River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-04-06
BANDIT CHIEF is LEADING HIS
AMERICAN PURsUERs BY 60
MILES, ACCORDING TO
MEXICAN OFFICIALS.
Poems ARE INSTRUCTED TO
GIVE FALSE INFORMAL ION
Story of Villa Being Wounded Care
fully Connected to Misead Per-
shinq and Dodd, Mexican De-
clares-Difficult Now to Sc
cure Reliable Guides.

FL Paso, Texas, April 4.-Francisco
Villa, unwounded and accompanied
by only eight men, was at Satevo, 80
miles south Of Chihuahua City, two
days ago, according to information
received here from Mexican sources
which have proved usually reliable in
the past.
If this information is correct, it
bears out previous reports that the
bandit chief is headed toward Parral
and is leading his American pursuers
by at least 60 miles. The nearest
point to Satevo, which the American
troops are known to have reached, is
San Antonio, 60 miles to the north
west.
Known as "Pancho's Road"
The route said to have been taken
by Villa is one with which he is thor
oughly familiar and which indeed is
known among the poems as "Pancho's
road" From Guerrero it leads across
the continental divide through Bachin-
iba pass over a broad road which runs
east to San Andreas, Villas former
L
the scene of Villas massacre of 10
American mining men, and then
southeast through Satevo to ParraI.
Tells Of Villas Maneuvers.
The man VINO brought the story of
Villas arrival at SatiVo mere gave>sa
circumstantial account of the bandits
maneuVers and plan of campaign.
&c ctr ics
fcatiOn, his own credibility is vouched
for by reputable American business
men here who have employed him for
several years.
Villa" he said, has never taken
part in any fighting with either Amer
lean or Carranzista troops. He left
the main body of his troops in the
Guerrero district with orders to OPP
pose as far as they could the American
advance. At the same time, the poems
were instructed to give information
freely to American officers, always
provided that the information was
false.
False Report of Wounds.
The story of Villa being wounded
was carefully concocted for the ex-
press purpose of misleading General
Pershing and Colonel Dodd into the
belief that the bandit was in hiding
IN the mountains and thereby induce
them to split their forces into small
searching parties who would waste
their time in the wild Sierras while
Villa was making his way safely south
ward"
This part of the story is given color
by the admission of General Pershing
that his intelligence department has
been given much misleading informa-
ton and that it was becoming more
difficult to secure reliable guides.
Chance of Catching Villa.
Continuing his story, the man said:
The American officers were fooled
at first, but they have fair knowl-
edge of the real situation now and the
advance column is driving southeast
with all the speed they can com
mand. Their only chance of catch
Ing up with Villa is that they have
a good road and should not be handi-
capped by the big problem of forage
and water"
II they can catch up with Villa
before he gets into the Torreon dis
trict they ought to be able to kill or
capture him, but if he is able to join
forces with Canuto Reyes they will
have a difficult task before Them