El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-03-21
JnareG JnbiLant
Over Victory Of
ZMa&na Forces
Carranza Troops Rout the
Villistas; Three Villa
Generals Killed.

Juarez celebrated, Friday, the news
Of Gen. Zuazua's reported victory over
Villas command under Martin Lopez,
Wednesday at Boquina del Mar
quesote. IS miles south Of the New
Mexico border. which was reported in
military ciphers message received late
Thursday night from Gen. Zuazua by
Col Agustin Mora. district commander.
The message stated Martin Lopez.
Villas second in command; Ramon
Vega ana Epifanio Holguin. two villa
generals. were killed during the fight
which lasted four hours and resulted
I'm the rout Of the villa force which
has been operating near the New
Mexico border recently.
Many Are Killed.
The federal commanders messages
stated ~ Of Villas men were killed
and the federal losses were 16. Includ-
ing a former Zapata general who was
given amnesty last year, and a cap
tain of Gen. ZuaZua's staff The
wounded were not estimated The sec
ond message received after midnight,
stated the mayor Of La Ascension, Is
miles from the battle ground. had
PEI, Vega and HOlguin-
To positively establish the identity
Of the bodies Gen Castro, commander
Of the northeastern zone, telegraphed
from chihuahua city Thursday night I
10 have an undertaken TO go TO La As I
censiOn at once, embalm the bodies
and bring them 10 Juarez Tor final /
Identification and for the usual pub I
lie display which is given bandit lead /.
ers killed in the field
According TO the messages. which /
were sent from the battle field by an /
Indian runner TO Guzman. the nearest /
railroad station and from there to I
military headquarters at Juarez by |
telegraph. the Villa command under I
LOnez. Vega and Holguiu. which had
been raiding and loOting the American I
owned ranches Of Ojitos, Janos. Palo-
mas and others near the New Mexico /
border met Lu1zua's command y
miles southwest Of La Ascension The I
villa followers numbered 500 and the
federal cavalry was approximately
equal
We're Gaining Advantage.
The villa force. from behind their
crude Qualifications. were gaining the
advantage when the ammunition sup
ply OF Villas men became low and
Lopez ordered a charge which he and
his chiefs LED in person in the hope OF
routing the federals and capturing
Tour mule loads Of ammunition and
machine gun Instead. the machine
gun, concealed behind rocks opened
Ire and swept the front ranks Of the
.dvancing force, turning them on the
light flank and repulsing them
Lopez. n Notorious Bandit.
Martin Lopez. reported to have been
-iIled during the battle is the most
.0toriOus bandit leader IN northern
,1exicO next TO Francisco Villa, his
hief. Born IN san Ysidro, Chi, the
Gene Of many revolutionary battles.
.opez Joined Villas command as
10y when villa was operating indie
.endeutly in the Sierra Eadre noun ]
ain range Of western Chihuahua Lo-
.ez is credited with having originated
he plan OF dynamiting passenger
rains, executing the federal escorts,
obbinE the passengers OF all their
-aiGables and then forcing men. Wom-
n and children to remove all Of their
lothing which he carried off TO his ]
women camp followers in the noun .
aims. He is a brother OF Pablo Lo-
eZ who was captured By Carranza ]
roops after the Columbus raid and !
xecuted at Chihuahua city He was
lso said 10 have participated in the
olumbus raid Z
HOIEuin Too Lenient. S
HoIguin has confined his operations '
b the district so miles south Of Juarez
nd has frequently raided American S
Wned ranches and mines. held Amerl- z
ans as prisoners and robbed stores. C
.amon vega is a comparatively new {
lieftain "a the north. He supplanted
-olguin because the latter was too 2
.nient with prisoners p
Felipe Martinez. another -Villista, a
'as numbered among the dead, ac- Z
1rdinc TO an official military mes
age received at Juarez Friday from y
en- Zuazua. o
Z. :. Officers SkeptieaI- d
United States army officers here are Il
lclined TO be skeptical Of reports that Il
-artin Lopez. Ramon Vega and Epi- a
iniO Holguin were killed. They said :
opez had been reported killed almost y
s many times as had villa American :
lnsuI Edward A. Dow announced he y
as making a report TO the state de-
quoting Gen. Zuazua's mes
lges-