Insurrectos Slaughtered

Nº 226

AHSRE L-E-953 F. 409 y 409 bis

The Arizona Republican, Phoenix, Arizona

18 de marzo de 1911

Insurrectos Slaughtered

No Prisoners Were Taken in Battle of Tecate

The rebel leader killed. Federals in Strong Force Will March Upon Mexicali to Crush Last Hope of the Socialistic Republic in Lower California.

San Diego, march 17. With their leader, Luis Rodriguez and seven followers dead on the field of battle, the remnants of the force scattered in the mountains and with the Mexican federal infantry holding the passes and hamlets, the revolution on the west side of the mountains in upper Baja California, Mexico, received a severe blow today.

Early this morning company F of the Eighth infantry of the Mexican national army surrounded the little hamlet of Tecate, two miles south of the boundary line. For weeks a band of Mexicans numbering some five score harried the ranchers, stopped travelers, robbed stages and exercised their own sweet will from Tia Juana to Ensenada. Last night thirty of them rested in Tecate in the firm belief that Lieutenant Cassarubias and his eighty federal soldiers were hurrying to the trenches at Tia Juana. Shortly after daylight the federals, who had drawn a cordon around Tecate, opened fire on the sentries that remained where the horses were kept, and two Indian guards fell mortally wounded. The rebels rushed from the houses in disarray, guns in hand, and returned the fire.

Rodriguez realized in a few moments that he was hemmed in and calling the mounted men to him made a dash for the open. As they neared the federal force they met a withering fire and the leader fell from his horse, pierced by nine bullets. Fourteen men escaped in this sortie and escaped to the hills, scattering in every direction. Those left in the village kept up a hot return fire and the federals retired to long range rifle shooting and continued until the balance of the rebels sought their way out by way of a watercourse and escaped to the hills. In Tecate there were eight men dead and none wounded. Four of these were reported found in one adobe house where nine men had barricaded themselves, attemping to make a second Alamo of the place.

Two of the refugees ran across the boundary line into the United States, where they fell into the hands of United States soldiers. Captain Evans disarmed them, and they were glad to be so.

The alcalde, Jose Morales, who was driven out of Tecate on Sunday by Rodriguez and his men, guided the federal troops from the main Ensenada road to Tecate. One man in an adobe house having exhausted his ammunition, ran into the street with his hands in the air. Having been instructed to take no prisoners the federal soldiers fired upon him until he fell dead in the street. Another wounded rebel made an involuntary movement while prone on the ground and a Mexican soldier stepped to his side and fired five more bullets into him. But one federal was hurt and he only slightly.

Jose Morales, the alcalde of Tecate, and Rodriguez were old enemies. When Rodriguez charged down the knoll in his death agony he kept shooting at Morales, and one bullet grazed the back of the left hand of Morales. The federals had orders to take no prisoners and to care for no wounded. They obeyed orders.

Reinforcements were sent from Tia Juana by Captain Nunez when news of the fight reached there and these men should reach Tecate tomorrow. It is reported that Salinas band of forty men is at San Ysidrio and Rodrigues' “flying men” have joined, intending to make a stand when Cassarubia and his federals has been sent from base at ported also that another company of federals has ben sent from the base at Ensenada to join company F. and the two will take up the march to Mexicali with a regiment and three machine guns and report to Colonel Lajol. It was announced at Ensenada yesterday that he would march across the mountains to Laguna Salada or wherever Generals Berthold and Leyva are encamped and give them battle.

The federal forces lost no men in today's battle.