The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-02
Mexican Factions Bombard
Each Other With Little APP
parent Effect
BANDIT ARMY IS
IN BAD PLIGHT
Many Said to Have Died in
Long March to Attack Bor-
der City. Where hey Hope
for Relief

FL Paso, Tex. Nov. 1.-(.corge
Tafier. an American. was shot In
the back and seriously wounded
=. is.aen.ae gun, operated
10y the garrison In Aqua Prieta
was turned upon the American
custom house on the border line.
The custom house WAS pcppercd
with bullets and Taylor, who was
In the building, was wounded
while running to nearby rail-
road emhankment. The bullet
struck him In the hack.
Taylor's legs are paralyzed as a re-
-il' Of the wound He is a Californian
and his mother Mrs. NJ. e. Howard.
lives in Angeles Camp. Cal.
Tho border line is In such a posi-
ton at Aqua Prieta that the con
lending troops must fire over Ameri-
can territory in order 10 fire straight
a. each other from given points. The
.arranz3 soldiers had taken ad-
vantage of this situation, but were
: S4nea after shells had burst on
American soil. 4 shell exploded near
.fr \ .rt%s.tatt= custom house. Thts,
however was from one of the Villa
,annon, firing from the east, over
bbuK,as into Aqua Prieta ard occur
red before the custom house was hit
~ the ms chiue gun Ere.
VILLA Der-ands Surrender
Villa gent a demand for the sur
render of the town this morning to
General Caisss. after beginning 10
,neye hiS men in for battle and gave
Caiias until O'Clock to answer, The
reply came from the carranxa cannon
shortly after o'clock
The battle opened this afternoon
fsa minutes prior TO O'Clock, when
ErA
the advancing villistas Aside from
a fer exchanges Of shots early this
morning between the villa advance
guards and Earranza scouts, the Car
rama officers paid NO more attention
~ the appearance OF the Tiilistas than
ta send their men 70 the trenches. The
Villa forces sdvaieed to form, a circle
about the Mexican city, villa himself
appearing in the east with his cavalry
Avis on and marching near the United
States line He talked with Ameri-
can officers and asked them II the
United States would help Carranza IL
he attacked He was informed that
reth~r side would be given help. but
that both must refrain from hring
,,ta the United States.
Asked IL he Intended to attack, villa
res lied. sure Mike" and walked
away.
ga. They Arc Starving.
During the morning many villa sol
diers came to the line and asked for
water Several OF them said they were
also starving and that they had been
forced to drink bran water as the
pioneer Mcrmons did in their famous
treck across the continent TO salt
lake city from Illionois and Mis-
touri.
The battle was precipitated by the
Carranza forces firing their field pieces
at the Villistas Just as the villa army
had apparently wheeled intd position
TO Kive attack. The villa cannon re-
piled and during the afternoon the
artillery Of the opposing sides con-
tinued to exchange shot for shot. As
the afternoon wore on the machine
guns were brought into action, as the
villista forces pressed In closer. Gen.
eral villa was not seen by border oh
servers during the afternoon. after the
lighting opened, but was reported by
his men as riding up and down the
front
American observers declared several
81 the Carranza shells exploded very
close to the villa forces and clouds
Of dust rising above Aqua Prieta fol-
lowing Villas artillery firing. indicated
that buildings in the adobe constructed
town were being hit The CarranEa
surgeons ut dusk tonight would NOT
admit that they had more than hair
a dozen wounded men IN their charge.
however, asserting that the VIA IRE
WAS very poor. The vilitsta onicers
nearer the border line declared late
this evening that thew had nos sus-
tanned any loss along their section OF
the semicircular hattie line.
In Pitiful ConJiition.
Villa lost no time in preparing to
give battle after his arrival at the
border, but he was ,lri~en to fight
or hasten 10 some other point. accord
ing to information regarding HIS COM
mand. which IL 20 the effect that the
men are in starving condition, on
account Of lack Of fa0d AMI water.
MANY Of his soli'srs died IN the trip
across the mountains and acore OF
women and children were buried be-
side the road on the march. The trail
is marked. one .: the Villa officers
said today. blu numerous wooden
crosses hastily erected.
The last of the Carranza reinforce
meats did not reaeh Aqua PriAta until
today and they we're sent direct to
the trenches as soon rs un1oaded. Four
babies were born on the last two trains
to reach here wh.la they were en-.
route. Two OF them were twins. Thu
three mothers 81 the four little ones
dismountAd and walked from tho train
with THAR husbands. Two Of tho
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