The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-03-20
One Hundred and Sixteen Fed
eral Soldiers Probably
Executed by
Rebels.
WIPING OUT GOES ON
Battle Of Torreon Being Fought But
No News is Allowed to
be Sent
Out.
TBy a United Press staff correspond


[By United Press staff correspond
ent.l
MEXICO CITY, March 20.-That
Colonel Arguelles and 116 federal
soldiers captured by rebels near Mon
clova may have been executed in re-
taliation for the slaughter Of 149
mutineers at Jojutla was the fear eX-
pressed today by War Minister Blan-
quet.
General Banquet told newspaper
men that reports from the front in
dicate that Arguelles and his entire
command have disappeared. AS the
Carranzistas regard all troops re-
bellng against the government as con-
stitutionalsts, the war office fears
Arguelles and his men have paid the
price of suppression Of the Jo1utla
mutiny. The federal command had
been detailed to trail the Carranzis-
tas in an effort to find the possible
survivors of an oil train of ten tank
cars which was derailed in the noun
tains near Tampico by rebels. The
train was hurled into space, falling
500 feet in a deep ravine. Six train
men were killed outright. The gov
ernment had hoped Arguelles and his
men would be able to overthrow the
rebels and save any prisoners they
might have captured, as well as care
for the injured they might fnd in the
wreckage of the train Nothing has
been heard from Arguelles since he
set out on his mission.
The Unreported Battle.
Ell PASO, Tex, March 2.-In the
great desert north of Torreon the
big battle for the possession Of that
city is believed to have begun. AL
though silence again closed down to-
day on the scene of what is expected
to prove the most decisive engage
ment of the present revolution In
northern Mexico, that is the interpre.
tation placed on brief dispatches re-
ceived during the night from Gen.
Augenion Anurre Benevidez. 1t
showed the scattered field command
ers of the constitutionalist army Of
General Villa are being called in ana
that general assault has begun.
Benavidez whose Saragoza veteran
brigade reached Yermo Wednesday,
wired that his troops had effected a
junction with the brigades commanded
by Generals Manual Chao, Rosalio
Hernandez and Maximo Garcia. These
troops had been stationed on both
sides of the railroad from the north,
prepared to prevent any flank attack
by the federal defenders of Torreon.
Benavidez made no specific mention
of fighting but he said the four
brigades were slowly closing in on
Torreon and had only seventy miles
to go before reaching their objective.
1t is supposed General ValesqueZ, fed
eral commander, has sent a consider
able force into the desert above Yermo
vance
Meantime other serious fighting Is
believed to be in progress in Xazas
Valley near Rosario, where General
Thomas Urbina and $500 rebels have
been stationed to prevent a flanking
movement. Urbina is out of communica
ton either by telegraph or by field
wireless and the Benavidez dispatch
said General Villa had sent ccuriers
urSilS ullli " SlOSS up anu NC III u po'
stion to participate in the grand as
sault on Torreon when it begins.
The censorship on press messages
continues, not a word of news having
been received from correspondents
with Villas column since Tuesday
night.
General Villa last night wirei from
Escalon to a friend in Ell Paso to bet
all the money he could get that the
constitutionalists would be in Torreon
before March 81 His friend wasered
81 900 American, against $1,000 MeXi-
can money that Villa would fulfill his
promise.
Gen. Vestuiano Carranza. supreme
chief of the constitutionalists, is ex-
pected in Juarez with his cabinet
Sunday. The town is being elaborate
ly decorated in his honor. Triumphal
arches are being erected in the streets
and all government buildings are be-
Ting draped with the national colors.
Castro is Praised.
MEXICO CITY, March 20.-General
Huerta today expressed his unuuali-