Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-17
NO CONFIRMATION
FROM MEXICO YET
Body Fails to Arrive at Cusi-
huiriachic Today, as ,
Expected.
CONSUL is CONFIDENT
IN SPITE OF THEDELAY
Difficulty Will Be Had in Making
Identification Even if Bandits
Remains Are Found.

FL fASO, leE.. Aprll u
Confirmation of Mexican reports
that Francisco Villas BODY had
been exhumed at San Francisco
Borja and was being brought to
Chihuahua City was still lacking
at the headquarters of the de facto
government at Juarez today.
Gabriel Gavira. commander OF
the Juarez garrison. awaited in
formation from official sources
that. would dispel any question OF
doubt over the reports of the find
ings OF the bandits body. but the
Mexican telegraph lines were
silent on the subject.
Consul Garcia Is Confident.
"I still feel reasonably certain that
the messages received Sunday that Villas
body had been found are correct said
A
day Il shall make every effort to have
the body brought to Juarez. where Ameri-
tification that will be satisfactory to the
American people"
A dispatch was received by Gen. Ga
vira. commander of the Juarez garrison.
- oo1Si 4 a n'<.l
morning stating that the body of Fran
cisco Villa had not arrived there at that
hour
De facto government officials were not
able to give any information regarding an
unofficial dispatch from Mexico City stat
ing that Minister of War Obregon had
announced that Villas body was buried
at San Francisco Borta and was not
en- route to Chihuahua City. 1t was be-
lieved here that there was some error
in the cable and telegraphic transmission
of the Mexico City dispatch. Consul Gar
cia's Information was that the body of
Villa had been exhumed at San Francisco
Borja and was being brought into Cusi
huiriachic, where it was to be sent a
special train to Chihuahua City.
Official word from Washington that the
United States troops would be immediate
ly withdrawn from Mexico if villa was
dead will undoubtedly result in expedit-
ing the efforts of the de facto government
10 ascertain the truth OF the reports
the locating of Villas body.
Expect Delay in Identification.
If the supposed body OF the bandit is
still inferred at San Francisco Borja. as
stated in the latest Mexico City advices. it
will likely be many days before an den-
tiflcation can be made unless the Mexi-
can government accepts as final the iden-
tification made by Carranza officers now
in the vicinity of San Francisco Borja.
which is thirty miles by trail south of
Cusihuiriacii.c
Identification of the body at this time
may prove battling. According to the
been dead over two weeks. and phys
ical changes may be such as to pre-
clude as positive proof that the dead
man was villa. Mexican officials her-
would accept the iden-
tifica ton IL made by responsible Mex
leans who knew Villa, and by Mexican
officials.
A number of newspaper correspond
ents and a few other Americans left
here early today for Chihuahua in the
hope that the story of the finding OF
Villas body was true. Several other
Americans, who at nrst had intended
to go, abandoned the trip. some through
and others because Of riot
ing that was reported here to have oc-
Cured in the Mexican state capital
during the last two days
Origin of Latest Villa Story.
That Francisco Villa is dead and his
body. disinterred some days after his
burial. is in possession of the Carranza
was the tenor of a series of
messages received in Juarez
yesterday by the Mexican officials. For
more than a week reports that Villa
had died from wounds have been cur
rent both here and in Juarez. Yester-
days accounts were the most circum-
stantial and apparently reliable yet
They were accepted with re-
erve by American officials. including Brig
zen. George Bell, but the Mexican Of
icials expressed confidence in their
The messages. in the order
in which they were received, were as
'ollows:
..The dispatcher of the Mexican
railroad at Juarez re-
ported to Gen. Gavira, Carranza COM
nander at Juarez, that he had heard
/ conversation on the telegraph wire
o the effect that Villas body was in
he hands of the Carranza troops.
Gen. Gavira notified Consul Andres
sarcia here, who rushed messages to
he telegraph operators at MADEIRA and
asking FOR confirmation.
"The MADEIRA and Cusihuiriachic oper-
tors answered confirming the report
nd stating the body was being taken
o Chihuahua.
THE telegraph operator at San An-
onio, fifty miles west of Chihuahua.
Consul Garcia that Villas
,ody was in possession of Col. Carlos
,arranza, nephew of Gen. Carranza.
vho was taking it in special train
o Chihu lhua."
No Answer to kilograms.
In reply to theee messages telegrams
we're sent to the Carranza generals in
he field and to oficials in Mexico City.