The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-17
De FACTOS ATTACK


Continued from rage One1
force was unstated and in which he
| left the inference that the cavalry
was under Col w. c. Brown.
The Americans now are north and
west of Parral, reinforced by squad
ron of the Tenth under Major Young,
accompanied by Col. w. c. Brown, and
a picked squadron under Major Robt.
L. Howe. Fear for their safety has
been dispelied by this report and by
troop dispositions that General PERISH
ing has ordered but the character of
which General Funston did not wish to
reveal.
| Major Tompkins' story of the fight
| indicated lack of eontrel over the
the Parral garrison, General Lozano,
and bitter antagonism by the public
and troops. The fighting took place
outside Parral and was continued over
a route of eight miles to Santa Cruz,
station eight miles northeast of Par
raj, on the railroad.
Funston Doesn Like Retreat.
General Funston SAID lasU night that
/ while Mayor Iompklns undoubtedly
acted in accordance with his best
judgment in reIreating, he regretted
| that he had not made stand on ac-
4 count OF the i'll effect the story OF
his retreat will have on the Mexican
people who will naturally regard the
/ incident as an American defeat.
Major TompkinS arrived outside
Parral in the forenoon of April II,
with two troops, NJ and K, of the Thir-
teenth cavalry Reduced in number,
the total of these companies is ap-
proximately 100 men. The report that
unarmed men went into Parra1 ap-
pears to have been erroneous. Major
Tompkins admitted that he did march
his small detachment quite openly
along the trail into the city where
they were met by General Lozano, who
received them most graciously. The
civil authorities arrived and Joined in
the courteous reception of the major
and his troops. The incident appeared
to be progressing without unpleasant
| features. General LoZano and the civ
il authorities discussed with Major
/ Tompkins the question of camping
sites, he and the local officials decid-
ing on one just outside the city, to
which Major Tompkins was directed.
Major Tompkins entered the town
upon the invitation of an officer of
the Parral garrison He stated that
the officer met him ten miles from
Parral, introduced himself and urged
him to accept the hospitality of the
military and civil authorities. This
fact, coupled with Major Tompkins
report of the subsequent attack caused
officers here to express the opinion
that he and his men had been delib-
erately led into trap, although per-
haps not with the knowledge of Cen
eral Lozano. commanding officer.
Mexican Mob Started Attack.
Major Tompkins was preparing to
move out to the designated camp
when soldiers and civilians began to
| throw stones and to shoot at the
| Americans.
Realizing that the action was that
of a mob of civilians and soldiers who
had gotten beyond the control of their
officers, Major Tompkins made no
stand, but retreated his men without
making resistance towards the city
limits. Shouting crowds followed
them, while stones and occasional
shots fell among them but without
doing great damage.
Troops in Formal Attack
1t was after noon when Major
| Tompkins led his men into a defen-
| sive position behind a railway EN- bank
ment outside the town. The mob re-
! spected the advantage the Americans
| had taken, but within a brief time
there appeared on their flank a force
| of 800 Mexican troops. who began in
military fashion formal attack.
Major Tompkins was still averse to
fighting in anything but defensive
manner against this force. since every
officer who had entered Mexico with
| the punitive force had had it impress
ed upon him that clashes with the
| troops of the de facto government
who are supposed to be cooperating
with them in their pursuit of Villa
and his bandits, must be avoided. Also
it soon became apparent that the Mex
leans superiority in numbers made a
retreat from the position behind the
embankment imperative.
Americans Reiterated Eight Miles.
A retreat was begun that was end
ed only at Santa Cruz The Mexicans
pursued them almost the entire dis
lance of the intervening eight miles
the Americans contenting themselves
with rear guard action. In the run
ming fight, the Americans cared for
their dead and wounded.
Major Tompkins's information that
forty-one Mexicans had been killed
was secured from one who passed
over the trail from Parral after the
fight.
Major Tompkins and his two troops
reached Santa Cruz just before dark
and there met Colonel Brown and
| Major Young with a squadron of the
| Tenth Later in the night Major
Howe arrived with his picked squad
ron. making the force there about 500
! men.
Howe Had Skirmish.
Major Howe also had led his men
through a, series of minor adventures.
He had come from La Borja, inthe
neighborhood of which he had been
in a few skirmishes with Villas men.
He reported the loss of one man killed
and one wounded. Details of the
skirmishes or of his operations had
not reached General Funston last
night.
1t was at La Borja where one of
the unconfirmed reports from Mexi-
can sources said that Villa had been
buried.