The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-12-02
DEAD PILED HIGH
and ARE BURNED
In Chihuahua, Say First Refugees
Carranza Forces Flee In All Direc-
tons, Leaving City in Control
of Villistas After Four
. Days and Nights OF
Fighting.

Juarez, Mexico, November Gothic
remnants army that fled from Chi"
huahua City after a battle with villa
troops are encamped tonight near the
plains south of Juarez. They brought
with them the story of the evacuation
Of the city after four days and nights
of fighting. The dead were piled high
in the streets when they left and had
been covered with oil and burned, they
said
Soon after l a. m. today, the first
troop train brought the ragged sur
vivors of the de facto forces which
had escaped to the north. Accompa-
nying this train was a sanitary sec
ton, consisting of three second-class
coaches and one white cross" hos
pital car. In these cars there were
more than 100 wounded soldiers OF
the Carranza command. The hospi-
tails here are filled with wounded and
volunteer nurses are working to care
for the officers and men who fell in
battle.
The troop train that brought this
surviving force to the border left
chihuahua City at 1890 Monday
morning, proceeding to a point near
Terrazas station, where burned
bridge forced them to transfer to an
other train.
The troops brought back many of
their field pieces. These are parked
in the customs house yards with gar
lands of "jerked beef hanging from
their muzzles. Women camp followers
shared in the retreat. Some of them
had children, said too have been born
on the battle field.
Dead Cover Streets.
Refugees said that between the
cemetery and Santa Rosa hill the
dead covered the streets, many hav-
ing 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 sabers attached to the sad
dies. The Carranza cavalrymen, hav-
ing abandoned them in order to leave
the city on the troop train, they were
left without an owner.
Many civilians have been killed in
the city by shell fire and rife balls,
All of the refugees agreed that Car
rama troops were winning during the
first four days of the fighting, but
either because of a shortage of am
munition or lack of morals, they
abandoned the city early on the fifth
morning of the battle, seeking safety
in flight in all directions. The TAX
ing of Santa Rosa hill. which always
has been known as the key to Chi
huahua," was said by one foreigner
to have started the retirement of the
Carranza forces which, he said, re-
sembled a route before the last train
left.
The cavalry, artillery and infantry
poured down the streets leading to
the station which is north of the city
proper, and climbed aboard the train
in wild scramble to get away.
II is believed by the refugees and
Carranza officers that General Ire
vino left first for Tabaloapa. south of
the city, and from there moved to AL
dana, about twenty miles from Chi
huahua City.
Another report said the Carranza
commander was at Hacienda Dolores,
west OF the city.
villa FOrsakes Clutches
One Mexican civilian refugee de-
clared today he had seen villa In the
city Monday morning before the train