Obregon Will Keep Order In Nogales.

New York Times 100 years ago today, March 15, 1913:
Promises Colonel Wilder in Border Conference to Maintain Peace in Mexican Town.
OJEDA IS PENNED IN NACO
Federals Hemmed In by Rebels on Three Sides — Carranzistas Take San Pedro.
    NOGALES. Ariz.. March 14.— Col. Wilbur K. Wilder of the Fifth United States Cavalry held a conference at the international line to-day with Gen. Obregon, commander of the Sonora State troops, which yesterday captured Nogales, Sonora. The meeting was at the suggestion of Col. Wilder. It was to discuss provisions for keeping order and to reach an understanding regarding neutrality laws. Gen. Obregon promised to maintain order in the Mexican town. He expressed sorrow at the wounding of an American soldier and three Mexicans on the American side of the line by stray bullets from yesterday's battle.
    United States customs inspectors seized forty-seven head of horses belonging to the Federal troops to-day. The horses were brought across the line by the Federal refugees last night.

    WASHINGTON, March 14.— It practically has been decided in the Navy Department that two of the four battleships now stationed on the east coast of Mexico shall be kept there when the Atlantic fleet sails from Guantanamo, Cuba, for Chesapeake Bay next Monday. Rear Admiral Fletcher or Rear Admiral Usher will be left to command the ships, the stay of which will be dependent on conditions in Mexico.
    On the way up the coast the fleet will have a war game, plans for which have been prepared by the Naval War College and the Genera] Board. The ships are due in the Chesapeake March 22. After a Sunday rest they will begin target work, using the wreck of the old battleship San Marcos in "spotting" practice. Secretary Daniels expects to see the tests.

Special to The New York Times.

    PIEDRAS NEGRAS, Mexico. March 14.— Advices confirming reports received earlier in the day that San Pedro, in the State of Coahuila, forty-three miles from Torreon, has been captured by Constitutionalistas reached here to-night. The town was attacked by a body of Carranzistas under Majors Ricaut and Rovas, and was defended stoutly by the garrison of 200 Federals.
    Seventeen Federals and seven Constitutionalistas were killed in the action. Several were wounded on both sides. The Constitutionalistas took possession of 30,000 cartridges recently received by the Federals.
    Majors Ricaut and Rovas then retired with their forces to Cuatro Cienegas.

    DOUGLAS, Ariz.. March 14.— Battle against an overwhelming force of rebels, unconditional surrender or flight over the line into Arizona are the alternatives presented to Gen. Ojeda. The Federal Commander, who evacuated Agua Prieta two days ago with the intention of marching to Nogales and reinforcing the garrison there, reached Naco in the night and learned that Nogales had been captured by the Constitutionalistas.
    Gen. Ojeda, with 500 Federal regulars, is bottled up in Naco, with strong bodies of rebels closing in on him from East, West and South. A force of 400 Constitutionalistas under Elias Calles left Agua Prieta before daybreak to-day to pursue the Federal General. Prefecto Bracamonte, with 300 men, departed on the same mission soon afterward. All the rebels were freshly mounted and well armed and provisioned.
    South of Naco are more State troops under Diequez. A force from Gen. Obregon's column, which yesterday took Nogales, is closing in from the West.
    The Constitutionalistas, in their eagerness to pursue Ojeda, left a force of only 200 men to guard Agua Prieta.

    NACO. Ariz.. March, 14.— With the remnants of the Federal garrisons of Northern Sonora — no more than 500 men — Gen. Ojeda to-night is defying attack from more than 1,500 state troops. In Naco, Sonora. just over the line, preparations are under way for the expected assault in the morning.
    "We will fight," announced the Federal commander, as he gave orders for immediate preparation late to-day. Trenches were dug near and fortifications built on a hill commanding the approach to the town. The Customs House and Post Office equipment were rushed to the American side, and the railway company moved over all its equipment.
    With the men of the Agua Prieta garrison and refugee troops defeated at Naco and El Tigre, Ojeda must confront 1,000 Constitutionalists moving against Naco in three divisions and eager to capture the only remaining port on the Arizona border from the Huerta National Government. Naco is a subordinate port to Nogales, lying between Nogales and Agua Prieta. It is the terminal of a branch of the Southern Pacific of Mexico, which runs from Naco southwest to the mining centres of Cananea and Del Rio, and northwest to Nogales, where it connects with the Sonora road.
    Ojeda, with eighty men, reconnoitred late to-day to find the enemy. The State troop Colonels, Calles and Bracamente, from Agua Prieta, were reported within only nine miles of the border port. Ojeda expects assistance from Cananea, where a Federal garrison of 200 or 300 men is stationed, but the Cananea Federals have permitted State troops to enter the mining town, and so far have not moved to the assistance of their comrades at Naco.
    Gen. Ojeda previously had evacuated Agua Prieta before a strong advance by State troops. His retreat to Chihuahua is cut off, and the news that Nogales has fallen makes his position still more difficult. To retreat south, he is sure to encounter the strong groups of Constitutionalists roaming the interior country.

    EAGLE PASS. Texas. March 14.— Carranza leaders in Piedras Negras deny positively there is any truth in the reported capture and death of Gov. Carranza. They profess to have received telegrams from him this morning. An American mining engineer who left Monclova early to-day said, on his arrival here, that Gov. Carranza was safe and well.

    NEW ORLEANS, March 14.— Plutarco Ornelase, Mexican Consul here, received to-day a telegram from Francisco de la Barra, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, denying that the States of San Luis Potosi and Aguas Calientes had revolted. Regarding the political situation, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs said: With the exception of the authorities of the State of Sonora, who are occupying a certain part of the State, the balance of the country has recognized and submitted to the Federal Government.

    EL PASO, March 14.— With Sonora practically in the power of the anti-Administration troops, the State of Chihuahua was by no means peaceful to-day. Reports reached here to-night of skirmishes between Federals and Constitutionalistas in the district between Parral and Chihuahua City. Various expeditions are bound for the interior to assist the revolting troops in their warfare against the Huerta soldiery. Col. Francisco Villa, formerly a Madero leader, has been joined in the field by Juan Dozal, who was second in command of Orozco's forces in the Madero revolution. Villa and Dozal are making for the Guerrero district, west of Chihuahua City, where they expect to recruit a strong force of former Maderistas.
    Gen. Jose Inez Salazar, who announced recently that he was against Provisional President Huerta, is moving toward Juarez from Palomas, below the New Mexico border. He has fully 500 well armed, mounted, and provisioned men, according to Mormon settlers who have visited his camp. Juarez is defended by not more than 300 Federal regulars.
    Below Chihuahua City the Mexican Central Railway is almost demolished as far as the junction of the Parral Division. The Mexican Northwestern Railway is out of commission below Juarez and also on the Chihuahua City Division.
    In skirmishes below Chihuahua City, on the Central Line, Federal troops were driven back on two occasions. Belated advices from the south report almost continual fighting since the Constitutionalistas' attack on Parral last week, which was repulsed only after two days' desperate fighting.