole
credit for the great victory Just
achieved IN the capture OF this city,
according 10 his followers.
The fight for the possession Of Tor
reon itself was the greatest and most
desperate of the whole series Of
fierce battles which marked the Tor
reon campaign. Ten thousand rebels
/ full of enthusiasm fought all Of Sat-
urday night and Sunday In the open.
yelling like demons and encouraged
70 advance on the Federal entrench-
I ments under a withering Ere by The
presence on the firing line OF villa
himself. Armed with a rife and car
rying no insignia OF his high Office.
the commander fought like any COM
mon soldier.
Before the final assault on Torreon
began at 6 o'clock Saturday night.
villa rode along the rebel line point
ing at Torreon.
nero ~ AUIINUNs We UlMNI NuhW
Il tonight Will you follow me into
It, comrades?' he cried.
YES, yes" came the answer IN. a
thunder of cheers.
I'VE will die for you. general"
''Esta bueno," said villa simply,
Let us GO"
i Instantly thousands Of tiny darts,
of fire leaped from the rebel rifles on
all sides OF the besieged city and the
big guns OF the attackers began to
boom, hurling shell after SHIELD
against the doomed garrison. The
Federal artillery Was not idle nor
we're the Federal riiemen in-active..
villas men advanced steadily. Al-
! though great gaps were torn through
J their ranks by the bursting Federal
shrapnei. they never faltered Yeila
of rage and curses rose from them1
p but they continued 10 advance.
Rebel officers everywhere fell from
their saddles and riderless horses began
20 plunge through the ranks of the ada
vuncing hosts. Before the attack Naa
an hour old, wounded rebels began ia
attempt TO get TO the rear, some weep@
ing, others cursing, all deploring tho
fate which prevented them from partici<
? pating in the final triumph of the Con<
stitutionalist forces.
correspondent came upon one youna
rebel officer whose left arm was tord
TO shreds by a shrapnel He was at
tempting with his other hand to staunch
the flow of blood. He was wild With
r disappointment.
= Il don't mind my arm so much" Id
5 said, @but l am sorry 70 miss all thf
r fun
r Step by step, street by street, villas
T army entered the town from all sides.
@ They fought from house to house
Q through baIricaded street after barrii
e caded street until the forces got "a
! close to each other that Villa had to
Z order his artillery to cease firing il
! order to prevent killing his own men.
, Villa himself was everywhere, and
G everywhere he was greetd with "vivasH
laudiblc above the din of 20,00o rifles.
The Federal artillery meantime cou'
tinued It's steady fire, but many of their
p shells overshot the mark, principally be-
Is cause of the rapid advance of the reb.
Il els toward the center OF the city. Hand
IS orenades hurled bv both sides wrought
. havoc in the ranks of both armies.
a So close had the fighting become that
Federals stationed on housetops in sew
aral places, actually caught in midaif
DOmn6 tnIOWn AZ thclu uN tno cl1oNJ
and hurled them back ON Che rebels
u heads.
S. This sort of fighting continued un-
r IN Sunday night.
l. The Federal garrison, fighting des-
oi perately, was gradually driven back
towards the center of the city, desert.
to ing the barricades and taking refuge
10 In the cuartels Of the town. There
they remained and fought with great
sayagery, and In nearly every case Il
was necessary for the rebels to exter'
n- inmate each separate party before
n cuartel could be taken.
le Sunday night. Vills took the bun
* ring, smeiter and large cuartel =
IN the southern portion of the city ai
we'll as a number of Federal strong
holds which had been fortified by tn
piling Of cotton bales about then
e Since these successes the city ha
I'd been practically IN the possession o
ny the rebels, although fighting continue
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