Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-03-21
CARRANzA MEN
LOOSEN NE7 :
ABOUT VILLA.
Half Hearted CO.. Operation Noted
on Part of De Facto Gov
ernment.
ONE DETACHMENT
REFUSED TO FIGHT
Movement of Mexican Troops
Toward Border Causes Gen.
eral Suspicion.

Ell PasO, March 20.-The forces OF
Colonel Cano were engaged in battle
at 4:30 o'clock this afternoon with
bandits led by Villa in Namiquipa, &C.
cording to dispatch received this af-
ternoon by General Gavira, Carranza
commandant at Juarez. The result Of
the fighting was not decided at the
time of the receipt of the dispatch.
Namiquipa is in the district of Guer-
zero, state of Chihuahua.
Colonel Cano is in command of a
force of 900 cavalry, which came in
contact, two days ago at El Vale,
with Villistas who, on his occasion,
fled without giving battle.
Fail to Hold Net.
In spite OF reports that the Carran.
"a forces had engaged Villas men at
Namiquipa, there seems to De feel
ing here that the Carranza forces
have failed to hold their end Of the
net, closing about the bandit chief.
There were confirmatory reports re.
ceived today of the news received last
week that the Mexican troops were
not only failing to cooperate with the
American troops but in certain In.
stances, at least, were actually with.
drawing from the field Of operations.
The Associated Press learned on
unquestionable authority that the
troops of the de facto government.
which had been stationed at CasaS
Grandes, have been withdrawn, and
are now in and about Juarez.
Refused to Fight.
From the same source it was learn
cd thai at least one detachment Of
Carranza troops had refused to fight
Villa and had withdrawn ON the ban.
dts approach, leaving him free to
pass. II
In the last few days, Villa has been
variously reported by General Gavira,
the CarranZa commander at JuareZ,i at
points along the line reaching north
and south from Galeana to Namiqui-
pa, distance of about Is miles. BY
the same accounts, he has not been
moving steadily south, but rowing
north and east. The mountainous can
yon-split, roadless country, in which
he is operating, adds many miles to
the country he has covered as COM
pared with it's distance on the map.
Movement Unexplained.
The reason for the Carranza troops
moving to the border remains unex-
planned 1t is impossible, even to
make fair estimate of the number of
men under General Gavira at Juarez.
The large staff at his headquarters
and the fact that new troops are ar
irving daily, indicates that his force
is large one. The most conservative
estimate places it at 5000, and calcu-
lations range from that point upward
to 5000. Every precaution has been
taken to prevent the facts being
known, and most of the men are kept
outside the town among the hills. Re-
ports from Aqua Prieta and Ojanaga
tell of Mexican reinfOrcements reach
ing those points also, but nothing is
known as to their numbers.
There is no question that there Is
serious and growing uneasiness in Ell
Paso.
A large body of American cavalry
left Columbus today. The troops
which were brought here from the
Texas border points were preceded
by motor train, carrying supplies.
Whether the detachment will serve
as a separate command in the effort
to capture Francisco Villa, or wheth-
er it is to join the punitive expedi.
ton in the field under General Per.
shing, somewhere in northern Chihua.
hua, was not indicated by military
Scouts Know Trails.
Accompanying the troops were a
1umber of American scouts, said to
know the trails of the Chihuahua
as the city man knows his
,ront yard.
Wearing the sombrero of the from.
,ier, heavily rolled furs, and with
little wrinkles at the corners Of their
eyes, bespeaking lives spent in the
open, the scouts form what is said
% be the Most picturesque group
If men in the expeditionary force.
Military men frankly admit that upon
heir knowledge of the direction In
which Villa is reported rests much
~ IhO uoPc AoA AiS VdPtVAVs
Discover oodjeo.
That more Villistas than the -
llready accounted for were killed in
he running engagements following
he raids on Columbus was indicated
n the discovery of three bodies re.
ported here today by H. K. Lemon.
! randhman. Mr.. Lemon asserted
hat one of the bodies is clad In tho
inform of lieutenant and that they
we're found lying just north of tho
boundary, three miles south Of here.
BREAKS RECORDS
Evanston, H., March 30. - White
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