Arizona republican., 1915-11-27
Open Fire on Sol diers of Twelfth |. <. Infantry; Fire Returned and More Than Twenty MeXicans Are Killed
[RepuhIlean A. ?. Leased wIrel

[Repuhlican A. P. Leased Wirel
 MORALES. Nov 26-Carrying ort threats that they wo ld fight Ameri- cans before they left the border. snip CTS posted m NogaIes. Sonora. after Francisco Villa evacuated the town. opened fire today on soldiers of thu, Twelfth United states Infantry posted at the border. The Americans. who had endured taunts of cowardice for a week. returned the fire. More than forty MeNic1ns were killed. The Amer jeans had three wounded. one Of whom. Stephen Littles. died tonight. Another Herbert Gates. was not expected to live.
 The American casualties were suff- cred in a brush with Carranza cavalry. who were mistaken for Villa troops. as ther rushed over a hill to enter the town In the exchange of shots that followed. three Carranza soldiers also were shot. one of them, a courier sent to apprise Colonel W. r. Sage. the American officer on the line. that the Carranza forces had captured the Mexican town just across the border. was shot in the wrist. as his horse. riddled with bullets. fell unser him.
 An three of the wounded Americans
 
 Infantry. who engaged the Carranza cavalry after fellow members Of the Twelfth Infantry had driven the Villa snipers. estimated at about 200 men. from the Mexican town where an orgy of footing. attended by the consump- tion of large quantities of liquor pre- Ceded the fighting
 The fighting across the border d)n- rfvrr-a1 int ar.r74 rar-r1T- harrrapu o'clocS in the morning and l o'clock this afternoon. Tonight NoEales. So nora is held by 5000 Carranza troops under general Alvaro Obregon. who is reported to have defended the main body Of troops with which Villa att tempted Co escape from No=ales. a- l point where Villas troop trains were stalled. some l2 miles south. Nothing has been heard of the late of Villa or his men.
 On the American side. though great regret was felt over the casualties sus- -1ined by the United States troops. the fact that American soldiers had fought back when attacked eradicated a feel ing of apprehension which had existed ever since Villa. raging after his de- feat November I. st Agua Prieta. took possession of NosaIes. Sonora.
 Colonel Sage whose order pick your man and fire" opened the engagement. was acclaimed as the man who had assured Noglles. Arizona. the first ur- troubled nights sleep it has had in st week
 Colonel Sage was first in command at the time. being superseded later by Colonel w. C. Brown. of the Tenth cavalry. his senior. who arrived only a short time before the fighting. Col. Brown requested him to act and he was on the line when an intoxicated Villa soldier fighting with a woman. Wrested his rifle from her and fired at g party of American soldiers on duty in the street that divides the American and Mexican towns. This seemed to he a signal for snipers- Their bullets began to fail thriclly in the American town. The American officer promptly gave the order to fire. but instructed the infantrymen not to harm any Mex ican not engaged in sniping.
 Today's attack by the Villa snipers was anticipated. All last night the Villa troops as they appeared to evac- Uate taUnted the American soldiers on the border. calling them towards and daring them to fight.
 Even after General Acosta. a Villa. subordinate. and Carlos Randall. Villa governor or Sonora crossed the line and were given asylum by the United States military authorities. the soldiers of their outlawed chief threatened to foree fight.
 Two hundred of them were ordered 1 C. get off an overloaded troop train earir today. and made their way back into Noeales. Sonora. They began tho footing and consuming the HGuor stocks of the numerous saloons con- ducted by Americans in the Mexican Jo@n They promptly became uncon- trollable, and the residents of the town ! began coming over the boundary line. The American military authorities promptly put the American town un- | der martial law and drove crowds away from the border.
 The snipers Were siIenced after the | fighting had lasted about ten minutes. There followed a period of quiet. last ] ing an hour Company L. of the | Twelfth Infantry stationed at Titcomb | Hill spotted what appeared to be Villa | cavalrymen trying to gain a poAition | on hill opposite on the Mexican side. ! Firing promptly began and while
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