Rock Island Argus., 1915-11-03
accommodating Party Is De
stroyed by Enemy's Squad
Invading Aqua Prieta.
ATTACKERS MARK TIME
Troops Will Be Provisioned
and Equipped Before
Charge on Town.

Douglas. Ariz., Nov. "a Gales
reconnoitering party of forty or fifty
men ran into a Villa machine gun
squad mile southeast of Aqua Prieta
delenses and were cut to pieces this
morning, according to American OBJ
servers. Only five returned to their
trenches.
Relnforcements from the east reach
ed Villas army this morning early, ac-
cording to reports from watchers east
Of Douglas. Dawn. however. showed
that Villas main forces had drawn off
TO the southwest, leaving only rear
guards, with a few quick irers and
3-inch guns TO worry the garrison. Ap-
parently it is the intention of the Villa
forces thoroughly to provision and
equip before attacking the defenses of
Aqua Prieta.
Four Villa soldiers, part Of a skir-
mish line that laid all day yesterday
in the brush within three-quarters Of
a mile of the wire entangIements
guarding Aqua Prieta, started for the
Carranza lines. at dawn waving white
flags.
Arrested by Americans.
One of them jumped the wire fence
guarding the boundary line and was
arrested by American soldiers and TAX
en- TO headquarters The other three
crawled into the Carranza trenches.
/ Wien fffe Intention of the deseftefs
was made evident, villa machine guns
opened vigorous FIRE on them and
hundreds of Carranza soldiers stand
! ing on the trenches. There was a hur-
ried ducking for cover and the bonn
| bardment ceased in about five min
utes. Aqua Prieta guns then took up
/ the firing and sent two or three dozen
| shrapnel shells toward the southwest,
where large bands of Villa soldiers
/ are encamped.
The desperate need of the Villa army
| for provisions was told by deserter
taken prisoner by Americans, For Is
! days this is all that many Of us have
+ had to eat" he said. He dug into his
/ pocket in his dirty khaki coat ana
! pulled out a handful of raw corn and
wheat. Two or three Villa officers
! who came to the slaughter house on
/ the international line. a short distance
east of Douglas yesterday TO fill their
canteens with water. were gnawing at
/ pieces of black dried beef.
A large supply of flour and corn is
available for the Villa forces at Naco.
Sonora. Some of this supply of pro-
visions reached him last night, but not
/ enough for all of his men now sur
rounding Aqua Prieta. Until this sup
ply reaches him and his men have
been recuperated. it is believed by
American army officers that no at
/ tempt will be made to capture Aqua
Prieta.
/ American refugees, ordered from
the zone within a mile of the boundary
/ yesterday. crowded the homes north
of Fifth street in this city today, No
body was allowed to occupy their
houses within the zone on account Of
( the danger from Mexican fire.
Three troops Of the 18th cavalry lest
! Columbus. n NJ, for Douglas today.
/ Funston Ready to Act.
! Washington, Nov. 3.-President VIII
son and Secretary Garrison are con-
sitering whether to authorize Major
General Funston to cross the Mexican
/ border if he finds it necessary to do so
save Douglas from the Mexican gun
/ fire.
! Secretary Garrison today refused to
confirm or deny that General Funston
/ had asked for such authority and the
/ White house was also silent Il was
made clear at the war department that
| the American commander already has
authority to return any fire from across
! the border.
/ The latest report from General Fun
ston said there was an unconfrmed ru-
NOR that the villa forces were with
drawing toward Nogales from the at
tack on Aqua Prieta The message
was sent late last night.
| A report from General Funston. the
war department today says. General
! Urbaleio with about l 800 Yaqui In
dams. is reported TO have joined the
Villa forces. Other dispatches from
General Funston gave details of the
/ e E-1.@s~- .r,o~f+a Da1.tae, ,-n-+1~lu