Arab Ruse Duped Italians.

New York Times 100 years ago today, May 26, 1913:
False Reports of "Escaped" Prisoner Cost Ganbretti 1,000 Men.
    CHIASSO, Switzerland, May 25.— The strict censorship which the Italian Government has imposed upon all news relating to the state of affairs in Tripoli, and particularly with regard to the defeat of the Italian forces at Sidi Garba on May 16, has made it difficult to obtain exact information as to the recent reverses in that territory. It has been learned, however, that the disaster at Sidi Garba was due to a well-laid plan of the Arabs.
    An Italian workman named Machiavelli, who had been taken prisoner by the Arabs, was allowed to escape, after having been carefully primed with false information, which he carried to Gen. Ganbretti. Instead of waiting to carry out a scheme of co-operation with Gen. Tassoni, who was on his way from Benghazi with a strong force, Gen. Ganbretti, on the strength of Machiavelli's report that the number of the enemy was small, decided to attack alone. Accordingly, he divided his 3,000 men into three columns, which were supported by four guns and a battery of howitzers.
    After the first flush of victory the Italian soldiers were resting, when suddenly each column was set upon from front and rear and cut off from the others. At the same time they were subjected to a heavy shell fire.
    The Italians showed admirable courage and endurance. Some of the companies lost all their officers. One advance detachment lost thirty-six out of forty men, and it was soon apparent that retreat alone would save the attacking force from annihilation. Col. Magdalena was shot, and as he lay dying wrote a report praising his men and recommending for promotion his Major, who, although twice wounded, took command. Gen. Ganbretti on his return to Derna said:
    "It was the bloodiest day of the whole Italo-Turkish war."
    The Italian losses are estimated at 1,000.