The Harrison times., 1916-04-08

ranzistas two days previously at Guer-
rero. Villa, shot through the leg and
with one hip shattered, was hurried
from the scene, barely in time to
escape the onslaught of the Ameri'
can soldiers.
Make Only Brief Stand.
The bandits made brief but hope
less stand before the charge of the
troopers. Then they broke and fed,
leaving 81 dead on the field, includ'
ing Gen. Eliseo Hernandez. Two ma
chine guns, a number of horses,
rifles ammunition and equipment fell
into the hands of the Americans.
Among the known wounded is Pab'
10 Lopez, Villas lieutenant in the Co.
lumbus raid
The American soldiers for five
hours drove the enemy before them
into the wilderness of mountain peak,
desert and canyon, where roads or
even trails are unknown, and where
a misstep means death to horse and
rider. They halted only after the
chase had led them 10 miles from the
battlefield, and the fugjtives were
scattered far and wide in little bands
of half a dozen men each.
Villa Near the End.
Villas career has ended, his power
has been broken. His death or cap
ture is only a question Of days, per-
haps only hours. Such is the conclu
sion reached here. 1t seems impossi
BILE that the crippled and defeated
bandit can long remain hidden, even
in the mountainous wastes in which
he has sought refuge.
The scene Of Colonel Dodd's victory
is q broad valley lying at the head of
the Rio Santa Maria. On the west rise
the barren foothills Of the continental
divide and to the east is trail which
leads through the Laguna de Castillo
district to Santa Isabel. 1t was toward
Santa Ysabel that he was believed to
be heading when the troopers swept
down from the north upon his camp.
Colonel Dodd's men made their way
unnoticed through the deep gulches,
which split the foothills in all direo.
tions, and were almost in the camp
before the alarm was given. Villa 1s
reported to have been in small tent
nursing his injuries when the crash
Of the American volleys awoke him
to action. The extraordinary hold
Villa has over his followers is shown
by the fact that their first thought was
to save him. Unable to walk or ride,
he was hurriedly placed in a light
wagon and driven over the rough
mountain trails to some secret lair
While 81 Of the bandits are known
to have been killed, it is said that the
number may have been considerably
larger. Nothing is known as to the
number wounded.
The last outrage placed to the ac
count Of Villa occurred at Minaca
about 10 miles southeast of Guerrero
Here the Villistas are reported to have
murdered Herman Blankenberg, a
mine foreman, and two other foreign
ers. It Is believed that the two un
known victims were Americans. -Four
Amerlcans-Askkn, Hemple Locke
and Dr. Steel are known to have been
in or near Minaca recently.
After the battle on the San Geroni
mo ranch the American soldiers re
leased a large number OF General Car
ranza's men whom Villa was holding
II Is not certain that villa took par,
in these murders, as II is hardly pos
sible that he could have made his way
from Minaca to the San Geronimo
ranch, 30 miles northeast in the time
elapsing between the murder Of the
three foreigners and the battle on the
ranch.
Some time before the Minaca mas
acre Villa descended on Guerrero
where he slaughtered all tho Carran
zistas he could find,
II is probable that 1t was in the
guerrilla battle that villa wal
wounded.