Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-06-22
MEXICANs HAD ADVANTAGE

Whichever side began the engage
ment. the McXicans had the advantage,
for they had provided themselves with
a machine gun and this is supposed to
have done deadly execution in the ranks
of the Americans. That the latter wer.
not inefficient, however. was proved 10y
the number of Mexican dead and
wounded removed to Villa Ahumada and
witnessed by Americans coming north
on "A train bound for JuareZ.
The battle began about 1890 n. m.
and lasted not more than an hour. il
apparently ended with both sides with
dra wing. The failure of General Per-
shiug to report on it. indicated that the
American survivors had not yet return-
. ed to their base at an early hour to-
night.
\ story brought to El Paso by j. G.
! Hubble, an American. who has been en-
| nloved by the Compania Agricola at Bo-
uuillas, bears out several Of the details
| of the engagement presented by General
/ Gomez bubbles story was corrohaIted
/ by James Maxey, another American VINO
/ also was on his way to Ey Paso from the
/ interior. Hubble and MaXey said that
while their train was stopping at Villa
Armada they noticed numbers OF dead
and wounded being brought in and were
| told by a Carranza captain that battle
had taken place. The captain informed
them, they said, that a number of Amer
lean prisoners, had been locked in cat
tie car and were to be taken to Chihuahua
city to be hanged.
They mentioned Mexican soldiers who
told them that several hundred Americans
and l9O Mexicans had been engaged.
The Mexican officers at Villa Ahumada
treated us with the greatest courtesy.
said Mr. Hubble. "They answer our ques-
tions quietly and with no show of antip'
athy or excitement.
MEXICANS CONCEALED.
"According to the story they told us
= the Mexican command was concealed /;
the undorhrush when it discovered th
American cavalrymen riding toward then
over the sand. General Felix Gomez tn
Mexican commander, Immediately sen
courier asking for a parley under
flag of truce with the American com
e mander, The parey was arranged and
the Mexican leader and two aides starte
forward the Americans suddenly deploye
A In Il semi circular skirmish line.
General Gomez, apparently believn
r he was about to be attacked, raised hi
] arm and signaled machine gun In tn
= rear to open fire on the Americans. IN
4 machine gun swept the cavalry rank
causing heavy losses
o Immediately. however. detachmer
I of American troopers dashed forwar
= under heavy fire, to the center OF IN
n field where General Gomez and his sta
s were sitting on their horses. In the r.
II sultant encounter one of the cavalryme
o killed the Mexican leader with his pisto
= while the remainder of the Carranza part
20 escaped to their own lines"
lr The two Americans said their inform;
ton was that the American dead nun
Is b"rcd II and that Mexcans had take
r, forty prisoners.
al Hubble and Maxey said that some
10 the MeNlcans openly boasted that II
la Americans had been drawn into {
ambush
At General Gomez's headquarters
victory Tor Mexico was being elaine
ez The sceno In the front room Of Il
Commandment, where the younger III
he GERS were gathered, was holiday-lil>
he Several of them, speaking of the battI
ez said, I'VE Won"
st Juarez first learned of the fight in
h vague form In the early afternoon. r
an civilian population then began to pa
a their household goods. Many alrea
ed had left for interior points by "A NOR
he ing train in anticipation of the troub
ri Others crossed to El Paso later in t
nd day.
"A curious scene of the late day W
he a procession of civilians carrying arr
an In age they ranged from small bo
at not as tall as their guns. up to
hi men. Most of them We're in ragp
&C. dress Of the peon, but some belonged
uls belLer elaa