The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-09-21
VILLA BEATEN At
CHIHUAHUA; FLEES
Bandit Gang Loses Heavily In
Abortive Attempt to Cap
ture City In North
ern Mexico.

~ - siNDf N|f
umns Of government cavalry under
General Matias Ramos, n Colonel
Jose Marriero today were pursuing
Villa and his main band which Sat-I
urday made the Hidalgo day attack on!
Chihuahua City, into the rugged Santat
Clara canyon district to the northeast,I
according to reports to General Franz
cisco Gonzales, commandant in Juarezk
The bandits were well mounted and&
apparently were leading the defactQH
forces over the jagged rocks, ruinous
to the feet Of horses, into he canyonAg
Persons familiar with the country
pointed out that should Villa reach one
Of his lairs in the district, the govern
ment troops may have the greatest
difficulty in finding him.
Today's reports indicated that Villas
force numbered approximately 1900
and was opposed by the garrison OF
about 1000. The Villa casualties were
aid to be considerably larger than was
first indicated. From the number Of
dead and wounded picked up by the
pursuing forces, 1t was estimated the
losses were probably about ESQ.
Villa Not in Thick Of II.
villa himself directed the attack, ac-
cording to the dispatch, but did not
enter the town, remaining across the
Rio Churiscar to the northwest with
a few hundred of his ~reorganized gold
en- ones" When his followers had fallO
en- back to this point, 1t was asserted,
he directed the retreat.
Much damage was done to the peni-
Tertiary and the municipal n federal
palaces which the bandits succeeded in
capturing before the surprised mem
bers Of the garrison, who had been par
ticipating in the independence day
celebration, rallied. Rifles were useless
in the hand to a n street lighting
which followed, the report said pistols
and bare fists were used as the two
commands struggle through the early
morning hours in the rain. When fin
ally the artillery fire which General
Trevino directed from Santa Rosa, a
fortified hill to the west of the city,
had forced the Villistas to retire, they
left the streets behind them covered
with their dead. Search today was
made among the bandits in an attempt
to identify prominent outlaw leaders,
an especial effort being made to find
trace of jose Inez Salazar. known as
"the perpetual revolutionist." who was
held in the penitentiary on a charge OF
treason and released in the attack.
Caught by Artillery.
The bandits had made an orderly re-
treat into the outskirts of the city, &C
cordfng to dispatches, when they again
came into the line of government ar
tillery fire, this time from the Twin
hills of Nombre de Dios. The retreat
Immediately became a rout.
Rumors current here that a part OF
the CarranZa garrison had joined Villa
were denied at the Juarez
dancia 1t being asserted that all dis
patches were warm in their praise OF
the government troops for their loyalty
in the action.
Physicians attending General Ire
vino, who sustained a wound in the
action today, said that his injuries were
slight, 1t was announced.
Guerrero Is Attacked.
A small band of Villistas made a
"hidalgo day" attack on Guerrero, 80
miles west of Chihuahua City, but were
repulsed and fell back across the line OF
the Mexican Northern railroad toward
the foothills of the continental divide,
p%illaging isolated ranches as they went,
according to private advices here to-
day.
Reports received here have asserted
that American cavalry scouting patrols
have been operating between Guerrero
and N~amiquipa. The patrols We're sent
south from Ell Vale, the southernmost
American base in response to reports
that Villa himself was leading the ban
dit band in that vicinity. Mexican au-
thorities at Juarez said the wire COM
m~unication was faulty and no reports
Of an engagement at Guerrero a been
received. 1t was not considered prop
able the American patrols would en-
counter the bandits who probably are
making for secret lairs in the hills OF
the district.
A detachment of SO Villa cavalrymen
engaged Carranza infantrymen on the
second floor of the state palace, accord
ing to additional details of the attack
upon Chihuahua City, received here to-
day by Andreas Garcia, Mexican consul.
The bandits rode their horses into the
building and up the stone steps to the
second floor in pursuit of the govern
ment guard, which fell back before
them. De facto marksmen picked off
six of the mounted bandits as they
rode into one of the rooms, the remain
der making their escape, but not until
several horses also had been killed, 1t
was stated. The consular dispatches
added that Jose Inez Salazar, one OF
the most notorious of the Mexican lead
ers who have operated along the Amer
lean frontier in Mexico's five years Of
| civil Gfrifa waa EiIIaa