The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-24

crossed the boundary into Mexico Major Tompkins, brother of the noted Lieu tenant Colonel Tommy Tompkins, of the Seventh cavalry, spread his advance guard out. In the form of wide fan the riders of the guard galloped. south The temper of the Mexicans was still matter of speculation. There were of ficers who would not have been sur prised to see the entry of the United States opposed at the boundary.
 But there were no MeXicans at the border gate and none were seen on the march to Palomas Only two bodies of armed men were encountered by either of the columns on the march here. At Ascencion the mayor, Ramon H. Gomez had 100 CarranZa soldiers and told Colonel Slocum he did not know whether to fight or let the American column peaceably pass on.
 BODY IS FOUND
 After an exchange of official visits, during which he observed at the Ameri- can camp the assembly of men and guns, he decided to accept the United States army officers statement that Carranza had agreed to the entry of the troops unopposed
 The other body of troops was encoun- tered here Saturday, March IS. Major Elizaldo Reyes who said he was pro- ceeding to Casas Grandes from Madeira after scouting for Villa, was startled to see American rtoops in this vicinity. His men referred to them as ''Yelow Jackets. He stopped one of the guides of the column and asked to be taken to the American commander to assure him that his force consisting of 36 men, were not ''Vilistas" and in turn be as- sured they would not be fired upon.
 Major Tompkins' advance guard With riders at intervals of 20 yards swept the country between the border and Palomas and stirred up nothing but jack rabbits.
 Major James A. Ryan of the Thirteenth cavalry, acting chief of staff to General Pershing, found at Palomas just two hu- man beings, a crippled Mexican, described by the American guides as the most cum hing horse thief along the border, and his wife The only other living things were few stray dogs which nightly fought the coyotes for the remains of cattle slaughtered by the Carranza garrison and the Villa troops. Infantrymen were post ed all along the route from the border to Colonia Dublan to guard the line of communications, engineers maintained the road for wagon trains and motor trucks. Colonel Slocum's column made Roca Grande from Palomas March 16 This was the point from which Villa started on his raid on Columbus. It was near Boca Grande that Villa captured and murdered Arthur Kinney, a round- up boss for the Palomas Land and Cat tie company, and three other Americans just before the raid.
 LET THEM PASS
 American soldiers found the body of one of the victims, battered and mutiIated and in such a condition that it could not be recognized. An officer also picked up in the abandoned Villa encampment an expense note book of c. R. Watson, lead CT of the party of IS employees of the Cusihuiriachic Mining company, who were slaughtered by Pablo Lopez, a Villa lieutenant, at Santa Ysabel Men and officers of these columns were not per- mitted to drink water that had not been previously tested. They were forbidden to enter Mexican houses for fear of ty- phus. The result was that all are healthy and in good condition. The orders issued by the commanding general provided also that no towns should be occupied. For that reason the temporary base here was established two miles outside of Colonia Dut Ian and four miles from Nueva Casas Grandes, where the Carranza authorities maintain a small garrison.
 Army officers said they found Carranza officers. both civil and military, ready to accord hearty cooperation in the task of hunting down Villa and his bandit band. The intelligence department of the Amer ican punitive expedition, headed by Major Ryan, received much information from Carranza sources. American 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 evil dence, of it.
 MONEY IS SCARCE
 The American troops brought in the first silver money some of the Mexicans l.1 f<x, ,.,I xxrsl 1ft,ey t.nt1 double the prices that prevail at the in- ternational boundary for food and the rough, dirty and strong native tobacco.
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