The Mena weekly star., 1919-06-19
u. S. TROOPS MAKE
DRIVE IN MEXICO
In Movement to Stop Indiscriminate
Firing Over Border They Chase
Villa Out of Juarez-Tw0 Killed
on American Side of Line.


Elpaso, June 16.--American troops
sent into Mexico last night to stop
the indiscriminate firing across the
border fought general engagement
with the Mexican rebel forces of Fran
cisco Villa at the Juarez race track
shortly after O'Clock this morning,
and the Americans were victorious.
Villas troops were driven from the
race track by rife and machine gun
fire and many prisoners were reported
taken by the United States cavalry,
which surrounded the track on the
east and southeast, according to an
official report at military headquar-
ters.
Americans Cross Rio Grande
The Mexican rebels and federal.
troops fought in the streets of Juarez
Saturday and Sunday nights, many
on both sides being killed Many bull
let's from rebel guns came across the
Rio Grande, and two persons were
killed and seven wounded on the
American side.
When the Mexican bullets became
too thick for the safety of citizens of
Ell Paso, Brigadier General j. B. Err
win, at IL o'clock last night, ordered
American troops to cross the border,
and in ten minutes after the order was
issued 5000 United States soldiers
we're in Mexico. The first troops to
cross the border were the fourth bat
talon of the 29th Infantry (colored),
battalion of the 82nd Artillery, and
the 5th and 7th Cavalry.
Villa Forces Repulsed.
After the Mexican federals were al
lowed to retire into The town, Colonel
Hadzell's colored infantry opened up
with terrific rife fire in trenches
fanking the race track. They ad-
vanced in open order and succeeded in
dislodging the Villa forces, who held
the strongest positions, as the colored
troops were forced to advance across
first volleys from the rifemen were
answered, shot for shot, by the Villa
troops, who seemed to realize that
they were trapped by the cavalry in
the rear and the infantry in front.
Battle Viewed From FL Paso.
American machine guns started
sputtering from adobe houses near the
race track and the preponderance of
the rifle fire was soon with the Amer
lean forces. The preliminary artillery
preparations having been completed,
the shrapnel guns became silent as the
riflemen took up the refrain The ex-
plosion of Mauser and American cart
ridges could be plainly distinguished
from military headquarters in the
Mills building in Ell Paso, where Gen
eral Erwin was an interested specta-
tor from his tenth story window.
| As the American cavalry maneu-
vered over the Juarez plain their po-
sitions were marked by green rocket
flares and were answered by similar
star shells from the top of the Mills
building. At 2:3O O'Clock the rifle
fire had died down, indicating the Viii
la forces were defeated and were be-
ing driven into the hills or pursued
by the United States cavalry
The American artillery was sta
toned in position from which the
Juarez race track, where the Villa
rebels were quartered, could be shelled
with shTapnel.
American Flanking Movement.
A flanking movement was begun in
an effort to prevent the escape of the
rebels. In announcing his action in
ordering Americans into Juarez, Brig
adler General Erwin said he had done
so to prevent the indiscriminate fir
ing into Ell Paso by rebel soldiers, en-
dangering the lives of Americans. He
said it was not an invasion into Mex
leo.
An American soldier shot and killed
a Mexican sniper who fired on him
from the top of an adobe house at the
intersection of Mines and Stanton
streets at 1880 this morning. Orders
have been given for American SOL
diers to shoot all snipers. A woman
and another Mexican who were on the
roof with the snipers were captured.
Villa Forces in Flight.
4 Juarez, Mex, June 16.-Villa troops
droven from Juarez early this morn
| ing by United States infantrymen sent
across the border just before mid
night to stop firing into Ell Paso by
Mexican rebels, were reported this
morning in fight southeast of Juar-
ez, headed for Guadalupe, opposite
Fabens. Tex, % miles from here
United States cavalry were reported
to be in close pursuit