Norwich bulletin., 1916-04-01

Fl Paso Texas March 31.-tOur hundred American cavalrymen under the command of colonel George A. Dodd, ganoping down from the gran ite slopes of the great continental d. vide. have fallen on the main body Of Francisco Villas bandits at the san Geronimo ranch, scattering them in many directions and driving the pan Cir chief wounded and crippled, to seek a hiding place in the mountains. Villa was hurried from danger ln a carriage The fight opened at o'clock ir the morning of March 2S and con tinued for several hours.
 Sent Thrill Around the Border.
 The news of the exploit was flashed into Juarez today and sent thrill along the border. For seventeen hours tEe veteran colonel with his picked tr5ops of the Seventh and Tenth Cav airy. drove down the valley Of the Sarfa Maria river. At the end Of 55-miIe ride they fell upon the uHsus- uecting Villa camp where 5e0 Dandlts were celebrating the massacre or 1iz Carranza soldiers two days prevlously at Guerrero.
 Bandits Made Brief but Hopeless
 Stand.
 Villa. shot through the leg and with one hin shattered was hurried from the scene barely m time to escape the onslaught of the Americans. The oan- dits made a brief but hopeless stand before the charge of Colonel Dodd and his troopers Then they broke ana fed. leaving 31 dead on the field, in cludinr their commander, General Ell seo Hernandez. Two machine guns, number of horses, rifles, ammunition and equipment fell into the hands or the Americans. JoDez. Villas lieutenant in the Colum- hus raid. The American casualties were four privates wounded.
 Drove Outlaws Into the Mountains.
 The American soldiers did not lin- ger on the field of victory. For nVe hours they drove the enemy before them into the wilderness of mountain ueaks. desert and canyon, where roads CT even trails are unknown and where a misstep means death to horse and rider. They halted only after the chase had led them ten miles and the fug1- lives were scattered into little bands of half a dozen men each.
 Villa Power Has Been Broken.
 Villas career has ended; his power has beeu broken His death or cap- ture Is only a question of days, per haps only hours. Such is the 1nev1t- able conclusion reached here as little by little the details Of Dodds rloe reach the border.
 To Remain Floden OeSFnS ITnPoSStDic
 It seems impossible that the crippled bandit can long remain hidden, even in the mountainous wastes in which he has sought refuge. Among the scene of Colonel Dodds victory is g broad valley lying at the head of the Santa Maria river. On the west. side rise the barren foothills of the conti- mental divide and to the east is trail made famous by Villa, which leads through the Laguna de Castilla dis trict to Santa Ysabel. It was at the latter place that Villa killed IS Amer ican mining men, crime which sen n thrill of horror throughout the Unit. ed States and marked the beginning of what many believe to be the ent of his bloodstained career. It was to- ward Santa Ysabel that he was be lieved to be heading when the troop CTS of the United States swept dow1 from the north upon his camp.
 Troops Moved With Stealth.
 From the meagre details which hay, reached here from Mexican and Amer ican military sources Colonel Dodd' men made their way unnoticed througl the arroyos, or deep gulches, whicl split up the foothills in all directions and were almost in the camp befor the alarm was given.
 Villa is reported to have been in small tent nursing his injuries whel the crash of the American volley fir aWoke the bandits to panic-strickel ectfon.
 Outlaws Loyal to Chief.
 The extraordinary hold the bandi chief has on his followers is shown b the fact that their first thought wa taesave him. Unable to walk or ridt he was placed in a light wagon an driven oyer the rough mountain trail 10 some secret lair
 While thIrty-one of the bandits ar known to have been killed. 1t is sal the number may have been consider ably. arger Nothing is yet known a tn fine number of wounded, althoug it is presumably in proportion to tn dead.
 Villas Latest outrass.
 The last outrage credited to Will occurred at Mfnaeas a town about te miles southeast of Guerrero on tn Mexico and Orient railroad, Here th Mexicans are reported to have mur dered Herman Eiaokenhergen, a min foreman, and two other foreigners. Is feaFed That the two VnkneWn vic tlma ara ,ApeFiealis. MgR4 Axhsgs0anl