Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-02
DEAD ARE BURNED IN
CHIHUAHUA STREETS
City Illuminated by Human
Torches" Following It's Cap
ture by Villas Forces.
WOUNDED FILL HOSPITALS

plains to the south. Grim cannon arr
parked in the customs house yart
with garlands of "jcrked beef" hang
ing from their muzzles.
In box cars women camp follow
crs OF the Carranza soldiers cooked
their meagre meals tonight over char
coal brazicrs, while barefooted chill
dren-many born on battle fields
shivered from the cold as they
lowered in the lee OF the big guns.
Wounded Fill Hospitals.
Since early morning this old Dor
der town has been the scene OF mill
tary activities Soon after J today
the first troop train brought the rag
gcd survivors OF the de facto force,
which had fought at Chihuahua City
against Villa, and had escaped to the
north. Accompanying this train was
sanitary section consisting of three
second class coaches and one white
cross" hospital car. In these cars
came more than 100 wounded SOL
diers OF the Carranza command, who
were rescued from the heaps OF dying
and brought to the border by their
comrades. The hospitals are filled
with wounded, and volunteer nurses
are working to care for the officers
and men who fell before the rain Of
bandit bullets.
The troop train which brought
this surviving force to the border, left
Chihuahua City at 1890 Monday
morning. proceeding to point near
Tcrrazas station were burned bridge
forced them to transfer to another
train Wednesday.
The officers OF the Carranza COM
mand, which for some reason was sent
here, and foreign refugees who came
on al. earlier train gave accounts of
the four days and nights of fighting
which preceded the evacuation Of the
capital city, which are practically the
same and which pieced together
give a fairly connected account of the
siege OF Chihuahua City.
Burn Bodies in Streets.
According to these officers and refu-
gees, tin dead had been piled in the
streets and oil poured over them, and
the early dawn was illuminated by
these human torches. Between the
cemetery and Santa Rosa hill the
dead covered the streets, many having
died days before. Along the streets
near the railroad station, and sur
rounding the station one refugee said
he saw many cavalry horses with car
bines and sabres attached to the sad
dies, the Carranza cavalrymen having
abandoned them in order to leave the
city on the troop train. Along Zarco
avenue, according to the refugees, the
lighting had been flercest, and many
civilians had been killed there and
in other parts of the city by shell fire
and rifle balls. The houses lining this
street were pitted with the bullet
marks of the battle, Syrian refugee
said, and many shell holes were to
be seen in the houses in the heart Of
the city.
De Facto War at First.
Al Of the refugees agreed that Car
ranza's troops were winning during
the first four days of the fighting, but
either because OF shortage of ammu-
milton or lack OF morale, they aban-
doned the city early on the fifth
morning of the battle, seeking safety
IN fight in all directions. The taking
OF Santa Rosa hill, which has always
been known as the key to Chihua-
hua," was said by one foreign refugee
TO have started the retirement OF the
Carranza forces, which, they say, re-
sembled rout before the last train
left. The cavalry, artillery and infan-
try poured down the streets leading
to the station, which is north of the
city proper, they said, and climbed
aboard the train in wild scramble
to get away
One civilian refugee claimed GEN
cral Gonzales Cuellar was response
Bile for the taking Of Santa Rosa hill,
where he was in command, as he al |
lowed the infantry lines to be weak
cned. When the artillery was turned |
on the city, this refugee says, the
moral effect was almost Immediately |
noticeable and the Carranza soldiers, |
who had been eager for battle Sunday |
night, dropped their rifles and fed |
One refugee claimed to have seen |
ofhcers leave their men fighting to |
Gee for safety.
Sees Villa in City. |
One Mexican civilian refugee de- |
clared today he had seen Francisco |
Villa in the city Monday morning be-
fore the train left. He said Villa was |
walking without the aid of crutches, |
as if to inspire his men with his for
titude. His mustache was shaved off |
and he looked much thinner than of |
old.
To obtain medicine for his wound. |
Villa is said by this refugee to have
broken into two drug stores in the
city after he had penetrated the bust
ness section. Thinking this action
meant the beginning of looting, Villa
bandits broke into stores and private
homes, the refugee said. Villa. to stop
this looting, is said to have shot two
OF his followers and succeeded in
stopping the pillaging.
George Birmingham, an American,
was seen at the station in Chihuahua
City, one foreign refugee said, but he
did not get away on the last train. All |
OF the refugees agree that there had |
been no killing OF foreigners up to the
time they left, although there were
runors that several Chinese had been
Killed.
Villa followers are said TO have
captured five field pieces on Santa
Rosa hill shouting viva Villa and
singing as they charged.
Tinnod 1 nhcfar Moorl,