OCR Text |
Show j LOQUE'S LOSS I IS VERY SLIGHT I Defeated Diaz Commander Re-I Re-I treats to His Base at , Ojinga. fi Mnrfa, Tex., Feb. 13. Delayed ad- 9 vices received here today clear up B suspense over results of the fighting a between rebels and federals around I Mulato. The last word received last I week told of federal reverses in an I assault upon rebel lines at Mulato. It WfjL Is learned now that tho tido of bat- 99 tie remained the same, with the ro- suit that tho federals retreated to I Ojinga, their base of supplies. I The Insurgents were unable to I check Lunuo's retreat. Their Bupply I of nmmuntlon wns exhausted. I Tho federal loss was forty killed and wounded. 5 The Insurgent loss was one killed m nnd ono wounded In tho two days' bat tlo. Their 'loader Ortega, had provided provid-ed excellent dofenslvo works against tho federals' assault. Tho insurgents fought from behind breastworks, atono heaps and trees. It reminded ono of tho days of fighting when tho Indian combatted tho westwaid march of the Yankee. Stories aro told of tho cruelty of federal soldiers to noncombatants and tho refusal of the insurgent leader to ' permit his men to take revenge. Old Men Murdered. Four old noncombatants were found in a farmhouse near Mulato when the federals first approached tho town. Ono of them was 90 years old, an-othor an-othor was blind and another n cripple. crip-ple. All were white haired. Tho Insurgents In-surgents found theso old men with their bands tied behind their backs lying riddled with bullets. Their heads were crushed and one was slashed across tho face by a sabro. A number of Americans viewed tho bodies, and several signed an affidavit doacrlblng the Incident. This sworn statement will bo sent to Washington. A dramatic Incident followed the discovery of the four murdered men. A government soldier had been found lying wounded In tho field. Ho had been cared for nnd fed. When the murdered men were found tho Insur- I " gents made a ruah tor tho plaza In I Sato to take revenge by killing this I wounded soldier. In tho crowd were a son and a nephew of ono of the 1 aged victims. Llko drazy men they I ran yelling into tho plaza and dra- Igd he soldier into tho street. Ma m argued against killing hn but oth- era. maddened by tho sight of the butchered old men, drew their pistols pis-tols and declared they would kill any man who tried to stop them. At that moment Ortego. tho insurgent commander, com-mander, rode Into tho plaza and called a halt. Ortega Saves Prisoner. My children,' ho said ."I bavo had n homo laid In ruhw and a wlfo nnd bnbloB driven naked nnd starving Into tho hills, but I am not yot ready to kill an unarmed, wounded ronn." Tho mob'e rage was quieted and only on-ly ono man, tho son of ono of tho aged victims. Llko crazy men they ran yelling Into tho plnza and dragged drag-ged the soldier Into tho street. Many argued against killing him, but others, oth-ers, maddened by tho sight of the butchered old men, drow their pistols nnd declared they would kill nny man who tried to stop them. At that moment mo-ment Ortega, the Insurgent commander, command-er, rode into tho plnza and called a halt. Ortega Saves Prisoner. "My children," ho snid, "I have had a home laid In ruins and u wlfo and tables driven naked and starving into in-to tho hills, but I am not yet ready to kill nn unarmed, wounded man." Tho mob's rago was quletted nnd only ono man, tho Bon of ono of tho victims, stepped forward to take tho federal soldier's life. Ortega drow his pistol , "It would break my heart to have to kill a comrade," he said, "but wo will not bo murderers llko tho soldiers of Diaz." Tho terrified wounded federal boI-dler boI-dler wns picked up, mumbling his thanks, nnd removed to a shanty. In tho two days battle the pronun-clados pronun-clados lost one man killed and ono wounded. Tho dead man, Hllaro San-vhez, San-vhez, was shot while battering in a door of tho house of tho Scotchman, P. C. McCoombs, to get a squad of federal soldiers. McCoombs entered tho house alone and drove tho federals feder-als out, killing one of them. McCoombs Is tho soldier of fortune who has earned tho title of "El Diablo" among tho Insurgents. His homo Is In Seattle, Seat-tle, Wash. The American soldiers and federal 1 officers guarding tho American side of the Itlo Grande wore repeatedly fired upon by tho federal soldiers. I Five boys, all American citizens, i were captured by Mexican rurals yes-. yes-. terday whllo bathing In tho Klo Orando. The ruralos shot at them nnd compelled them to wado across the river and surrender.Tho boys were released this morning after bolng locked up all night. Captain Williams comandlng tho American troops at Presidio, was on tho point of ordering order-ing tho commander of OJlnga to re-leaso re-leaso tho boys when they returned to Presidio. |