Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-26
REBEL CHIEF
STAYS ROUT
OF FORCES
Army Split When He Goes to the
Rear, He Turns Defeat Into
Promised Victory.

II
JUAREsZ, March General Villa
has rallied his troops, and has re-
newed his attack on the Federals
who drove the coRstitutionalIsts from
Gomez Palacio, according to brief
message received by Governor Chao
early to-day. In this Villa said that
he expected to retake Gomez Palacio
Immediately, and urged that a ship
ment OF hand grenades. for which he
wired yesterday, he FASTENED.
This message, Governor Chao said,
showed that earlier reports Of Villas
defeat had been exaggerated, and
that he expected to be fighting soon
In the streets OF Torreon.
Army Cut In Two.
Early reports from the field stated
that the constitutionalist army had
been cut in twos that the left wing,
commanded BY General Benav.des,
had been left entirely unsupported In
its attack on the eastern fortifications
of Torreon, and that the Federal cav
airy under General O. Carranza was
threatening to cut to pieces Bena-
vides entire division.
Deep anxiety was shown by the
constitutionalis leaders here To-day,
Governor Chao passed the night at
the telegraph office waiting for the
latest news, and when he gave UP his
vigil, he left two aides to hasten 10
him with any information that might
come.
Carranza to Front.
This is the day set here for. the
celebration Of double victory at.
Torreon and the the arrival Of Pro-
visionaI President carranza to set up
his capital in Juarez. The plans for
the double jubiIation were forgotten,
however, tn, the alarm over villas
predicament at Torreon.
Uncertainty prevailed early in the
day over the plans Of President Car
rama, Late last night a courier
from Carranza arrived with news
that the constitutionalist chief had
turned aside to strikesthe railroad TO
Juarez, and would en- train his corps
of 1000 men to go to the battle front.
The message did not state whether
Carranza himself would proceed ito
Chihuahua or come here.
The censorship over the telegraph
wires between here and Chihuahua
was maintained to-day more strictly
than ever 1t was impossible even to
send message to newspaper cor
respondents at the front. Hitherto,
although press dispatches coming
from the front have been held up or
refused altogether. message for the
war correspondents were accepted
and ostensibly sent.
Credit Villa With 5Iunder.
Colonel Fidel .Ayila, the garrison
commander, explained to-day's tight
ening Of the wire control as due to
the pressure Of military dispatches"
His explanation was not generally az
cepted, IN view OF L Z TACT that there
was even less activity at the tele-
graph office than was apparent dur
Ing the early fighting at rorreon.
That serious tactical error by
Villa himself was responsible for the
reported Federal triumph at Torreoa
was the theory expressed to-day by
"a we'll known Constitutionaiist officer
He said that villa had left the main
battle line and gone to the rear 10
hurry up dllatory force. During
his absence the Federals made a
sortie against the &C Of the rebel
line and drove Villas veterans back
in disorder beyond Gomez PaIaclo.
which Genera velasco's men agalqI
occupied.
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