Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-04-23
THRILLING STORY
OF FIRST BATTLE
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tinued to give considerable trouble to
the Americans from the battered Ben
ito Juarez tower. After they had been
silenced and removed from the tower
it was discovered that the soldiers had
continued fighting for lack of ability to
do anything else. The shells from
the warships Tuesday had torn away
the stairway in the tower and the
men had been compelled to remain
in it.
Another Surprise
At 10 o'clock Wednesday morning
the Americans were in undisputed
possession of the city except the south
west quarter, in which the barracks
are situated. and few outlying dis
tricts. At noon they had taken the
barracks. When the city prison, which
faces the main plaza of the city, was
captured, Lieutenant Commander Bu-
chanan, of the Florida, made an in
spection tour through it. There was
great surprise among the Mexicans
who had gathered there that the pris-
oners were not released. They had
been accustomed to seeing the victor
ALWAYS release prisoners and then i'm
press them all into his army.
Chief of Police Antonio Villavicen-
clio was taken prisoner by the Ameri-
cans shortly after they had occupied
the Mexican plaza of the city. 1t was
suggested to him that he continue in
his official capacity to direct the city's
protective system. He took the mat
ter under advisement. Had the fright
ened mayor made up his mind to ac-
ceed to Admiral Fletcher's suggestion,
which was made through Consul Can
ada, the Mexicans might have been
spared the humiliation OF being forced
from their positions and undoubtedly
a number of lives would not have been
sacrificed.
Pleads With Chief
Coincident with the orders for the
general advance of the Americans,
an aged white haired Mexican, carry
ing the white flag of truce, came down
street from the center of the city.
He carried letter to the chief of
police, the only authority he hoped
to reach, and desired Consul Canada
to read it. 1t was an urgent appeal
to the chief of police to call Off the
snipers and prevent the bombardment
he believed would follow If they con-
tinued their execution. Even before
the messenger had climbed the stairs
into the Consuls office Captain Rush
was informed of the contents of the
note he bore and Immediately sounded
cease firing" and halt" But it was
too late. The action had been begun
all along the line and it was not con-
sidered wise to attempt further meas
ures to stop it. The commanders or
dered their men forward at double
quick, which they carried out with a
vigor that afterwards gave them the
city.
Gruesome Scene
Blood-bespattered sidewalks, broken
windows and bullet-scarred walls gave
the plaza a. gruesome aspect. Within
the Diligencia Hotel there were forty
Americans, most of them women, who
had been there since the commence
ment of hostilities. When the square
was taken they were Immediately no.
tilted that they might go to other
places If they so desired, but that they
probably would incur no further dan
ger by remaining in the hotel.
Orders DisObeyed
1t was not until late Tuesday that
the last of General Mas men on the
top of the hotel received written or
ders from outside the city to vacate
their position. The order was obeyed
by a portion of the hundred men who
were occupying the roof and vantage
points in the interior, but small
portion of the band determined to dis
obey the orders of their superiors and
fight to the last. These men, however.
surrendered Wednesday morning. A
lieutenant, who was in command of
the MeXicans, was led out a prisoner,
and although he had fought desper-
ately he trembled and turned pale
in the belief that he would be sum-
marily executed
None of the American women were
in any manner mistreated by the Mex
leans during their occupation of the
building. A few of the women assist
ed the Mexicans in caring for their
wounded.
Mexican Flag on Fortress
In the fighting in the center of the
inner harmbor, San Juan De Uloa, an
ancient stone fortress, flew the Mexi-
can flag throughout the attack. The
commandant and sixty armed men and
800 workmen in the navy yard peered
from the embrasures at the Prairie,
lying 500 yards away and the other
ships shelling the naval academy. In
the dungeons remained 500 prisoners,
the echoes of the guns on the ships
reaching them through sixteenth foot
stone wall.
Captain Stickney, of the Prairie,
went through the fortress several DAYS
ago and found some heavy guns, five
torpedoes and a torpedo tube in a
corrugated iron shed outside the wall
OF the fortress. when the landing of
the Americans was ordered Captain
Stickney sent word to the command
ant of San Juan De Uioa that he
would blow him to pieces with the
Prairie's guns Ii he opened fire against
the Americans, but that otherwise he
would not be disturbed. The COM
mandant replied that he would answer
with his cannons if fired on, but that
he would not commence hostilities.
When the engagement ashore began
the commandant hoisted a brilliant
new Mexican flag, which flew all day
long.
Spanish Commander Refuses
Rear Admiral Fletcher instructed
the Spanish cruiser Carlos v to go out
side the breakwater in order to give
the Prairie room to fire her guns. The
Spanish commander refused, saving
that he dared not mancuver his boat
in so small "a space at night. He also
declared that he needed to take on a
supply of fresh water. Admiral
Fletcher insisted yesterday that his
order be carried out and the Carlos V
moved outside just before the attack
on the center of the city began.
Win Admiral Fletcher directed that
battalions of bluejackets and marines
be landed from Rear Admiral Bad
gers ships before dawn and drawn UP
In the plaza before the railroad sta
tion and then proceeded to take the
entire town, he acted only after warn
ing and after fifteen shells from the
Prairie's three-inch guns had been
thrown Into the steel framework of