South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-03-24

lAF sue nNNf-l UlIr Ul the EAANFN "a NAAF
column and asked 10 be taken TO
the American commander 70 assure
him that his force, consisting Of SO
men. were not "Villistas'' and in turn
be assured they would not be fred
upon.
Maj James Aryan Of the 18th
cavalry. acting chief Of staff 10 Gen.
Pershing. found at Palomas just two
human beings. a crippled Mexican.
described By the American guides
as the most cunning horse thief along
the border. and his wife. The only
other living things were few stray
dogs.
Col. Slocum's brigade made BOca
Grande March Is. This was the point
from which Villa started on his raid
on Columbus IL was near BOca
Grande that villa captured and muir
dered Arthur Kinney, a roundup
boss for the Palomas Land and Cat
tie Co. and three other Americans
just before the raid.
Find Battered Bodies.
American soldiers found the body
of one Of the victims. battered and
mutilated and in such "A condition
that II could not be recognized. An
officer also picked up in the aban-
doned Villa encampment an expense
notebook of g. r. Watson. leader of
the party Of is employees OF the
Cusihuiriachic Mining Co, who
were slaughtered by Pablo Lopez. a
Villa lieutenant. at Santa Ysabel.
Men and officers Of these columns
were not permitted to drink water
that had not been previously tested
They were forbidden TO enter Mex
lean houses for fear of typhus. The
result was that all are healthy and
in good condition.
Army officers said they found Car
rama officers, both civil and mill
tary. ready 10 accord hearty CO.
operation in task of hunting down
Villa and his bandit band. The in
telligence department OF the Amer
lean punitive expedition. headed by
Mai. Ryan. received much infOrma-
ton from Carranza sources. Amer
lean cOlOnists near the old town Of
Casas Grandes, southwest of the
army camp, declared the feeling
among the Mexicans there was tense,
but there has been no evidence of il.
The American troops brought in
the first silver money some of the
MeXicans had seen for years and
willingly paid double the prices that
prevail at the international boundary
for food and the rough. dirty and
strong native tobacco. The one Chi
nese stOrekeeper found in Neuva-
casas Grandes was asked what he
would give for an American 50 bill.
He opened his cash drawer and with
an expressive motion of the arms
and hands indicated that he was
willing TO exchange for it the bale
of Carranza and villa paper money
it contained.
The second or flying column cross
ed the boundary at 3:17 o'clock
Thursday morning. March 16. II
was a brilliant moonlight night and
freezing cold, but the brisk cavalry
trot kept the men warm.
The sun rising over the mountains
gave the men their first view of the
country, dreary desert. sun scorched
mesquite and bunch grass dotting a
level valley fioored with red ma
terial from an eminence thrown up
by volcanic explosions in prehistoric
ages.
First Meal i'm Mexico.
At Carrizo. which was reached at
1880 the first meal in Mexico was
eaten.
Gen. Pershing allowed the COM
mand TO rest until noon The order
then was TO make all speed to reach
the big Ojilos ranch. 60 miles from
the border
At T o'clock that night camp was
being made by the American troops
besides the irrigation bitches through
which flowed the first running water
they had seen in Mexico. Here also
were seen the first Mexicans, other
than the two who were observed a
few miles north of OjilOs, silhOutted
against the sky on a mountain top.
These two were at first believed 20
be spies but scouts reported them
TO be ranchers living in the valley.
The Ojilos MeNicans reaped a
golden harvest among the hungry
soldiers.
Frijoles. tortillas and chill sauce
were in great demand and in con-
trast to the Casas Grandes Mexicans.
who doubled and trebled prices on
bread and every other edible. their
prices were what YOU like 10 give"
The senOras Of the ranch households
cooked half the night. their daugh-
tiers delivered or served the food and
the husbands and fathers gathered
the money.
Get News &C Villa.
AT OJlos. the intelligence depart
ment learned that Villa passed the
ranch Saturday. March II. with an
escort of only 10 men.
Although the march of 60 miles
had retired some tender feet 10 the
ambulances and made partial wrecks
Of the softer men among the officers
and soldiers. the column was again
in the saddle shortly after daylight.
The line OF march took the trails
through the mountains from here on
and lnose who forgot 10 fll can
teens suffered. for the day was tor
rid. the dust thick and the road
hard Coins up and down hill. it
crowned precipices and slirted ra-
vines and decliVities The next VS.