Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-22
VILLA Is BELIEVED
HIDING SAFELY IN
HIS MOUNTAIN LAIR
Partisans Of Bandit Do Not Think
He Has Been Captured by Car
rsnza's Forces, as Was
Reported.
NOW AWAITING DEVELOPMENTS
General Herfars, Commander at
chihuahua, Flstly Contradiots
the Report
JUAREz SEEKS CONFIRMATION

the Report,
JUAREZ SEEKS CONFIRMATION
Ell PASO, Tex. Jan. 21.-Denial
from Carrauza official sources that
Francisco villa had been captured,
as reported from chihuahua. was
supplemented today by statements
from Villa partisans here, alleged to
be based on reliable information,
that he and several hundred follow
ers were safe In the Tarahumare
mountains, west of Guerrero.
In the Businesses OF these mountains.
every inch OF which he las known since
the days when, as hrigaud he success
fully eNaded every force Porfirio Diaz
, could send against him. they declared
Villa was now awaiting the development
of the movement started against Car
rama by General Benjamin Argumeda
| the Arrieta brothers and others. He
would be next heard from, they asserted.
when he struck blow at the Carranza
forces now being concentrated at Torreon
to take the field against the rebel move
ment, which has become fairly well de-
veloped.
! General Jacinto TreVluo, CarranZa mill
taty chief of Chihuahua, was eXpec,e ed to
arrive at Torreon today or tomorrow to
take charge Of the new army. Before
leaving Chihuahua City yesterday Ire
vino appointed General Luis Herrera
supreme chief Of chihuahua. 1t was
| 4 A.. "a Tnv.s
a statement denying the report that
Villa had been caught and was being
brought In for execution,
DO Not Believe II.
This was the only statement to reach
the border from Chihuahua and Mex
lean officials at Juarez were awaiting tho
arrival of civil Governor Enriquez this
afternoon for additional information.
Villas partisans, who sought sanctu-
AIRY here when their government col
lapsed at no time gave any credence to
the reported capture OF their chief.
THE only way in which villa could
be captured" said Perez Rul, his former
secretary who arrived here some time
ago. would be through the treachery ol
some of his followers and while he wal
asleep. That Is improbable. No man II
! : Kfexfc6 commands more the loyalty o
his men, no one sleeps less. and no mar
would be quicker than he to take nil
own life rather than surrender"
Carranza authorities denied that ther,
had been any bandit attack on PARA
as stated in reports several days ag'
which declared Chinese cook had beer
killed and that the care takers of CLOSED
) mines in that vicinity had been robbed.
1t was also stated that Carranza ant
the military chiefs who left Queretar'
for Celaya several ooys ago had returned
to Queret8ro.
The extremely circumstantiRl details OF
the reported capture led well informed
; persons here TO believe Il. but against
this phase stood the telcgraphed denial
by General Luis Herrera, Carranza com.
mandsnt at chihuahua. that the capture
had been effected. A message asking
that villa be brought to Juarez TO be
executed at the race track. was ready
} for filing by Mexican officials In case
the report OF his capture proved authen-
tic. Efforts today TO get In ccmmunica
ton with any OF the three commanders
who were said to have surrounded tn,
! outlaw were ineffective.
Event e. Overestinated.
Officials here and at Washington wer
inclined to discount the magnitude o
tho event as seen by the general public
villa, II was said. was a TROUBLESOME
outflow, nothing more, and would be o.
dealt with. He was not conceded tn
slamor which was his in the public min
when ne fought at Torreon and worke'
his way toward Mexico City, with al
unbeaten and confident army. His pres
, ent following was said TO be inconsider
able and dwindling and CaTTsnza OF
ficials refuse TO concede that he nigh
, rise again to prominence as he did afte
he was outlswed by Porffrio Diaz 70
the killing OF an army officer who ha
run away with his sister.
Generals Out of Reach.
/. The statement that General Trevino ma
left chihuahua City explained the fsilur
to obtain replies. as General Ignacio En-
rique. civil governor OF the state. an
the only other official 10 whom inquire
we're addressed, left the capital last nigh
enroute to Juaroz TO confer with Robert
: Pesquira, personal representative OF Ger
eral Carranza. PeEquira has been her
several days awaiting the arrival OF
number OF officfais Of the de facto so,
ernment of Mexico, who are due here [
hold n conference on the military situs
ton In the north.
, Reports received here indicated thI
! villa had been hemmed in in a triang
= formed in the mountains. Colonel MAJ
y imiano Marquee was on the southwe
!. point marching from MADEIRA, Colon
= Jose Alexondo was closing In from Il
northwest. while General Cavazos az
vanced from the southeast.