The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-27
VILLA CAMP ICN
DEVELOPS into
CAVALRY CHASE
Bandit In Flight, United States
Troops Push Their
Pursuit.
OUTLAW KIDNAPS
BOYS IN FLIGHT
Problem of Getting Supplies to
Army Worrying U. S.
Officers.

Ell Paso, March 27-Pursu1t of
Francisco Villa. had developed today
into a. race between cava1ry1nen of the
United States and the fleeing ban
dts.
According to dispatches from the
front, Villa has broken through the
Carranza line and is fleeing south
ward with the American troopers
straining every nerve to ,overtake him
before he reaches the mountains and
his ancient haunts in the, dreary
wastes.
It is known that villa is almost
destitute of both Supplies and am
munition and the dead and dying
horses found along his trail give evil
dence of his desperate haste and need.
Once safely in the Sierra Tarahuma-
res the task of running the bandit to
his lair will have become one of ire
mendous difficulty. This country is
inhabited by Tarahurnare Indians. An
American who owns ranch at Omaro
in the heart of the district and who
has lived there 40 years, gave this
description of the Tarahumares to-
day:
These Indians he said, "have
some of the finest and worst quail
ties of any of the Mexican aborigines.
If you treat them fairly they will
stand by you to the last gasp. Their
loyalty to their friends lis almost
equal to that of a dog. They are
honest and very industrious. The
country in which they live is one of
the widest on earth The peaks of
the Sierra rise in a confused tumble,
with no roads and only the Nvaguest of
trails, Well as know the country
never ventured far from the trail
from my ranch to the railroad with
out an Indian guide.
SHTyhe mountains are of volcanic or
81. l. a. AEafSr
There are little valleys in which the
Tarahumares farm but they. are hid
den and a. man might wander the
wastes until he died of exhaustion and
thirst before he found one.
stAs an indication of the honesty of
the TarahuInares might mention that
no bullion train ever leaves the Guer-
zero region without a Tarahunare
guard. The mining men will trust no
Others. They rely on the honor of the
Tarahumares and their faith has new
er been betrayed. AZ
but there is another side to these
Indians. To the man who Injuries or
.betrays them they are relentless foes.
They will fight like fends and have
the most extraordinary powers Of en-
durance and, when their passions are
aroused are deVeIish in their cruelty.
Tt is among these people, among
whom his early days as bandit were
passed, that Villa. hopes to take ref |
uge. He is said to have many friends |
among them because at the outset of
his career he enacted a Robin Hood |
role only robbing the rich and posing |
as the. friend of the poor peon with |
whom he divided his spoiIs.'
Apart from the customary pursuit |
of Villa, interest centered today in /
Durango and CoahuiIa There seems |
made considerable Roadway n both of |
these states. The flight of American /
wome nand children f. ON the cities of |
Durango and Torreon has given rise I
to fresh stories reaching here that
Canuto Reyes, ViI1a'< chief in Goa |
hula, is seriously menacing Torreon /
and that he has had large accessions
recetly to his forces from ranks of /
Carranzal followers. AS for Ell Paso /
there is not the slightest sign of ,tror-
BILE here or in Juarez, at least as far
as surface indications co..
Supplies Offer Problem
San Antonio, March 27-With Villa,
known to be fleeing toward his
stronghold in the Guerrero district,
closely followed, by troops of General
Pershing's command, the problem of
getting supplies to the American
forces without the use of a railroad
south of the border is becoming in-I
difficult The advanced
force, it was pointed out today, has
penetrated more than $50 miles into
the interior of Mexico.
General Funston desires use of the
Central line from Ell Paso
to Chihuahua, but has delayed asking
for it pending Carranza's answer to
request for permission
to transport suppliest over the Mexf-
can Northw estern.
Many officers are convinced the
success of operations depends on the
use of railroads in the territory. They
declare the question is one of i'm
peratfve military necessity.
The long despatch from General
Pershing telling of operations in the
of Nanfquipa, gave basis for
belief that in the future he will keep
headquarters more closely advised of
developments.