Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-04-13
TROOPS HOT upon
VILLA TRAIL 400
MILES IN MEXICO
AeropIanes Find Cavalry De
taChment South of Satevo,
Riding Hard and Close
to Bandit Chief.
OUTLAW BADLY WOUNDED
Said to Be Heading Toward
Parral, Carried on Stretcher
Borne BY His Men
Chase Grows Hard.
OUTLAW BADLY WOUNDED

FL Paso. Tex, April 10.-Thc rapidity
of Francisco Villas flight into the heart
of Mexico may force Brigadier General
Pershing to establish a new army base
for the American expedition near Chi
huahua. Villa is near if not already in
the city of Parral, according to reports
received from Mexican sources today.
The bandit is probably only a few miles
ahead of the flying detachments OF
Colonel Dodd's cavalry.
Camp Of Ger. j. j. P%ershing. South of
N~amiquipa, taeroplane and wireless to
Columbus, n. ND, April 10.-New cav
airy columns We're hurried southwark
today, while the other columns in the
field are taking a new direction. The
new movements. coupled with other
reports received, increases the conVlc-
ton of Gen. j. j.. Pershing and his of
ficers that troops OF the new trail of
| Villa, opened several days ago, follow
ing reports made by an aviator, are on
the right track.
The American line of pursuit is now
400 miles long, and some Of the diff
culties encountered by troops threading
their way through the rocky passes
We're indicated in the report of an avia-
tor today that he had been obliged to
drop messages in a small parachute
to ar advanced detachment.
Garry Villa on St%retcher.
New reports of Villas flight received
today said that because of his wounds,
Villa is riding on a Stretcher, carried
on the shoulders of his men and that
he is accompanied only by a small per-
sonal body guard and rear guard. That
the American troops are on a fresh trail
is a result of reports made by an army
aviator and an observer who returned
today from what may prove one of the
most important scouting flights of the
campaign.
The flight Over so miles OF territory
hitherto uneNplored developed informa-
ton which military authorities here
considered of valuable Importance.
The entering of new territory in tho
case is the contamination of a plan
! which General Pershing and his staff
have had under way for several days,
but for which more definite reports
were necessary than those available. 1t
vas this information the aviators were
sent to get.
Ride Hard Upon Trail.
Reports brought by the a~viators
showed that somewhere South of Safe
No a cavalry contingent is making a
thrilling ride, which may equal in i'm
portance that upon Guerrero of Col.
| George A. Dodds' command. The men
are Sparing neither themselves nor
their mount
The filters were at a height of 5000
! feet when they discovered the cavalry
column, to which they wee carrying
dispatches, filing through a wooded
canyon. They floated slowly down un-
til they We're within the perspective of
the troops and then, making sure they
were American cavalrymen, landed.
One of the airmen caught a grazing
horse and rode to the waiting Ameri-
! cans. five miles away, without saddle
or bride, and with only a bit of twist
ed rope around it's nose to guide the
animal.
Natives Are Friendly.
The troops confirmed reports that
Villa had been wounded but were able
to offer no additional details. The avia-
tors also reported that Mexicans en-
countered were friendly and that re-
ports are current in the country that
there has been dissatisfaction among
Villas followers.
American columns, operating between
here and Guerrero, hav reported that
there had been occasional %sniping by
scattered bands of Villistas, but that
thus far the shots have been without
effect.
Col. w. C. Brown, of the Tenth cav
airy, today officially reported on his
engagement, April 1, at Aguas Cali
entes. He said there We're no Ameri-
can casualties and the Villista losses
were lighter than at first reported.