The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-01
CAUGHT BY SURPRISE,
 BANDITS ARE ROUTED

Fl Paso, Tex, April 1-Col. George A. Dodd. gaIIoping at the head of living column of 400 American soldiers, fell upon the main body of Rancho Villas bandits, consisting of 500 men, at Guerrero, on Wednesday,, scattering them in many directions, after al running fight of ten miles, and driving the bandit chief wounded and crippled, to seek a hiding place in the mountains to the northeast.
 This. the first fight between the Americans and Villa, resulted in the death of thirty of the bandits follow CTS and the wounding of only four United States troopers. The battle lasted for five hours.
 News Thrills the Border.
 News of the exploit came in a re- port from Gen. Pershing to Gen: Funs- ton at San Antonio Pershing1 sent 4 the message from San Geronimo Chihuahua City. The report in turn was sent to Gen. Bell at Fort Bliss. It sent q thrill along the entire Dor 5der.
 For seventeen hours the veteran fCoL Dodd, with his picked troopers of the Seventh and Tenth Cavalry, drove I down the valley of the Santa Maria lriver At the end of a ffty-five- mile lrfde they fell upon the uhsuspecting tViIIa camp, where the bandits were 4celebrating the massacre ofe172 Car ranza soldiers two days previously at
 .yhe bandits made a brief but hope. less stand. They broke and fled. leavfng among the thirty dead their commander, Gen Esliseo Herman deg.
 Two machine guns, number of horses, rifles ,arnmunition and equip rnent fell into theshands of the Amer leans.
 Villa did not take part in the bat tie. Wounded in the hip and suffer- to have been in a small tent nursing his injuries when the crash of the, American voI1ey fire awake the ban dits to panic-stricken action.
 Got Within Half Mile
 The Americans got within half mile of the towns.it is reported, be- fore their presence was discovered. They Immediately opened fire and, putting spurs to their horses, ad- vanced at full speed The ViIIistas were in panic at the suddenpess of the onslaught, but recovered them selves, and for nearly fifteen minutes put up a good fight. Their fire was not concentrated, however. Their aim was bad, they fought without any or ganization whatever and all the while the Americans were pouring a hail of lead into them, advancing always ParT of the reserve force came up with na- chine guns after the fight had gone on ten minutes, and under their fire the Mexicans broke and fled in every di- rection.
 According to unofficial reports the negroes fought like demons. As the Mexicans began disappearing down the trails toward the mountains they pur- sued, bringing down several of them. The pursuit was maintained for ten miles and then the troopers were or dered back, it being feared that they might be cut off.
 The bandits made off in every pos sibIe direction. It is believed that they all ultimately headed for Minica or some rendezvous previously agreed up- on near that place before tue attack was made.e
 Colonel Dodd's orders were to get Villa if he was in the town,- dead or alive. Several scouts who know the bandit well were instructed to devote themselves solely to this task, but it soon became apparent that Villa was not there.
 Streets Filled With Dead
 The streets of the little town were filled with the dead and wounded and one of the first of the dead to be found was General Hernandez. Later a colonel was wounded He was taken prisoner and, aIth ough Tfe gave his name as Lopez he denied that he swaas Pablo Lopez, the man who con- azzoxad ness1szreut ef Americans at