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Show elm mm KID BY Hi i CHIHUAHUA CIT , Mexico. March 27. Skirmishes between Villa and Car-ranza Car-ranza troops, by which Villa tried to feel out the defenses prepared by General Francisco Murguia, have already taken place today in the neighborhood of Chihuahua Chi-huahua City, where the greatest vigilance vigi-lance is now exercised against an attack in force by the rebels. General Murguia has done his best to restore confidence here today, following the excitement yesterday over the prospect pros-pect of Villa's attack. Pie has put the eity in a state of readiness and announces that his force of 7000 men, perfectly armed and equipped, may induce Villa, who lias only 3000, to turn off in the direction di-rection of Santa Ysabel when he realizes the disparity in numbers. General Murguia is prepared for every eventuality. His troops are placed in a radius of several miles around the city in strong, self-supporting groups, while a strong reserve remains in the city. Villa's main command is said to be at Mapula, less than a score of miles to the south of Chihuahua. Trains ran from here to the north on sc h ed u le time today. General Murguia states that he has plenty of ammunition, as well as arms. Villa took Chihuahua City twice within the last year, the first time on the night of September while tho people were celebrating the Mexican independence day, and again on November -7 of last year. On September f the attack whs merely a raid, and resulted in the release of political prisoners from the penitentiary. peniten-tiary. Including Jose Ynez Salaaar, now leader of the Villa forces in the district abandoned by General Pershing, and the capture of a la rge amount of ammunition. ammuni-tion. The capture of the city on November No-vember 27 followed four days of hard fighting. General Francisco Murguia. by defeating SaJaaar south of Chihuahua, caused Villa to abandon the city hastily. General Murguia entered Chihuahua City on December 1 . and has since directed the campaign against Villa, beating him at first repeatedly and recapturing all the loot from Chihuahua. Santa. Rosalia. Jimenez, Torreon and lesser points. Villa routed Murgufa's command a t Rosarlo, on the- Duraugo border, on March 11 and has been advancing north since then. |