Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-06
Wounded in Skirmish Earlier
Today-Shots Exchanged
With Detachment Believed
to Be Insurgents.
BATTLE is BEING WAGED
IN WIDE SEMI.CIRcLE
Federal 0utposts Driven Back.
Tanks Are Used by Attackers.
Rifle and Machine Gun Fire
From Both Sides Is Vicious,

NACO, Ariz., April s @.-Hot
fighting for the possession of
Naco, Sonora, was being waged
today in a wide semi-circle around
the Mexican federal entrench-
mentS in the city.
Bullets sizzled and ricocheted
across the Mexican street OF Naco,
Ariz., on the American side of the
line as firing from both flanks be-
came intense.
The general engagement followed.
brush earlier in the morning miles
east of here between detachment OF
American cavalrynen and nano OF
Mexicans believed to have been rebels.
One American trooper was wounded pc
fore the MeXicans were driven BACK
across the border.
Troops Are Deployed.
Shortly before concerted firing opened
hetween the beSieging rebels and the
government defenders of Naco, Sonora,
a long column of rebel troops with
red rebel nag in the lead marched down
an open road from Gen. Fausto Topete's
troop train.
The troops were deployed right and
left and moved rapidly behind the
advancing cavalry. AS soon as the
federal outposts had been driven back.
the infantry and tank advance became
general. to the accompaniment OF
vicious rife and machine gun fire from
both SIDES.
Tanks Used in Attack.
Rebel tanks waddled and lodged
about the mesquite grown plain, splitting
machine gun bullets from their armored
sides. Rebel cavalry closed IN ana
drove federal outposts back to the mann
trenches. Fire from the federai en-
trerchments became hot and rapid as
coinnnns of rebel infantry moved up
and deployed across the plateau.
THE numbering tanks rolled up within
easv range of the federal trenches ana
flashed tongues of fire from their ar
rnored sides. The tanks appeared I'M
pervious to rifle and machine gun nfe,
and the awkward machines slid steaolly
forward until they nosed the Ieoerai
wire. The entire rebel forward move
net1t was made under whitening rre
from The l6UCId Idl AQtSAAANoSASAAo'
Met by Heavy Fire.
watchers from this side of the line
eo,Ild see the infantry advancing IN
double -uuick time along the WIDE front.
About three-uuarters of a mile from
the federal trenches, in front OF Naco,
the Attackers were met by heavy flre
from the federal machine-gun nests.
which was moving the rebels down.
MANY were seen to fall, but they were
left to lie as the infantrymen swept
forward.
During the rebel attack two bombing
planes from Topete's base ralneo pompS
by two's and four's on the oeleaguereo
town. The bombSexploded and scat
tered shrapnel inside the trencnes
while rebel riflemen poured not nre
across the top Of the earthworKs.
THE 37-millimeter Hotchkiss gun. the
only field piece in Gen. Lucas Con-
zalez, garrison. opened up to rain one
shells. and solid shot on the
attacking forces
federal aiplane crossed from the
United States just before the rebels
closed in. 1t landed inside the trenches
but was prevented from taking on by
the hot fire.
American and Mexican soldiers clash
ed after night of violence along the
border during which the
Southern Pacific Railroad line to the
east was found strewn with bombs,
The clash occurred at Southern Pa
cific Railroad tunnel eight miles east
of here. Border patrolmen of Troop
z, 10th United Cavalry, reported that
they were fired upon from the Mexi-
can side of the line as they approached
a cache of bombs.
u. S. Private Wounded.
Mexican soldiers, the Americans said,
moved up from their side of the line
and opened fire. One American private.
whose name was not given, was shot
through the chest. The Americans said
they opened up their guns then and
the Mexicans fed.
American soldiers said there were rs
bombs. contained in Is sacks, along the
railroad tracks. Whether these were
to be used to blow up an American train
believed to be bringing Mexican federal
soldiers to reinforce the Naco loyal
garrison, or whether the explosives had
been cached there to be smuggled across
the border to the rebels. was not de-
termined by the American officers.
bCNGiODIuGIltS EdlIlG ldSoLs UC&1tlklI1S
with a terrific explosion in Naco, Sono-
ra, at 3 am. Immediately preceding
this. both Naco towns were plunged
into total darkness. Main electric lines
were found to have been cut on the
American side. four blocks from the
international line.
Two Towns Are Rocked.
The explosion rocked the two towns,
shaking residents out of their beds
and breaking windows. Citizens believ-
ed it heraided the long expected major
attack on the federal garrison by rebel
troops Immediately to the south. Bib
searchlights which had been flashing
out from the garrison were useless. It
locked like q rebel raid was coming
The international line was closed and
neWspaperrnen were refused permission
70 cross.
Later It was said q locomotive Just
outside the federal trenches had been
blown up. Whether this was the work
Of rebels or the premature explosion
81 defense mine or from some other
cause remained undetermined. The ted-
erals are said to have planted "a mines
around the garrison.
4 United States Cavalry troop, part
Il the command Of Maj Walter Hazel
kiae here. rushed TO the tunnel miles
eest Of Naco % reports that an explo-
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