The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-03-26

Gomez Palace, Durango, Mexico,
Sweeping aside all federal re.
sistance here General Francisco
Villa began his final assault on the
city of Torreon itself.
Ell Veljel, Mex, March 25-Fight-
ing of the most sanguinary character
Is being waged in the streets of Co
mez Palacia. The rebels took the
water tank on Cerro de La Pillar, the
Birmingham soap factory and the
Quartet.
Quartet Catches Fire.
The Quartet caught fire and the
Rebels We're compelled to abandon it.
Streams of wounded were brought to
the field hospital here and as fast as
possible were sent back to the gen
eral hospital at Bermejillo. Losses on
both sides are reported to be heavy,
but General Villa says the town is
now practically his.
1t was reported that General Velas-
co came out Of Torreon with force:
and that Gomez Pa]acio was the point
OF main contention. Villa was said
to have captured 300 prisoners. !
Attack Began at Lerdo.
The Rebel attack on Torreon really
began yesterday when General Villa
occupied Lerdo, practically without re-
sistance after which he began an al;
tack on Gomez Palacio
The three towns are practically one
IN a commercial and social sense and
are connected by four miles OF street
scnts the military stronghold where
the main Federal force is gathered
under General Refugio Veiasco.
Gomez Palacio and Lerdo are with
out important natural dcfenses and in
previous revolutions have never been
seriously defended. On this battle it
is conceded hinges the fate of the rev.
olution.
Advance Began Here.
The advance on Gomez Palacio be
gan from this point, which is only two
! ur three miles from Gomez Palacio.
The action was preceded by furious
cannon@HiuG directed at the Federal
batteries with their infantry supportsl
On the mountain slopes. When Rebel
officers with t'ieir field glasses observ-
! ed that FeluGals were shifting their
! positions, their own infantry was set
! IL mo.icn across the plains in the d.
re2tion CT the mountain.
| 1t is reported that Ct!ier troops are
! approaching TOrreon in other direc
! tons, for during the last week Villa
drove in 1hc Federal Cutposts from all
points Ct the compass and made the
way clear for his own attack by TAX
in" Mapinli, Birmingham Junction.
Gnl number Of other towns.
Whoc Valley E:ntrenchcd.
! The whole valley is reported to he il
q state OF defense with barbed wire
acknowledgements and trenches. irrigation
bitches in some instances have been
! flooded, while others left dry. will
shelter the Hl2r.a soldiers.
The preliminary skirmishing which
! enabled the Rebels to bring their bat
| teries into action yesterday afternoon,
| began at dayh-eak yesterday and the
Federals fought stuhbornly. They re-
tired from trench to trench on the
plains until forced back upon the main
| force on the slopes OF the mountain.
Another Rebel Victory.
brownsville, Texas, March "a
Rout Of the Mexican Federal army I'M.
! der General Guardicla near Guerrero,
and the capture of large quantities OF
arms and ammunition was claimed in
official dispatches received at consti-
tutionalist headquarters at Matamor,
as. According to the dispatches. Guer-
zero, GO miles south Of Laredo, on the
Rio Grande, has been occupied by
the Rebels. ..'
The battle lasted nine hours. 1t WAS
considered a crucial one for the rev.
olution in northeast Mexico.