The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1916-11-27
RELIEF PARTY FORMED
Will Be Several Days Before It
Can Reach General Trevino's
Army
BRIDGES HAVE BEEN
BURNED BY INVADERS
Believed Large Force Is Massing
For Attack on American
Border

gees arriving mere IN QeplOraDle
condition declare that General Tre-
evino has evacuated Chihuahua City
and that 100000 residents are at Villas
mercy Murder, pillage and rapine
and the torch followed the entry Of
the bandit chief. The report that
Villa controls the city is unconflrmed
from other sources.
General Gonzales, de facto COM
mander, is hurrying all available sol
diers north of Chihuahua to tha re-.
lief of Trevino. A garrison of $50
Carranza soldiers was withdrawn
from San Juan and Buen Ventura.
Other small forts were emptied to
swell tn numbers of the army march
ing to the, relief Of General Trevino.
General Mascotts, with 5000 de
facto troops, is marching north Of
Santa Rosada to aid the beleagured
garrison. Bridges south Of Chihua-
hua City have been burned and it will
take several days for the relief forces
to reach TrevinO.
General Gonzales has received q
report that d band Of Villistas under
General Murguia is headed for the
border. +s@ ~.
Rumbling Of cannon, reported to the
telegraph operator at Sauz station by
refugees andsrH1ayed to General Fran
cisco Gonzales,Tat military headquar-
ters here convinced the civil and mill.
tary officers that General Trevino,
Carranza commander still held Chi.
huahua City atGthe, close Of the three
days siege by Villa and his bandits.
Aside from this information, the
commanding officers in Juarez knew
nothing late tonight as to the days
developments in the state capital.
Telegraph Line Cut.
The federal telegraph line which
runs into the military headquarters
at Juarez has been silent since 10 a.
m., when communication with Chihua-
Nhua City was interrupted, soon after
General Trevino sent personal mes
sage to Mrs. Trevino assuring her OF
his safety.
The telegraph line is in operation
from Juarez ito Sauz, the first station
north of the capital. but ,Carranza Of
ficials said it had been cut between
that station and Chihuahua CITY,.
Villa Attack Shifted.
The suspension of wire communi-
cation is considered by Carranza mil
itary officers here to indicate that
Villa has moved around to the north
and northeast of Chihuahua City and
is attacking from that side in the
hope of avoiding the curtain OF fire
which the Carranza artillery has been
pouring into the ranks of the bandits.
Americans familiar with the topog-
raphy of the city say Villa will be
able to make his way into the city
proper from the north without en-
countering artillery fire.
Battle Before Dawn.
Before the telegraph line was cut,
brief reports of the third days bat
tie for possession of Chihuahua City
received by the military here told of
the preliminary skir1hishing just be-
fore dawn, which developed into
general attack at 4:30 a. m. A mes
sage was recevied1 today announcing
the departure of General Francisco
Murguia's cavalry column from the
railroad line near Santa Rosalia for
forced march overland to Chihua-
hua City to relieve General Trevino's
troops.
Denies Report Of Fall.
When informed of rumor IN Ell
Paso that Chihuahua had fallen be-
fore Villas attacks, Andres Garcia,
inspector general of consulates, said:
There has been absolutely nothing
received here to Indicate such an
event. and we control the only avail
able sources of information. From
our knowledge of the defenses of Chi
huahua and of General Trevino's re-
sources in men and arms, we do not
feel any uneasiness.'
Mr.. Garcia, General Gonzales and
other Carranza officials attended a
banquet here tonight.