The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-11-28
MEXICAN
WAR NEWS
UNCERTAIN
Not Known Whether Chihua-
hua City Has Been TAX
en- by Villas Men
Today
TELEGRAMs CONFLICT
Bandits Cut In on the Wires to Steal
Messages and Probably
Sent Out Fake
Reports.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.1
Ell PASO, Texas, Nov. 2S.-With-
out definite news in three days OF
the siege and battle for possession of
Chihuahua City, uncertainty among
United States authorities here Is
verging toward conviction today that
the capital of the north may have
been captured by Villas bandit army.
Unless General Trevino with his Car
ranzista army is now fleeing, Villa
still is besieging the city on all
sides.
In United States department circles
these convictions are founded upon
admissions made by sCarranza officers.
During last night a message purport-
ing to be from Terrazas station,
twenty-five miles north of the state
capital told briefly Of the evacuation
of the city. The message was signed
with Trevino's name. While admit
ting that such telegram had come,
Carranza military officers at Juarez
profess to regard it as forgery.
Since the siege Of Chihuahua City
began, Villa telegraph operators have
cut in on the telegraph lines, catch
ing messages. Several times they
have cut in with taunts Of cowardice.
Later in the night another message
came declaring Villa had captured
the city and that General Trevino
was hurrying south.
United States department officials
confess they are puzzled by the mys-
terious wires.
Statements by Mexican defacto
officers early today that they had
communication from General Trevino
by way of Odjioga yesterday, but that
the situation was unchanged" are
taken as the strongest indication that
the ViIlista forces are surrounding
the capital closely.
ReInforeements Sent.
4EL PASO, Texas, Noy< 2S.-With
about four hundred men, drawn from
the garrisons of Casas Grandes and
Namiquipa, General Gonzales, Mexi-
can defacto commander at Juarez,
started toward chihuahua City before
dawn today on military trains.
officers of the garrison remaining
at Juarez declared that Gonzales is
rushing these achievements to the
aid of General Trevino, admitting
that the besieged garrison in the cap
ital of the north is being hard press
ed on all sides by Villas bandit army.
Andres Garcia. Merican consul gem
eral, today refused to comment upon
reports that General Treyino had
been driven out of Chihuahua City.
""We have no news" is all the Mexi-
can defacto official would venture.
Think City Is Taken.
Ell PASO, Texas, Nov. 2S.-Pancho
Villa is in possession of Chihuahua
City and General Trevino with his
Gov p1ic nH
and fled southwark in an attempt to
form junction with General Muir
gia's relief column Of defacto troops,
according to reports obtained today
by United STATES authorities here and
transmitted to Washington.
Mexican defacto officials at the con-
sulate here refuse to make any state
ment except to say that they have no
information and confirmation of the
capture of the city is unavailable up
to the present time. According to
statements. a message early today
signed by Trevino and carried by
courier to point where the telegraph
line is open to Juarez, stated that
Trevino had left to meet Murgia.
Following a junction with Murgia.
the message stated Trevino will re-
turn and attempt to drive Villa out
of Chihuahua City. The wire was
received by relative of Trevino,
United States officials say. High U.
S. authorities declare they believe
the report. Before Gonzales troop
trains pulled out of Juarez early to-
day, scores of cases of cartridges
were loaded upon the cars.
In spite of apparently authentic
basis for the report that Villa has
taken chihuahua City, there is still
an air of uncertainty among some
United States department officials