The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-04-14
CARRANzA TROOPS
FIRE ON j. S. men
AND KILL ONE
First Chief Sends Regrets, Urging
That Americans Withdraw
U. S. TO SEND REINFORCEMENTS
American Troops Return the Fire and
XIII Scores Of Disgruntled
e4 Mexicans.

q, Washington, April 14.--American
troops in Mexico have had their battle
with the natives, at the moment Gen
Carranza is urging their withdrawal
On Wednesday night, while Gen. Car
ranza's note was on its way to Wash
ington, troopers of the 7th cavalry un-
der Maj. Tomphns were fired upon in
Parral, villa stronghold in western
Chihuahua; were pursued to the sub
urbs, while the CarranZa garrison
took doubtful part In the affray, and
were attacked again during the night.
Complete information regarding the
losses to the American troops or to the
MexicanS had not reached Washington
last night. Secretary Baker informed
President Wilson that brief dispatch
to the war department said that, ac-
cording to unofficial reports, one Ameri
can cavalryman was killed and that
troopers used machine gun against
the Mexicans.
Last night the situation Of the iso-
lated detachment was the cause of
some anxiety. Outnumbered and pos
sibly beleaguered in a neighborhood
notoriously anti-American, and how
far from reinforcements no one at
Washington knows, the troopers may
be in grave danger which only the
thin and uncertain lines of commu-
nication from the advance base Of the
American army In Mexico can tell.
The story Of the attack upon them is
told in the following dispatches to the
Carranza embassy at Washington, the
first from Foreign Minister Aguilar
and the second from Gen. Carranza
himself:
please confer with the honorable
Secretary Lansing and inform him
that today at p. m, a column of 100
American soldiers entered the city
of Parral. The mayor of the city,
Jose de la LuzHerrera, Immediately
called the attention of the commander
of this column to the inconvenience
of his entering the CITY, his soldiers
Immediately withdrawing, but when
they we're leaving the people protested
and the mayor and military com
manders tried to control them with
their appeals In order to prevent fric-
tion, but owing to the imprudence Of
civilian who fired a shot, a general
disorder followed in which one Amer
lean soldier was killed and several
civilians were wounded by shots from
American soldiers. Military COM
manders succeeded in checking the
mob at Maturana, to avoid them from
following American troops, forming
a Gordon Of constitutionalist soldiers
IN this connection, the Mexican
government warned the government
of the United States from beginning
that 1t would be unwise for American
troops to pass through cities, due to
the impossibility to avoid friction be-
tween them and the people and our
forces at an unexpected moment
The American government, to that
effect, agreed to give the necessary in
structions to its troops to have them
abstain from occupying any towns
The Mexican government deplores the
occurrence, but 1t was beyond It's eff
forts to prevent it and insists with
the American government on the
necessity Of withdrawing its troops
from our soil in order not to give room
for the alteration Of the good and cor
dial relations which both countries are
obliged to preserve"
A dispatch from Gen. Carranza him
self follows: "After message sent yo,
by Secretary for Foreign Affairs Agui
lar, the secretary of war received
message from Gen. Gutierrez dated a
Chihuahua informing him that it ha,
been impossible for military com
manders to check the mob agains
American troops who entered PARA
and that this evening (April 12) tn
fight had continued between our pei
pie and the American forces, tia
many deaths had occurred on bo.
sides. Gen Obregon has already give
orders to prevent continuance Of ba
tie, but the excitement is so gIea
among the people that fail to kno'
whether the struggle can be stopped
Call on the secretary Of state an
advise him that the occurrence is du
to the unwise action of the America
commander In having entered Parr;
without the permission of the author
ties, violating the orders of that GO
$780,