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Show PCll-WTPI- Hill 81 Ml H I vrirr-niii k iiini uL V L 1 ILL 1 JIUUIV I lllil I J ooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooo O ' . O WASHINGTON, April 37. President TafL tonight ro- O plied to a mu&sugc from Governor Sloan, of Arizona, iusking O for protection of citizens of Douglas nguinst the fire of the O federals and insurroctos, that ho was loath to endanger O O Ainericans in Mexico by taking so radical a step as sending O O American troops ucross the border to prevent' further O O fighting. o ooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooo AGUA PRIETA. April 17. At 10.45 o'clock tonight the battle between the Mexican federals and insurrectos, which began irt dawn, came to an end. Aft or seventeen hours of almost incessant fighting that hour found the rebels holding almost every position they had at daybreak, although, after nightfall the federals carried the battle to the borders of the town. Just before nightfall the federal cavalry, each horse with two or three extra men clinging to it, made its way up a narrow ravine which extends to within 400 yards of Agua Pricta. Here the extra men dismounted and the horses were taken back for more, until several hundred infantrymen had gathered close to the belcagurcd town. When darkness came this force crept up to the crest of the embankments and opened a sevore fire upon Agua Pricta, shooting into every building within a rango of their guus, tho rebels replying from tho bull pen and every available cover. The federals also brought to their aid a three-pound field piece stationed to the southeast and were pouring shells into the city. Following the onslaught upon the town, Balasavio Garcia commander-m-chiof of the rebel forces, crossed the line and surrendered sur-rendered himself (o the American officers, but the loss of their commander com-mander had no apparent effect upon the determination of his forces, which kept up tho fight with the same courage that had characterized character-ized their actions during the day. AGUA PRIETA, April 17 (Via Douglas, Ariz.) (From the Associated Press correspondent In the field) Tho most important battle of the Mexican revolution was fought here today between be-tween 1,000 federals under command of Lieutenant Colonel Diaz and 1,000 rebels under Dalasarlo Garcia, and resulted re-sulted in tho repulse of tho former The battle, however, was not finally decisive. It lasted from G 30 a. m , until sundown. At nightfall two federal fed-eral machine guns were In possession of tho enemy and they had suffered a loss estimated bv the rebels as at least 200 killed and wounded. Tho rebels gave their loss at 20. From the beginning of the battle regardloss of the warnlnja glvon by the United States government to the leader of both forces a rain of bullets poured into the American town of Douglas, and when the day was over It was found that seven non-combatants residents resi-dents of that city had been wounded. It was a day almost of terror In Douglas. Doug-las. Battle. Began At Daybreak. When day orokc It revealed the fed-oral fed-oral forces formed in fan shaped, battle bat-tle lino In tho level country about a mile distant from Agua Prieta, with their machine guns In tho center. They gave notice to the enemy of their purpose pur-pose "with a hall of bullets from the machine guns, supported by their mus- ketry, their evident Intention being to gain the International line with Its adobe guard houses, and from this vantage ground turn their firo upon the rebels Tho Insurroctos directed their fire at the crews manning the machine guns. But the fire of tho federals was so fleroe that It forced them back to their second lino of IntrenchmenL The federals advanced slowly As they came nearer the fire of the rebels reb-els became more concentrated. Scorn the BreaBt Works. They scorned the protection of their breast works and went out Into the open. They kept up their concentration concentra-tion of attack unon the machine guns. After 3 hours fighting their defense proved too strong for the federals to carry the trenches. The federals be-au be-au to retreat. Presently tho machine guns were silenced. Sharp shooters had made it Imposslbilo. to longer man them. Sheer exhaustion occasionally occasion-ally caused a partial rest of the contending con-tending forces. At 11 o'clock the repulsed federals had reformed, and' again advanced In support of their original purpose- to gain tho boundary line, masking their movement with, heavy rifle firing. The machine guns were silent. The rebels, made more confident by their early success, returned eagerly to tho encounter The Interval had been em-ploved em-ploved In the erection of new trenches, Tho advance guard of the federals in this attack consisted of 50 cavalrymen cavalry-men and 300 infantry, Behind them was a supporting force under protection protec-tion of trees and bushes. The federals reserved their fire, but from the rebel trenches poured an unceasing stream of bullets. These striking the dry earth made it appear as if dust storms were raging and ofttlmes obscured view of the conflict The advancing federals again found the strength aud determination of the Insurrectos ton ?rent for them. They fell back, but in good order, firing "as they retired, and left the field, their two machine guns in the possession of the enemy. Wounded Americans. The Douglas wounded are: O. IC Coll, Tombstone, scalp wound on tho side of the head, while watching watch-ing the battle from Fourth street, Douglas El PIdeo Arcc, Douglas, wounded hi instep. Frank Williams, blacksmith helper, shot in the back while standing on a street outside of the so-called danger zone Wound dangerous. .Tack Hamilton, Douglas, wounded In back while watching the battle, with 10 others, from the top of an adobe bouse- several blocks back of the International In-ternational line, Jesus Alcantara, Douglas, flesh wound in leg. Mrs. Larson, beverelv cut bv the shattered glass of the kitchen window of a residence. John Keith. Douglas, wounded in the log while walking on the street. More than half of the city of Douglas Doug-las was under flro from the beirinnlng until the end of the battle. The United Unit-ed States customs house was In the direct range of the attack and the United States soldiers near there had to seek shelter for protection When tho battle begnn Colonel William Wil-liam A. Shunk, commanding United States troopjj, rushed his four troops of cavalry to the line and took every possible precaution for tho safety of tho citizens of Douglas, keeping the,m, out of that portion of the qlty which was considered to be exposed to tho bullets. This, however, did not avail to save Americans from injur. At 5:20 . m. Mayor S. F. Maguire. of Douglas, sent tho following message to President Tart- h "Six porsons shot in Douglas today 1 during battle between Moxlcan federals feder-als and insurrecto forces. Battle still raging, worst yet to come. Can not something be done for our protection?" protec-tion?" Every Indication points to a resumption re-sumption of fighting tonight or tomorrow. to-morrow. If tho federals should prove successful, It means that the battle will bo carried to the streets of Agua Prleta with Increasing menace to tho citizens of Douglas. Thero is a movement on tonight among the leading citizens of Douglas Doug-las to ?end a largo number of telegrams tele-grams to President Taft, asking him to safeguard, at any cost, the lives of American citizens. Young American's Story. Charles Wexlor, a young American, fighting with the Insurrectos, came Into Douglas at nightfall, severely Injured In-jured in the breast Ho was taken to tho' Red Cross hospital Wexler's home Is In Brooklyn. Ho said there were no wounded in Agua Pricta, all those Injured having already al-ready been brought to the American side. Federals to the number of 1,500 are Just south of Agua Prleta, he said, and behind them Is the combined forces of Antonio Garcia and Juan Cabr.il, numbering 1.200, while in Agiia Prieta tho garrison forces number GOO Wexler said the plan was for Cabral 'and Garcia to drive tho federal force toward the Agua Prleta bull ring, Whore they will either havo to surrender sur-render to the rebels or dash for the American line and surrender to the American soldiers. Daring Work of Federals. Just bofore nightfall there was seen some thrilling work on the part of tho federal forces. All afternoon the federal fed-eral cavalry was under fire from tho rebel trenches to the east of the town The main bodj of the federal troops was to the rear of a long, grassy draw, opening lengthwiso Into a right angle ravine at the north end within 400 yards of Agua Prieta. The federal commander mounted two and three men on each of tho cavalry horses and then, under full fire from the trenches of the rebels facing the mouth of this grassy draw, dashed to the ravine, where the extra soldiers were dropped off t-he horses, the rider and horses returniug to tho rear to repeat re-peat the peformance. In this wav the federals landed under cover of the ravine and embankments several hundred hun-dred foot soldiers who lav in this shelter. shel-ter. Shortly after nightfall this forco in tho ravine crept up to the crest of the embankments and opened a terrific ter-rific fire upon Agua Prleta, shooting Into every building within range of their guns. People stood at the tolc phone In Agua Prleta and reported to Douglas the passage of steel bullets through the adobe houses, through windows, doors and the splintered roofs. Rebel Commander Quits. "Wo are ready for thorn," was the laconic message from the rebel forces awaiting at tho bull pen and behind every cover. At S:35 tonight Balasarlo Garcia came out of Agua Prleta alone and gained the American line at G avenue, where he surrendered himself as an individual and not as a commander of the Agua Prieta forces, to Captain Gaujot, of the First United States cavalry, who was on the line at the time Garcia was immediately taken to army headquarters at City Hall park, His surrender for a time gave rise to the cry In Douglas that the rebels had surrendered. Has Narrow Escape. One of tho spectacular features of the late afternoon was the passage of an American, David Crocket, of Naco, through both tho federal and rebel fighting armies. Crocket did not know that the battle was in progress until he found himself In the federal ranks. The federals took his horse and saddle, sad-dle, turned him loose and he came forward for-ward through the rebel forces. The rebels hailed him and then passed him through their lines to tho American ' border, from which point he reached Douglas. The field rpicco. began, to hammer ' with 8h'cll8. l . i f "(Rebels Protest 'Against Federals. About 0 p'qlock ft'Tflbbl mecsnge was carried to, th,c, American, aCrmy officors at the line implqrlug thcin to uso the United States troops' to pfevent tho Ipdoral forco from fIghtTnc from tho 'adobe slaughterhouse frtfmodiatelv to tha east of Douglas. -Thl 'slaughter house Is dIrectlyon the line, but with 'the exception ofone sraalMvlng wall, lOs all on the -American side , At this, hour tho,"'Americnn cavalry V- tho call of tho bugle assembled at Fifth street and G avenue," where tho roll was called and then tho whole force went back to their station along tho Fifth street .patrol. American army officers believe that tho federals havo thrown a firing line from a point near tho bull rinp to the American line at tho slaughter houso and another lino extending from this to the south, and that at daybreak tho "V" will closo In and rush the town. Threaten to Destroy Water Supply. Most of the dead and wounded are lying on the battlefield, where thero has boon no access to thcin today. In tho terrific sun the wounded have lain where they foil. Just how well tho federal army !?' provided with water is not known except that thefrrcea probably still have access to Sulphur Springs, tholr camp last night. The American Red Cross has made provision pro-vision to rush down the Nacozarl railroad a water tauk filled with water wa-ter -which was to be protected by a Red Cross flag jind guarded by Red Cross field men, "If this water is not kept from the fodoral army, however," was tho mes-sago mes-sago from the rebel commanders, "we will bo obliged to tear it to pieces with our guns." Sloan Wires Taft. Goernor Sloan of Arizona when asked tor an opinion of the situation in Douglns said: "I havo wired President Taft tonight to-night my leport on conditions here The citizens of Douglas, as well as strangers in the city, have obeyed with commendable good will all the orders and regulations of the army and civil authorities " Notwithstanding the excitement of tho day, there yero no anests made by tlie soldiers, and almost perfect order or-der was preserved. Will Resume Fight Today. At 10 45 all firing had ceased along the line of entrenchment and for the first 'tlmo since 6 30 In tho morning quiet feigned. The rebels at that hour held every position they had at dawn, notwithstanding that they were deserted by ono of their leaders. Arturo (Rod) Lopez was in Douglas tonight, but will probably be in the fight again In the morning. Tho rebels reb-els assert that Juan Cabral's force arrived ar-rived in Agua, Priota tonight, but this Is doubted In Douglas Naco has denied over the telephone that any force of rebels 'came there from Nogales nnd started overland overland from Agua Priota Morning wlU.aeo the renewal of the conflict. The losses of today cannot be ascertained. |