The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-27
Twenty Mexicans and Two
Americans Dead as Result
of Firing Across Line
VILLA ARMY STRAGGLERS
STARTED TROUBLE
Americans Returned ire.
Shooting Down Carranza s
Men Who Were Charging
Into Negales

NogaIes, Arfz.. Nov. 28.-Mexican
soldiers to the number Of at least
twenty were Killed In Noealea
sonora. shortly after noon today
by the fire OF American troops.
Two American troopers were killed
and eight weunded.
whether the dead are Viliisfas
or Carransistns In not known but
they are believed to have been Car
ransistas. though the American
troops thought them vflIistas mt
the time of firing. Following the
evacuation Of Nogales. sonora.
this morning ~srly by the Wills
forces, some straggiers, from the
villa army. remained In the main
town drinking, IO0ttng and shoot
ing their rifles at intervals.
roout noon bullets began to fall
on the American side OF the line, and
an American trooper was wounded,
The American soldiers. on orders of
their cotSmander. Colonel w, H Sage.
Twelfth Infantry, returned the FIRE
and six Mexicans were seen TO fall.
Case of Mtsnnderstandinx.
For time there was rapid ex-
change OF shots from each side of the
line. The Americans believed they
were shooting at Nillista stragglers,
who had deliberately turned their guns
towards Arizona territory. Some VII
listas were sfill IN the town. and may
have preetpitated the firing. but II is
believed that most Of the bullets land
ing or American soil came from Car
ranzista soldiers, who were just be
ginning TO enter the evacuated town
unknown to the American troopers.
The Carranzistas took the American
bullets for bullets from villistas still
IT, Les Oh. hnp /,
Of their bullets falling over the Ari-
coma line. where the American troopers
believed they were deliberately fred
at.
During the firing the Americans nv
a band of mounted Carranzistas dash
ing down the principal street OF the
Mexican town and mistook them FOR
vsiiistas coming TO reinforce the sup
posed snipers In Nogales Sonora. Out
of this command messenger rode to
the American line TO take word to the
American troopers that tarranzistas
had arrived and were occupying the
place He was shot from his horse by
the American fire as lie rode TO the
American line.
Colonel Cardenas, commanding the
advance guard of the Carrauza forces,
soon had "a conference on the inter.
national boundary with Colonel Sage,
and assured him that the Carranzis-
tas could control the situation in the
Sonora town.
Firing Accidental.
Throughout the morning. for some
hours before the actual exchange OF
fire over the line, stragglers left be-
hind in the Sonora town by the retreat
Ing Villa army had been firing at in
tervais into Arizona. and Colonel Sage
had every reason TO believe when hull
let's began TO fall In volleys that 1t
was deliberately done by these men.
However. as later developments showed
this Airing occurred at the exact hour
at which the Carranzistas attacked
there is little doubt but that the fir
ing was from the Carranza forces and
that the bullets which fell In Arizona
were mostly accidental.
General Aware Obregon and General
r. Elias Gales, the two principal Car
rama commanders in Sonora, reached
Nogales shortly after their advance
fCSCUtinuNd on SNcond pagel