Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-22
VILLA STRUCK HARD
BLOW AT CHIHUAHUA
Bandit Chief Captures De
Facto Artillery and Loads
of Ammunition.
REPORT BY GENERAL BELL

Washington. Sept. 2l.--An official
account of Villas raid on Chihuahua
City last Saturday received at the
War department today from Briga-
dier General Bell at El Paso says the
bandit chief captured some OF Car
ranza's artillery and sixty automobile
loads OF arms and ammunition, liber-
ated 200 prisoners from the peniten-
tiary and made off after being joined
by from 1000 to 1900 soldiers Of the
Carranza garrison.
According to General Bells infor-
nation Villa himself went to the gov
ernor's palace and made speech
from the balcony after his forces had
captured the palace, the penitentiary
and federal buildings.
The report reveals the fact that on
| September IA Villa sent letter to
General Trevino, commander at Chi
huahua, saying he would be in the city
at 3 p. m. Saturday to shake hands"
General Bell expresses the opin.
ion that the raid was completely sue.
cessful and that Villa accomplished
even more than he said he would
Trevino's personal guard deserted
him, 1t appears, and in the confusion
many government soldiers were
killed by their own comrades.
Text Of Bells Report.
General Bells report follows:
Evidence increases to show that
Villa was completely successful in his
attack Saturday upon chihuahua and
accomplished all and more than he
said he would do. There is diversity
OF opinion and statements as to the
number of men with which he entered
Chihuahua. Some reports state he
only had about 500, while others give
him l,500, but all agree that he wa.
able to secure possession OF the pcni'
tentiary, the governors palace and
the federal buildings and hold then
for several hours and all this with q
Carranza garrison at Chihuahua
which some place at not less thar
5000. Liberated over 200 prisoners
secured and carried away more thar
sixteen automobile loads of arms ant
ammunition under an escort Of de-
serting Carranza troops. He lef
Chihuahua with from 1000 to l,50(
more men than he entered with.
villa retired lcisurely and withou
molestation. The firing by Ire
who's artillery occurred after Viii;
troops had withdrawn.
| Villa Sends Letter, u
"On September IA Trevino received
a letter from Villa stating that he
Villa, would be in Chihuahua I'd shak,
hands with Trevino on the 10th ane
he hoped that he would have = suit
able reception for him, that he nigh
be hungry and would like to have
something to eat.
"On the 18th Of September It wa.
reported that Villa personally entered
Chihuahua was seen by many Of hi.
friends there and reconnoitered tn,
city. OF course, he was in disguise
| On the night of the 18th the Villista,
approached chihuahua fromNa camI
| which he had maintained for two day
within twenty-five miles Of that city
After Villa columns had secured pos
session Of the penitentiary, the gov
ernor's palace and federal buildings
| Villa himself went to the governor
palace, into the main balcony, dis
played his face and made a shor
speech, which in substance was a
follows:
What villa Said.
"viva Mexico. You do not have your lib
crty. will give you your liberty, for
am your brother. ! am going to return |
. few days,
st appears that there had been
banquet attended by most Of Trevi
nos officers and that about 2 o'cloc
this banquet was finished and mos
OF the officers of the Carranza gar
rison were asleep. As soon as Ire
vino heard OF the trouble he starte
toward the governors palace, but hi
personal escort deserted him an
went over to Villa.
"The party that attacked the fed
eral building rode into the buildin
on horseback and the guard ther
deserted to them. 1t is reported tina
. many OF the Carranza troops VIII
were killed were killed by other Car
, rama troops, probably as a result Q
! artillery firing from Santa Rosa hill.