Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-28
RACE BETWEEN BANDITS
AND j. S. CAVALRYMEN
villa Is Fleeing Southwark. With
Americans Streaming Every Nerve
to Catch Up With Him.
HEADED TOWARD MOUNTAINS
One Hope Of Speedy Termination OF
Shasc Is That Flight Will BE
Checked by Starvation and EX-
hauStiOn OF Ponies.

20 'hiSS'
Ell pASO. TEN. March 27-pursuit
OF Francisco Villa had devclopcd to-
day into race between cayalrymen of
the United states and tho aecinC
bandits mounted on Mexican PONIES
According TO dispatches from tho
front. WIKI, has broken through the
icarranza line, and is fleeing south
ward. with the American troops strain
Ing every nerve TO catch up with him
before h" reaches the forhiddiny noun
tain wastes III tho Guerrero district.
The one hope of speedy tcrmina-
iion to the chase is that the flight OF
tn" bandits viii be checked bv starva :
ton and the exhaustion Of their pories
II liz known that Villa is Amos, d"Sti-
tutc of both supplies and ammunition.
and the dead and dying horses found
Ialong his trail give evidence % his
desperate haste and need
once safely In the midst OF the sierra
Tarahumares. the task OF running the
bandit to his lair Will have become
one Of tremendous difficulty This
country is Inhabited by the Tarahumar re
| Indians. one Of the most distinctive
tribes in Mexico. All American VITO
owns "a ranch At Amaro. in tho heart
OF the district. and wh" has lived there
forty years, gave this description Of
tho Tarahumarcs to-day:
"Thcs" Indians" he said have some
Of the finest and worst qualities az any
lnf tho Mexican ahoririncs. IF YOU
treat ,hcm fairly. they will stand by
Eou 10 the last gasp. Their loyalty
TO their friends is almost equal To ii,,t
iof a doc. They are honest and very
industrious. The country. in which t,Icv
Hive j. one sf the widest on earth
The peaks OF tho Sicrras rise in a con
fused jurpc. with no roads and only
the vaguest OF trails VOL as ! know
that country, ] never renturcd far
from tho trail from my ranch to the
RAILROAD without an Indian guide. Tho
mountains nrc AL OF volcanic origin and
devoid of any vegetation Hero ans.
there arc little VALLEY. in which The
TaTahumares farm. but they are hid
don away at tho entrance TO mighty
canyons. and = man nigh, wander in
the wastes until he titcd OF exhaustion
and thirst before he found one
; AS an indication OF tho honesty OF
tho Tara humares. Nigh, mention that
no bullion train ever leaves the CTucr
r"ro region without Tarahnmare
guard. Tn" mining mon will trust no
others. They rely on tho honor Of tho
Tarahunares. and their faith has mover
been betrayed
SAVAGE AND RELENTLESS TO
MAN WHO BE;TRANS THEM
hut there iF another side to these
Indiana. To the man who Injuries o,
hctra"s them they arc tho most savage
land relentless OF foes. Thev will HCh,
hh" ncnns. and have the most extra
ordinary powers Of endurance. and
" ntl i,ri,
devils In their cruelty It is a,nonc
these people. among whom his early
DAYS as bandit were passed. tha
Villa hopes 20 take refuge He is said
10 have many friends among them. nc
cause a; tho outsit O! his career he
enacted Robin Hood role only rob
bling the rich and posing as the
friend OF the poor, with whom he o.
vided his spoi'a''
[ The most ominous new: that has
reached the border since pursuit OF
the bandits began was that contained
in dispatch from the front vester-
day, which stated that half the car
rama garrison at Namiquipa had dis
appeared, and that ii was expected
| some OF them at least also have joined
VITA The fact that this news was
passed by the censor was regarded as
80 4'i''N mere, where every
from the interior of Mexico has agreed
mat there was disaffection among the
Carranza troops.
II is pointed out here that there are
very good reasons why the men in the
ranks at least should descr; The stand
ard OF General Carranxa. They receive
only ABOUT 10 cents day. and are re-
ported 10 be in sore need Of food and
equipment. The first chief has given
strict orders against footing, which
are said 10 be generally obeyed
Against these. Villa not only permits.
but encourages. his followers 10 loot.
and his customary pay is a bullet.
Apart from the immediate pursuit OF
villa interest centered to-day in the
situation III Durango and Coahuila
mere seems little doubt that tho Villa
FORCES have made considerable head
way in both these states The nirh,
oil american women and children from
the cities of Durango and Torreop b,s
given fresh emphasis to stories reach
! ing here that Canuto Reeves Villas
ch'ef In Coahuil:. is seriously menacing
I lofreon, and that he has had large
"ccesslonS recently TO his forces from
the ranks of the Carranza followers.
There is not the slightest sign of
trouble, either here or in Juarez The
elanorate precautions taken by the
military and civil authorities TO guard
the town and the frequent arrests OF
MeNicans on the now familiar charg.
oi suspicious persons" supply, how
ever plenty of food for the gossip Of
many who insist that the authorities
nave information of dangerous under
lying conditions which are unknown to
the general public