Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-02-12
WOMEN ASSIST.
NICARAGUA IN
BEATING REBELS

MANAGUA, Feb. IL P}-A battalion
Of women, formed ard led by 2c
year old girl assisted the conserva 2
tive forces which RECENTLY recap
tured the town Of Chinandega, rront
the liberal forces, thus restoring
communications between Corinto and
Managua.
Sixteen of the women were wound
ed, some seriously while passing
out ammunition to conservative SOL
diers in trenches, cleaning guns and
passing food. Natalie Garcia, of
Managua, leader of the battalion
was shot through the left breast
ard is in a 3 serious condition.
China ndega presented horrible
picture when visited yesterday BY
Press. who travelled on one of three
troop trains which were sent to the
town by the conservative govern
ment in order to consolidate its
position there.
Twelve squares, chiefly in the
business section were flattened ana
smoke was still rising from the
ruins. Bullet holes were in almost
every house and shell fragments
were scattered throughout the streets
Dozens of dead were piled here
and there. Buzzards lowered over
head the water supply was Still.
cut off and that available was un-
healthful. Virtually no food and nc
medicine remained in the town except
what was hurried from Managua
and Corinto.
A few liberals barricaded in theii
homes kept up desultory fire and
shooting from the outskirts of the
town continued at night. Ninety
families were without homes.
The conservative commander estl-
mated that conservatives lost $50 and
the liberals 175 Early in the fight
the liberals had q heavy preponder
ance of machine guns. Approxi4
mately 400 wounded were taken tc
hospitals in Corinto, Leon and Ma
ragua Forty of these We're trans,
ported yesterday to Corinto, where
they We're placed in United states
emergency hospitals.
General Barthomeme Viquez who
commanded a force of 300 soldiers
which or1m\ sally defended .ch'r
andega against the liberals, salt that
he spent SO hours without food and
drink, barricaded in Calvary church
when the liberals-sfirst gained the
town A majority Of his men had
been killed or wounded, and his
eral Noguerara GomezN arrived with
captured the town.
other than the burned area, the
cntrenchments and barbed wire en-
tanglements around the defending
erea, there was little evidence o.
vandalism by either side. The bod
les of several score men were buried
in the trenches in which they haG
fallen.
Although the conservatives do not
expect another attack on Chin Il
andega, they are rushing additional.
forces to the town and to other
areas which may be threatened
while a strong force is being sent
to. Matagalpa near which libera4
armN is reported approaching.
The Associated Press corresponds
ont took from the bodies of dead
liberal soldiers cartridges bearing
the markings "F n c." s,ndins
for "Fabrica Nacional Cartuchas," or
National Cartridge factory, which
liberals prisoners said was in Mex
leo. There were no evidence Of
Mexican soldiers in the liberal
ranks.
Train service through the Chin
andega area is 'untroubled during
the daylight hours, but the troor
freip on which the. cOrreSnonden+
Travelled to Chinandega was held ur
many times while scouts preceded
it, clearing the tracks and firing into
the brush. The train was fired on
hy liberals at one town but the con.
servative troops returned the fire