Evening star., 1936-09-12

tCOnClnueQ From First Page.)
Malaga. Five field guns, an armored
car and a machine gun detachment
accompanied the column. took up
my position close to Maj. Redondo, at
his invitation but at my own risk
Travelling in motor lorries, the COL
umn arrived the same evening at
Osuna, which had already fallen into
the hands of the insurgents. The next
day we went to Ell Saucejo, 18 miles
south of Osuna. During the advance
four government airplanes bombarded
our route. A fragment Of an air bomb
hit me in the right thigh and was
compelled to lie on stretcher for sew
eral hours.
Later I was taken in a Red Cross
motor ambulance to El Saucejo, where
the insurgents encountered strong re-
sistance from the Communist militia
After battle lasting half day the
loyalist militiamen retreated under
heavy fire from the insurgents ma
chine guns. The rebels had over a
hundred casualties, but the Loyalists
undoubtedly suffered more heavily.
El Saucejo was captured and large
number OF prisoners taken. A detach-
ment commanded by Lieut.. Medina
was the first to enter the town and
as we passed the parish church we
were horified to see the body of the
priest, crucified, head down, on the
main door of the church. The priest,
Father Jose de la Cora, was wearing
his ceremonial vestments. The body
of his brother, Ramon de la Cora, was
lying in front of the church door.
He had been shot dead by the Com
munists. In the church we found that
graves had been torn open and valu-
ables in the cofins stolen.
From the townspeople, I learned
that the Communists had dragged the
unfortunate priest from his pulpit
while he was preaching before a large
congregation. They crucifled him on
the church door and then his brother
was brought out and shot within his
sight. took picture of the crucified
priest and later handed it to Gen.
Queipo de Llano.
Half way between Ell Saucejo and
Almorgen, the retreating Communist
forces, equipped with modern rifles
and machine guns of French manu-
facture, ambushed one of Maj.
RedondoS companies. The Loyalists
followed up their attack and sue
ceeded in driving the insurgent COL
umn out OF E Saucejo after a battle
IN which the Loyalists' artillery,
posted in the hills, proved most effec-
tive. Shortly afterward, Maj. Re-
dondo's column made a vigorous
counter-attack and El Saucejo was
promptly recaptured. The Loyalists
were so disorganized that they were
also driven out of Almorgen after a
sharp fight. More than $50 Com
munists prisoners were captured, all
Of whom faced firing squads at dawn
next day.
During the final battle in El Sauce
10, the insurgents captured Capt.
Guglielmo Di Mazzi, an Italian in
fantry oficer, who was in command
OF the militia. Commission papers
from the italian army and from the
Spanish government army were found
on him. Di Maz1 was taken to Gen.
Frances headquarters at Caceres,
where he was put under arrest.
While accompanying q patrol
searching houses In Almorgen, we
found three nuns of the Carmelite
Order in house which had been ran
sacked by the Communists. Two of
the nuns were dead. The third,
Madre Rosa, was alive, but her face
had been slashed with knives. At
Almorgen was also found an insurgent
soldier who had been held q prisoner
by the Communists. Both Of his eyes
had been gouged out, his face was
slashed and his fingers had been
cut off.
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