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Show GENERAL VILLA IN PURSUIT I OF VELASCO'S FLEEING FEDERALS I Hernandez Reports Engagement With Retreating Force H Chief Leaves Immediately With Reinforcements to Cap- H ture or Annihilate Balance of Torreon .Forces H Rebel Workmen Clearing Wreckage and Bum- H ing Dead Bodies 200 Regulars Left in Hospital Only One Nurse. H FEEBLE AND DYING PATIENTS CHEER VILLA I Spaniards Take Refuge With American Consul Mexican I Regulars, Worn by Prolonged Fighting and Fearing In- H Surgents' Alleged Cruelties, on Verge of Mutiny H Many Remain and Will Enlist Under Rebel Banner Insults to American Flag by . H Soldiers National Capital Itself. H Now in Minds of Victors. fl Torreon, Mexico, April 4. (Via El Paso, Texas, April 4.) This city from which General Refugio Velasco and most of the uninjured of his command fled yesterday, was. occupied by the rebels in force today and the work of burning the bodies of the dead, clearing clear-ing away the wreckage of shell-shattered adobe walls, street barricades and barbed wire entanglements, was begun. When Villa took a considerable number of prisoners, Velasco escaped from the Canyon de Iluarache with a considerable proportion of his force. He was pursued last night by General Gen-eral Hernandez who today reported that he had fought a small rear guard engagement with the retreating force, and later General Villa with reinforcements, reinforce-ments, left here to make an attempt to capture or annihilate It-Non-combatants here, with whom the Associated Press correspondent talked today, estimated that Velas co's garrison did not number more than 5000 men of whom 1500 were killed or wounded. 200 Left in Hospital. When Velasco fled he left behind in the military hospital 200 wounded. When the rebels entered the place they found only one nurse, Dorothea de la Cruz, in attendance. She said that the other nurses followed the army when It evacuated the city. The patients were in a high slate of anxiety for they had been told that Villa took no prisoners. They were reassured by H. S. Cunard-Cum-mlngs, the British vice consul at Gomez Palacio. who entered the hospital hos-pital first, climbing over bodies of the wounded who had died there. The air was foul with the odor of dried blood. Speaking in clever, even tones, the British official announced that Villa had assured him that none of the wounded would.be harmcG. At this those patients who had the strength raised themselves on their elbows from pallets on tbe floor and from their cots and cried feebly "Villa, "Vil-la, Villa!" The uurso was soothing a dying patient pa-tient who with his last breath joined the cheering and then sank back dead. Velasco Executes Spaniards, Persons who say they were eyewitnesses eye-witnesses declare that Velasco summarily sum-marily executed three Spaniards whom he accused of firing on his troops. The wile of one of these, Lotero Lopez, attempted to shield her husband and the name bullet killed both. Three hundred and fifty Spaniards, Including women and children, took refuge in a bank building under the rrotectlon of American Consul Ulmer, who remained in town throughout the battle. So far the Insurgents have shown no disposition to harm those Spaniards who are known to have j remained neutral. Other foreigners, including 55 Chinese, Syrians and Austrians and 100 Americans, were unharmed so far as could be learned today. It was reported that General Velasco, Velas-co, himself, was wounded, but this report, like the one that he went Insane in the trenches, could not be confirmed and the impression prevails now that he is still at the head of his troops. Two federal generals were killed and three wounded. Troops on Verge of Mutiny. It is said here that Velasco's retreat was brought about by bis losses In the night assaults made by tbe rebels and indications that his soldiers, worn out by the prolonged fighting and fearful of the cruelties which they were told Villa practiced on tbe wounded and prisoners, were on the verge of mutiny. In the course of the house-to-house fighting, rebels and federals frequently frequent-ly came within talking distance of each other and in some case3 got on such friendly terms that they ceased firing entirely. Many Enroll With Rebels.. In most of these cases the federals were persuaded to remain when Velasco Ve-lasco retreated and will be enrolled under the rebel banner. At least a fortnight, and probably a longer period will be required to reorganize the army before the expected ex-pected campaign against Saltlllo and Monterey can be made. Itebel leaders are anxiously awaiting await-ing news of the political effect of their victory on Mexico City and Washington. Washing-ton. The federal artillery was superior to that of the rebels, many of whose shells proved defective. Villa Soul of Battle. Villa was the very soul of the battle. bat-tle. His spirit animated everything. When things were going wrong, he would gallop along the battle line, encouraging en-couraging or reprimanding as the Individual In-dividual case required. "Well done," he said to the gunner whose shell had fallen true. "Men like you will redeem Mexico," he complimented a wounded man who remained In the firing line. "What, boy, do you find the dancing danc-ing floor too rough?" he chlded a soldier who on some pretext was making for the rear. Villa was in his headquarters al Gomez Palacio, Thursday night, when Torreon fell. Almost up to the hour of the federal flight he could not see the' end of tho battle, and that very morning had telegraphed for bigger cannon, for It seemed as If hlo artillery artil-lery was Inadequate to dislodge the enemy from their positions in Huar- ache. Juarez, Mexico, April 4. The oplnl- on that General Villa intends to take every advantago of the defeat of the federals at Torreon was expressed here today. it was based on the intelligence, officially announced last night, that Villa had left suddenly for San Pedro to take personal charge of rebel troops reported .to have preclpl-tated preclpl-tated an encounter With fleeing fed orals. nn |