The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1920-06-03
CARRANzA slain
IN HIS SLEEP
Details of Desperate Battle of
Loyal Band in Which Murguia
Led Fight Against Attackers.
ORDER ARREST OF ASSASSIN.
General Molina Also Killed When Her
rero's Men Mistook Him for BoniIlas
in Hut of First Chef-Assassins
Take Sixty Prisoners.

Mexico City.-Venustiano Carranza
was killed when traitors, led by Cen
-eral Rodolfo Herrero surrounded and
@fred furiousy" into the hut where the
fugitive was sleeping, according to a
dispatch received here by General AL
varo Obregon from Juan Barragan,
Carranzista chief of staff.
General Morales v Molina was the
only other person killed in the attack
according to newspaper dispatches.
The reports quote General Herrero as
saying he desired to kill only Carranza
and lgnacio Bonillas, former Ambas-
.sador to the United States. Herrero is
said to have mistaken General Molina
for Bonillas
Fighting in the semi-darkness under
the leadership of General Francisco
Murguia, Carranza's followers made
such valiant defense that Herrero's S
men were forced to take sixty prison.
ers, the message from Barragan said.
Newspaper reports say the three gen
erals and two members of Carranza's s
cabinet, who were first reported to
have been killed in the TlaXcalantongo
hghting, have now disappeared and
probably are in hiding.
The failure of the permanent COM
mission of the National Congress to
obtain quorum on two occasions, to
sustain its assumed authority to choose
a Provisional President, is taken to
indicate the choice made by the extra
ordinary session will be acceptable.
General Molina, who was killed with
Carranza, conducted the military trial
of General Roberto f. Cejudo, former
-commander-in-chief of the forces of
Emiliano Zapata in Hidalgo, who was
accused of dealing with the rebels.
Barragan's dispatch giving details of
the killing of Carranza and Molina fol-
lows:
villa JuareZ, State of Puebla.
To General Alvaro Obregon.
referring to your telegram of this
date, Herrero Joined the column at
Patla, processing loyalty. Arriving at
IldXcalantOngo, Herrero offered hospi-
tality to Carranza, placing sentinels
who knew the terrain. At 4 o'clock in
the morning his men, abusing the conf
dence imposed in them, surrounded the
shelter where Carranza was sleeping.
hrlng their rifles furiously into the hut.
Everyone offered resistance although
with the natural decentralization caused
by the unexpected attack.
General Francisco Murguia fought
valiantly in the Obscurity (semi-dark-
ness), repulsing the traitors, who sur
prised the defenders when they were
leaving their shelters to attack the
enemy.
The unexpectedness of the attack
enables us to clear our military honor.
The defense was general to such an
extent that the attackers were forced
to take sixty prisoners, among them
Mario MendeZ, Pauline FOntes. Gil
Garias General Heliodoro Perez,
Colonel Che Gomez. General Villela
and Carranza's military aid.
(Mendez formerly was director of
the national telegraph lines. Fontes
was former director of national rail
ways and Senior Garias was Carranza's
private secretary.)
Our conscience is clear. Our grief
for the death of the President Is in
consolable. We are satisfied that we
did not abandon him for one moment.
The few men wounded and dead
, is explained by the fact that the at
tackers planned their crime knowing
the place where the President, who
had placed his confidence in Herrero,
was sleeping. The loyalty and cour-
age Of the Presidents followers were
useless against the treason of those
criminals"
The message was signed by Rarra-
gan and Marcano, Gonzales, Federico
Montes, Francisco de II. Mariael and
others
The flags Of the American Embassy
and all the other embassies and Iepa-
hons were placed at halfstafT