The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-12-20
Abandons the Fight Against
First Chief Carranza,
Advices Say
FOLLOWERS ARE
SCATTERING
His Faithful Adherents Are
Bidder to Take Care
Of Themselves"

i III Paso, Tex, Dec. 20.-Gen. francisco
Villa has given up as hopeless his strug
gle against the de facto government o.
Mexico, according to authoritative ad
vices reaching Ell Paso Saturday from
chihuahua The followers who still re.
manned faithful to the man once all pow.
erful in northern Mexico have been
warned to take care Of themselves" and
are said to be scattering in all directions
Many, it is said, are preparing to make
their peace with the Carranza govern
ment.
Villa, I'M addressing the council of war
at which his determir alton to abandon
the struggle was made public, is said to
have declared he would no longer sacri-
| flee men needlessly. He is said to have
been urged TO abandon the revolutionary
movement by his staff and advisers and
OF the insurgent leader are have not been
made clear, although he Is said to have
declared he would come to the United
States If he were permitted, or, ii not,
would go to Europe.
The Carranza forces under Gen. Jacin-
to Treyino already are demanding the
surrender Of Chihuahua, but few per
sons familiar with the country CUES
ton Gen. Villas ability to escape cap
ture In that section, where he knows ey
cry hill and waterhole and where he has
many friends. In fact, it was only five
years ago he roamed that same territory
as bandit with price placed on his
head by Gen. Porfrio Diaz.
His real name Is Doroteo Orange and
he was born in Las Nieyes, Durango. in
1868. His parents were OF the peon class
and on the death Of his father he be-
came cowboy in western Chihuahua.
His personality and traits of leadership
even then were apparent, for he soon at
tracted number of desperate men to
him, changed his name to Francisco Villa,
and lived as bandit, subsisting by raid
ing and pillaging the ranches of the
big Chihuahua land owners.
Many stories are told as to the rea-
son why Villa became bandit, the most
widely circulated being that he was out
lawed for the killing of an army officer
who had wronged his sister.
When Francisco Madero took the field
against DiaE, Villa voluntarily cast his
lot with the Maderistas and performed |
such valiant service that Madero was
forced to recognize the peon leader. Aft
err the retirement of Diaz, Huerta, as |
the commander of the army under Ma
dero, was sent north to put down the |
0rozco rebellion. He and villa clashed |
and Villa was taken TO Mexico City, /
under arrest for characterization. While
N prison there he taught himself TO read
and write.
Madero saved him from immediate ex-
seution and later he made his escape TO
ihe United States. When the north OF
Mexico rose against Huerta, Villa made
his way across the Rio Grande into Mex
co with two companies, six Borrowed"
lorses, 81 in money and small supply
II corn and beans. Inside Of year he
vas the head of well-equipped army Of
5000 men with war chest Of several
million dollars accumulated from the
eizure Of rich estate. This force was
rmed and equipped with artillery large
Y from the federal forces defeated or
aptured by the peon general.
Feud with carranra Arises.
Villas method of strategy, based
argely on the guerilla warfare Of his
sndit days, brought him success in ey-
ry battle. Animosity arose early in
el4 between Gen. Carranza, the first !
hief Of the Constitutionalist army, and 1
lila. Peace was patched up between /
hem dozen times, but each time the
rouble broke out afresh. villa declined :