Evening journal., 1914-03-24
VILLA DRIVES
FEDERALS OUT
OF PALACI0.
Mexican Rebels Now Expect
Fall of TorreOn Within
Few Hours
town ABLAZE after
day OF HARD fighting
BY The United Press.

BY The United Press.
CONSTITUTIONAL HBADQUAR~
TIERS. vERJEL. DuRASGO. Mexico
-Gomez Palacio, the principal subs
urb Of Torreon, fell into the the
hands OF General Francisco Villas
Constitualist troops during the night.
With this suburb and Lerdo con-
trolled by the rebels, the fall Of Tor
reon itself now seems only a matter
Of hours After having been driven
out Of Gomez Palacio at 8 o'clock last
night and sustaining tremendous
losses. the Fodcrals returned to tho
attack at midnight Early today.
they We're still engaged In desperate
conflict, but steadily rctreating. The
town IS aiire In dozen places and
Is threatened with destruction. It
is estimated that 1000 rebels and
about 5000 Federals arc engaged In
the fighting about Gomez Palacio.
The downfall of Gomez Palacio
witnessed the heaviest fighting since
the Torreon campaign began. early
Monday. the combined forces OF Cen
erals Urbina. Hernandez and Rod
riguez. personally commanded by
General villa. occupied Lcdro after
scarcely more than perfunctory re-
sistance. Immediately villa threw
large portion of this force, mostly
cavalrymen. into the battle at Gomez
Palacio, relieving the strain that had
been placed upon the column headed
by General Torribio Ortega.
Ortega had ahelled Gomez palacio
all morning but did not open a SER
ious attack until Villas men arrived
In the afternoon. Villas cavalry re-
Inducements we're sent TO the firing
limo at once, while his foot soldiers
we're held In reserve behind Ortega'a
column.
For hours the fiercest fighting
charged repeatedly but apparently
could not disorganizc the defenders,
As night came on the superior Con
stituuonalist artillery began to haze
its effect and the Federal outpostf
we're gradually Withdrawn. Seizinr
his opportunity Ortega ordered ii.
nal assault on the suburb The cav
airy. screaming aud cursing at the
top OF their voices ia an effort Ia
terriiy the defenders. were sent for
ward al a gallon and Ortegas main
body followed Al D. M. the as
sault was successful. and the victor
iOus rebels swarmed into Gomez
Palacio. driving the garrison out.
But this did not end the battle,
Seeing the desperate plight of Gomez
Palacio, General Refugio Voasco
first commander of Torreon sent
heavy reinforcements out from Tor
con itself In some quarters. II ris
reported VelascO personally headed
this column. The rotreating Fed
erals Immediately reorganized and
returned to the attack. Both armies
used their artillery with deadly ef.
feet and in some quarters the fight.
ing was so close that hand grenades
were brought into play. Bursting
shells and the hand grenades quickly
set fire 10 a dozen warehouses IN
Gomez Palacio, but neither forces
paid any attention to the threatened
conflagration.
With the Federals slowly givine
ground, General villa early today or
dered up all reinforcements available
from his troops I'm other parts Of the
/ ield. The present indications are
the final battle for the possession OF
Torreon win be fought in a large ir.
rigation field lying between that city
and Gomez Palacio This is In a
valley through which runs the street
I railway line connecting Torreon with
the suburb. It has been formidahly
Y fortified not only with rifle pits but
also with, barbed wire entsnglements
Continued on Page Two)