The Bismarck tribune., 1929-04-25
BELEACUEREDREbE
FORCE WITHSTANDS
FEDERALASSAULTS
Bloody Fighting in Third Day
Finds Religious lnsur-
gents Still Alive
ARE 0UTMUMBERED S TO l
Gales Offers Safe Conduct to
Those Who Surrender,
Death to Tenacious
ARE 0UTNUMBERED S TO I

Mexico City, April 25.--tF)-
Bloody" fighting between 1000 So
called religious rebels and the fedcr-
al army of General Saturnino Cedillo
at Tepatitlan. Jalisco, was believed
still in progress today after three days
conflict.
Shouting their battle cry, "vivc
Cristo rey'-"long live Christ king"
the belcaguered rebel force was
said not only to have repulscd fcder-
al attacks with hand to hand and
bayonet fighting. but to have inflict-
cd rcverseS on the government troops.
General Ccdillo, charged by Gen.
eral Gales with determination" OF
the "CristeroS"-aS the government
terms the rcbels-was quoted as cx-
pressing confidence his superior num-
bers and better equipment would
prevail In the end and that he would
invest the town. He had 5000 soldiers
at his command.
Gales Offers Peace
News Of the encounter came almost
simultaneously with advices Of .
peace offer on his part, declaring a
20 day truce in the region affected by
the So-called religious rebellion dur
ing which safe conduct to homes was
guaranteed those who surrendered
and relentless persecution promised
the more tenacious.
A proclamation by General Cedillo
said: MY soldiers right arms are
Cloaked with iron with which to de-
stroy you, but their left arms. the
arms Of the heart. are cloaked In
white with which to pardon you.'
Dispatches to La Prcnsa from
Guadalajara offered the most COM
prchensivc accounts of the battle at
Tepatitlan. The dispatches said there
had been numerous casualties.
Huerta Follower Leads
General Enrique Goroztieta. grad
uate OF Chapultepec military acad-
cmy, Mexico's West Point, and form
er high officer in the army of Presi-
dent Victoriano Huerta. was at the
head Of the rebels. He joined the
"Cristeros" about two years ago.
La Prensa dispatches described the
battle as bloody" and the fighting
as most bitter. So heated had been
the conflict at times that federals
we're forced to withdraw to some dis
tance from the town to reorganize
their forces. The civilian population
Of the city were unable to leave and
were confined principally In one OF
its most exposed sections.
The rebel force was said to be In
control OF strategical points near
Tepatitlan, which is only 50 miles
east of Guadalajara, second city Of
Mexico. and about IS miles west oi
Arandas, General Cedillo's headquar-
terS.
Dig Own Graves
Mexico City papers today published
accounts of another occurrence In the
affected area. Dispatches said q
band Of 80 rebels led by Jose Quad.
alupc Lopez captured an auto truck
with a chauffeur and three workmer
near Dolores Hidalgo. Guanajuato. A
court-martial convicted the men o.
stealing grain from small farms.
After being forced to dig grave fol
themselves. they were stood beside i
and executed.
Fighting was believed already II
progress in Sonora. where cavalry ant
infantry columns Of three fedora
generals, Lazaro Cardenas, Tala
mentes, and Jaime Garlic, were en-
gagged in movement against rebel
extrenched at MaSaica. Delayed dis
patches relating some delay In get
ting the movement under way re-
lieved somewhat the Chapultepe
castle tension which had arisen whel
nothing was heard from the conflict.