Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-01
DO NOT CREDIT REPORT
HE HAS BEEN TAKEN
Army Officers Do Not Believe
Rumor That Chief Is Being
Taken to Base at Casas
Grandes; Operations Will
Be Continued Against Flee
ing Forces to Prevent Their
Concentration
BY .fSsocidtcd Press

El Paso, Texas, April 1.-The cap.
ture of Francisco Villa by the fyinr
squadrons of American cavalry
searching the Sierra Madre mountains
is believed by army officers at For
Bliss to be only a question of days
EIis forces scattered into smal
lands after their smashing defeat on
Wednesday by forces led by Colone
Dodd, Villa is reported to-day to have
sought safety in hiding in some re
cesses of the continental divide. Thp
bandits injured leg, said to have been
broken by gunshot wound, or q falI
from a horse, will doubtless proven.
him from making any long fight Over
the rugged mountains.
Reported Captured
That Villa already had been car
tured and was being brought back 10
he army base at Casas Grandes. wa
report heard here to-day but it wa
OF credited in official quarters
IeXican Consul Andres Garcia had no
ord of any further engagements be
tween the American troops and &'ila
forces.
While the hunt for Villa continue
General Pershing will continue hi
operations against the fleeing bands of
Villa men to prevent their concentra-
ion and to destroy them.
The fact that three days haye
elapsed since the smashing blow d.
livered at the Villa band in the vale
of Santa Mara, without any furtbor
news from General Pershing, has
given birth to the most eXtravagau.
speculation and rumors.
The chief argument of time is tha.
If Villa was as desperately injured
as reported he should be by now 'n
the han is of his pursuers. But others
retort by pointing out the wild
character of the country in which na
is hiding and the fact that most To-
the natives of the mountains are SUI.
to do all they can to battle the Amer
lean soldiers by giving them false i'm
formation.
All Depends OH Speed
Everything apparently depenNs
upon the speed with which Villa rs
able to move. If his injuries M e
forced him to seek safety in the mou -
tains OF the divide, it is believed that
he cannot escape capture although ne
may elude his enemies for many Gays
vet. on the other hands, If ne mas
been able to push east or southeast, ne
ought by this time TO have reached
country where travelling is COM
paratively easy, water and food plenli-
full and his adherents numerous
The one thing that seems reason
ably certain is that before the close
of to-day or tomorrow at the latest
it must be definitely known if VIVA is
a disabled and deserted fugitive I'M
the mountains, or if he has again won
freedom from the. Gordon thrown
about him and is maintaining ms
fight southwark. In the height OF le
excitement caused by the news OF ,he
battle of San Geronimo, interest," rs
temporarily faded here in the questiE-
of the use of the Mexican railroads
for transporting supplies to General
Pershing's columns. Apparently me
solution of this problem is still iar
from found. A good deal of curiosity
has been aroused over the tallure OF
any train to arrive at Juarez over tne
Northwestern Railroad for week No
[Continued on Page 81