Attack by bandits is determined

Nº134

AIISRE LE 935 F. 108

The Daily Express, San Antonio, Texas

27 de junio de 1908

Attack by bandits is determined

Las Vacas across the Rio Grande from Del Rio Is The Scene of Battle. Mexican troops hold position with losses

Battle Begins at Daybreak and Continues Intermittenly Throughout the Day. Number of Casualties Not Known. Border Guard Increased.

Special Telegram To The Express.

DEL RIO, Tex., june 26.-Las Vacas, a small town across the Rio Grande in Mexico, was attacked this morning at 5 o'clock by about one hundred bandits.

Captain Herrez, in command of the Mexican troops, was wounded in the first at-tack.

Nestor Lopez of Del Rio was killed.

Bassilio Ramirez, a United States citizen, was also wounded and brought into Del Rio.

It is impossible to ascertain of further c2ssualities. Some buildings in the town were burned.

Fully 2000 shots were fired.

Another attack was made about 1 o'clock and desultory firing was heard during the day clown the river. The troops repulsed both attacks and still bold the town. Reinforcements are en route from C. P. Diaz and should arrive in Las Vacas tonight. 1 he river is being patrolled by custom guards, Rangers and the Sheriff and his deputies.

Rangers are asked for.

Governor Campbell has been asked to send more Rangers. Every precaution is being taken by United States officials to see that the renevue laws are strictly observed.

Details are scarce and almost impossible to obtain, but the situation is not considered serious.

Trouble has been anticipated for some time with the revolutionists, but the Mexican Government and the troops at Las Vacas were well prepared for the attack. The revolutionists were evidently organized in Del Rio, as largo quantities of ammunition were sold here yesterday.

Number of fatalities not known.

It is impossible to tell the whole number of killed and wounded, as communication has been entirely cut off all day and no one has been allowed to cross the river from either sido. Early in the morning Passilio Ramirez, a United States citizen who was wounded, was brought into Del Rio. It is thought Ramirez will die.

Fires could be seen across the river and it is thought the garrison was burned. It is estimated that something like two hundred shots were fired by parties on the other side of the river at Americans on this side. But no one was injured in Chis fusilade. Desultory firing has continued almost all day.

Las Vacas is a small town a few miles up the Rio Grande from Jimenez, the scene of the principal events of the inceptive revolution of September, 1906. It has no rail-way connections and is in a rather desolate section of the country. It is less than a day's journey from Ciudad Porfirio Diaz, the center of the Mexican military estab¬lishment of that section. The scene of the trouble is in the state of Coahuila.