Briton And Negroes Win Ojeda's Fights.

New York Times 100 years ago today, April 13, 1913:
Those Three Men Handle Artillery That Drives Back the Besieging Rebels.
GENERAL HAS FRENCH GUNS
American Consular Agent and Seamen Blamed for Guaymas Killings — New Madero Story.
    NACO, Ariz., April 12.— Frequent cannonading between Gen. Pedro Ojeda's Federals in Naco, Sonora, and rebel besiegers was continued at long range to-day. The State troops showed no disposition to make another concentrated assault. Desertions by the scores from the State troop rank's were reported. Many rebels crossed to the Arizona side, telling officers of the United States border patrol they were returning to their homes.
    Aside from his daring and brilliant fighting for the last four days, two secrets of Gen. Pedro, Ojeda's success in defending Naco, Sonora, were made known to-day. One was the possession of artillery of the latest French pattern, throwing two explosive shells a minute. The other reason was that an Englishman named John Dean was foremost in the dashing sallies of the Mexican soldiers. Dean, by his expert gunnery, was responsible for many of the defeats suffered by the Constitutionalists surrounding the small Federal garrison. He was assisted in the artillery fights by two American negroes, deserters from the Ninth United States Cavalry.
    Dean saw service for many years in the English army, fighting through the Transvaal and other campaigns. Ojeda has made him a General.

    MEXICO CITY, April 12.— Reporting the killing of two sailors and the wounding of three other seamen from the United States cruiser California at Guaymas, Sonora, on Wednesday by Mexican policemen, American Consul Gilfoyle, in Hermosillo, Sonora, says the incident was due to the sailors being intoxicated and "very disorderly." The Consul bases his report on the statement of an eye-witness, adding that the trouble, in all likelihood, could have been avoided had the Consular Agent in Guaymas notified the Commander of the California opportunely. The Consul gives no further details.

    NOGALES, Ariz., April 12.— American refugees arriving here to-day from Guaymas are inclined to place on American sailors the responsibility for the street clash early Wednesday in Gauymas, in which two Americans were killed and several sailors and Mexican policemen were wounded. They state that fifty seamen were on shore leave, and that American residents, fearing a race clash, warned Consular Agent C. D. Taylor, who declined to inform Admiral Cowles.

    NEW ORLEANS, April 12.— Martias Oviedo, formerly private secretary to President Madero of Mexico, arrived here to-day with a sensational narrative of the way in which Madero and Vice President Pino Suarez met death. Señor Oviedo asserts that two rurales killed the statesmen on the direct order of their commander and that the murderers were put to death to seal their lips.
    After Señor Oviedo escaped from Mexico City he joined the Carranzistas in Coahuila.
    Señor Oviedo reiterated a report that investigation of the killing of Madero and Suarez had revealed that both men, when prisoners in the palace, received narcotics in their food and were shot when unconscious in their beds. Their bodies soon were placed in an automobile and taken near the penitentiary, he said, where the Huerta Government asserted they were killed by guards when an attempt was made to liberate them.
    "The two rurales who killed President Madero and Vice President Pino Suarez acted on direct orders of Capt. Cardenas of the rurale corps, who afterward was promoted by Huerta to the position of Colonel and received a large amount for the part he played in the deed," he alleged. "The two rurales were shot to death outside the penitentiary. Cardenas afterward said the blood of those two tools of the assassin was the blood of Madero and Pino Suarez.
    "President Madero died almost immediately after he was shot," Señor Oviedo continued, "but the Vice President did not die from the effects of the shots. The shock of the pistol bullets revived him from his stupor and he tried to raise himself to look at his murderers. Immediately, he was seized by the throat and strangled to death. Marks on his body save physical evidence in corroboration of the detailed story which was obtained from persons who were only a few feet away when the murders were committed."
    The former Secretary asserted that hundreds of persons in Mexico City knew the facts concerning the killing of Madero and Suarez, but even Mexicans who had escaped from the country feared to tell what they knew, because it would mean the assassination of relatives still in Mexico.
    "Not even Americans nor other foreigners in Mexico dare express themselves truthfully on such questions," he added, "for fear of the confiscation or destruction of their property, or perhaps a worse fate. Scores of persons have been put to death right in the capital since the beginning of the Huerta era of misrule, and, in many instances, the colossal crime which resulted in the death penalty consisted solely of their lack of sympathy with a government founded on treachery and assassination and pledged to tyranny and the suppression of personal and political liberty."