The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-12-26
bandit VLLAlS !.
'sTOTBfFOREA AGAIN
Heading Large Force Is Forcing
the Fighting Says
Torreon Captured

, ASSOCIATED Press by Federal wirsIsss)
WASHINGTON, December 24-Re
Aewea activity Of Pancho villa and his
bandit bands in a siege Of Torreon
that is already reported to have re
suited in his capture Of the city, was
reported yesterday In both official and
unofficial adviees from the border.
Out Of day of conflicting reports
Il Il definitely established that Willis
tas are attacking the important rail,
road center General Funston was OF.
iicially advised yesterday afternoon Of
the villa attack on Terreon Earlier
reports had come into Funston = head
Quarters OF San Antonio that the bandit
leader was advancing on the city. i,y4
, Meanwhile while rumors Of the cap
tnre Of the city kept pace with official
denials that Villistas were even attack
ing the city, Official announcement was
made of undetermined effort on the part
Of the Carranzista forces to capture the
band leader In q concerted campaign.
New General Named o..
This announcement was contained in
On Official statement given out at
JuateE that General Gonzales would
take the field against villa relinquish.
ing his commands in northeastern Mex
leo for this purpose. This announce
ment preceding closely the news of the
attack by Villa on Torreon is con-
sidered especially significant and an in.
dlcation Of the strength of the bandit
bands - a~e;E 80 y ..
General Gonzales announced thnt
Jose Murgia would succeed him as com.
mander of the, de facto forces In the
Juafez district and that Murgia had
heeu appointed commander of all the
northeastern part Of Mexico as a sepa.
rate zone. -.
jose. Murgia is a brother Of Fran.
cisco MuTgia, who is in command of
one of the armies of de facto troops
that drove Villa out of Chihuahua City
few weeks ago.
Villas Activities Many
First reports of the renewed Villa &C,
Invites and the fighting around Torreon
came early yesterday from Ell Paso in
he shape of dispatches from official
agents of the government working over
ond around the border. These agents
reported to Washington officials that
rhmors were rife that Villa had cap
tured TorreOn and that this was the
second or third stronghold of the de
faetO troops wrested from CarranEa by
Villa in this district in the last few
weeks.
HuI 80 ~
throughout the day and were amplifed
" news that Villistas had captured
Sal ta Rosalia a week before. The re-
ports added an account of the massa-
ere of three hundred Carranza troops
ny the bandits. These three hundred
dc facto soldiers were entrained for
chihuahua City when Villa took Santa
Rosaha, according to the reports, and
were captured by the bandits. Vir-
tUally all of them, including a CarranZa
colonel, were executed, the Ell Paso ad-
vices, stated.
Early ofacial Denial
On top OF these reports, and before
General Funston had been officially ad-
Vised of the attack on Torreon, Consul
General Garcia here gave out a state.
ment denying the assault on TOrreon
by the Villa bandits.
The embassy, Consul Garcia stated
bad been in communication with Car
rama officials at chihuahua, and ofn
cial advices were that not only was
TUrreon not captured, but that no at,
tack had been made, and the city was
not even threatened by Villa.
Later came General Funston's def.
mite adyices.
Officials of the Southern Department
Of the Army are awaiting further con.
frmaion Of General Funston 8 advices.