The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-04-06
General Dodd's Troops Reported
to Have Been In Battle With
Villa Gang %"SomeWhere
In Mexico"
NEW RUMORS OF REVCLTS
Colonel Cano Is Believed to
Have Joined Villistas-U. S.
Troops Close on Trail
of Outlaws.

VI ia lCl vs..
Washington, D.. c.. April "a
fight between one of the smaller
groups Of Villa and Carranza
forces, the latter under Colonel
Cano IN March 20, was reported
to the war department this after
oon by General Funston. Eman-
uel Boco, the Villa leader, was
killed.
Camp of General Pershing at the
front, April 2, tby aeroplane to Colonia,
Dublan, n by radio to Columbus, N.
NJ April American cavalrvmen
encountered a fleeing force of Villistas
near - early today and sounds
of firing have been heard from that
direction, but no report has been made
to headquarters as to the results.
The mountains of Guerrero are be-
ing combed thoroughly for Francisco
Villa by the American forces, but
nothing has been learned as to his
whereabouts other han that captured
bandits said that Villa had been car
1ied farther into the mountains in his
1olting coach.
Will Use Infantry.
General Pershing announced today
that troops of the infantry are to be
used for mountain climbing in the
search for Villa. cooperating with the
caValrymen who have borne the brunt
of the five-day pursuit of the broker
bands. The infantrymen have been
going through hardening preparations
In hill clinE'ng marches for about two
weeks and their officers say they are
in excellent physical trim.
The troops We're closely behind Villa
| yesterday, entering the village of --
shortly after he had fled from it. 1t
was suspected that he might be hid
lar, in ~ NJ SO 1,+~ D~ o,,-,,y ,,~o
caution was taken to effect the cap
ture. Two ~suuadrons of the cavalry
entered the village from opposite sides
simultaneously. Every preparation had
been made for the engagement which
failed to develop.
Some Minor Skirn1ishes.
There have been a number of minor
sklrmishes in the vicinity of the viii
lage, two scouts reporting today that
they encountered w Villistas on its
outskirts Yesterday and fought for five
minutes without casualties.
American air scout are now flying
over the entire Villa territory and are
carrying dispatches from the front tC
the field base and field headquarters
Motor trucks also have been able tc
penetrate the waste almost
as far as the territory occupied by the
cavalry under Col. George A. Dodd.
~ l. soo. j y ~ llll f.--IktDollS 1IOII
facto government.
Nothing was said in the reports Of
Villas alleged injuries, an omission
which helped to confirm the opinion al
ready freely expressed on the border
that the bandits wounds were an in
v%ention of his own. reported with the
intention of deceiving his pursuers.
The absence of any official news
from the front since the defeat of the
yillistas near Guerrero. by Colone
Dodd last Wednesday, has considerably
dashed the hopes &C those who saH
in the victory the beginning of the enc
of the bandits career.
Mexican sources in the interior re-
ceived here today asserted Francisco
Villa was headed toward Chihuahua
City n that his emmiSaries were at.
temntine to seduce the garrison of that
town from their allegiance to the dc
Hard Task Ahead.
At the same time it is pointed out
that the American cavalrymen v q
formidable task before them in search
ing the barren mountain wastes where
Villa is supposed to have taken refuge
The fact that no further lighting has
been reported is taken as an indication
thai the bandits nave been effectually
scattered by the American troopers.
As usual, in the lack Of definite in
formation, the border is again a hive
of rumor of an alarming n sensa-
tional character. The majority of the
rumors are based on stories brought
from the interior by MeXicans and the
few Americans who straggle in here b
ones and twos daily. The most cir
cunstant1al OF these stories at presen,
deals with the reported detection o1
Colonel Cano. the CarranZa commander
at N~amiouipa.
No Word From cano.
Cano is the chief lieutenant of Gen
Luis Herrera, who is supposed to have
declared against General Carranza sew
eral days ago, a report that was Wig
orously denied by the officials of the
de facto government. The main facts
in support of Cano's revolt are tina Inc
has not been heard from for more thar
q week n that he is known to have
expressed strong anti-American senti-
TlentS IN several occasions. Like Her
rera. CanoA has been a bitter enemy OF
Villa, n it is not supposed that, if he
has deserted the standard of the frs
chief. he has Joined the fugitive bandit
but that he has simply declared him
self against any cooperation with the
soldiers of the United States.
A good deal of significance is at
tached to the fact that, while Genera,
Gavira and Consul Garcia insist tina
they are satisfied of Cano's loyalty, they
admit that they have nae no commute
cation from him or his immediate su
perior. General Bertani, for some time
Troops Mass Near Border.
Up to a week ago, General Gavira
claimed that he was in receipt of daily
kilograms from both Bertani and Cano
There is a good lea of mystery at
tached to the movement of Mexican
troops at points close to the border. II
is know that large bodies of Carranza
soldiers rave moved from camps in the
interior to various places within &c
miles of the international line. but nc
explanation has been given Of thesf
maneuvers, beyond a general intima-
ton that the de facto government is
anticipating possible action by the fol-
lowers of Felix Diaz, who is now CON
sidered the head Of the cientifico party
Most of the stories brought from the
interior are fatty contradictory. es-
pecially those from Mexican sources
American refugees generally agree in
describing conditions as alarming, but
they Inevitably refuse to be nl,nfad ar