The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-04
Conservative Estimate Fixes
Dead at 500; Wounded
at 1000.
BODIES TO BE BURNED
Stores and Homes i'm City
Robbed by Victorious
Troops.
DUST SAVES FUGITIvES
Binding Cloud Sweeps Over
Country. Delaying Villas
Men in Pursuit.

GOMEZ PALAcIo, April 3.-Gen. Fran.
cisco Villa issues his orders from Tor.
reon tonight.
After almost twelve days OF fighting
in which his forces won four general
engagements and one pitched battle, with
only n single reverse, he has all north.
ern Mexico at his mercy. OF to the
eastward Gems. Herrara and Ortega are
chasing the remnants of the Federal
troops who escaped from the doomed
city yesterday afternoon and are trying
desperately to reach Monterey, 200 miles
distant. Other commanders are pressing
holly on the demorali2ed forces which
attempted TO reinforce the city. Villa
smiles and his loosened cartridge belt.
sits back in his chair ana waits for re-
ports while he watches the blue denim
clad regular soldiers OF Mexico pile dead
bodies high in the streets to be saturated
with petroleum and burned. He knows
only regular soldiers among all those
captured are alive tonight. Those who
fought with the irregular troops Of
Pascual Orozco and Ynez Salzar. the
men against whom he has a blood feud
are among those whose bodies lie in the
streets while he dictates messages Of
congratulation and triumph to Gen.
Venustiano Carranza. his titular chief, at
Juarez. He has no worry over Monterey
third largest city Of the republic or over
Saltiilo--they will fall into Ms out
stretched hands whenever he extend.
them.
Greatest Battle of Revolution.
The history Of Mexico contains no
record of harder, more desperate fight
ing than that which ended In the fall Of
Torreon. Every tradition OF Mexican
warfare was violated In the campaign.
Mexican soldiers, rcpulsed in one charge
by the devastations of machine guns, re-.
peated at once and they fought at night.
which WAS without precedent From the
day the advance guard Went into Ber-
mejlllo, now twelve days ago, until the
from the city yesterday afternoon in a
duststorm there Was every sort Of tight-
ing knUwn-long distance artillery fight.
Ing. machine gun sorties in automo.
biles. cavalry charges infantry charges
ana sharpshooting. hand 70 bend com
bats In streets shipping from roofs. hand
grenades from windows, but always =
steady memorable advance toward tho
goal.
villa may have had 1000 men agains,
5000 of the Fcderals. but strat.gically hs
Was always AT a disadvantage. His men
charged over level ground broken by irri-
cation bitches against artillery behind
ramparts. his cavalry went against in
fantry and artillery intrenched on noun
tain SIDES Cntil his men under Gen
Herrera on Sunday crept under the cover
of adobe huts In Torreon they had fought
morning noon and night In the open, but
they always fought Til, history OF that
six days lighting In the city whore one
side was lodged on one side OF a street
and the other side on the other has few
counterparts in the history OF the world
The losses cannot DE told Tonight Villa
says mat he has at least 500 men killed
ard NJ least 1900 wounded Those figures
are not official and the truth may never b.
known II has been said that I 600 Fed
erals are lying dead in the streets OF Tor
reon tonight or in the wells and els
terms where their bodies were thrown.
while $500 are wounded. The truth Of
this cannot be vouched FOR.
villa himself was asked regarding III.
Federal losses Tonight. and hc smiled as
h" said You may put them down as "A
total loss" lie did not quite mean that
He l. sparius the regular army soldiers
who are policing the towns but overy
irregular soldier has had short shrift
There will be similar report on the fug.
tiycs ii tho pursuers eaten them.
stores and Homes Looted.
Torreon tonight Is a stricken city I;
was looted by the Federals themselves be-
fore they left. as is the custom, hut Il was
torn apart by the Constitutioualist soldiers