Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-04-21
DETAIL REPORT
Of VILLA CHASE
BY AMERICANS
Twice Bandit Chief Was Az
most in Grasp Of PerShingi
Failure of Carranza Coop
GRAFTON Aided His Escape,
isv MORNING ,ooas.l s.se,.. ,sAsso w'.s,

tsv MORNING JOURNAL setcisL 1rAsto wtetl =
Field Headquarters i'm Mexico. April
II (,la Ac,oplanc 10 Columbus, y. M''
April 2f.)--fhe entire strategy of the
Villa chase up to its blockade by
Carranza forces at Parral, Is az fol-
lows.
First was the organization of Sc
cret force at Hachita. A. NJ, while
main expeditionary body went vio CO.
lumbus. Brig. Gen. T. j. Pershing
and his staff joined this Hachita col
umn at the border by fast automo-
biles and then led 1t by unused routes
at high speed to Casas Grandes.
There the presence Of villa at san
Miguel, about sixty miles southwest
was ascertained General Pershing
rushed out three columns to catch
him Poor guides and a railroad ac-
cident resulted in the failure of these
three iron fingers to close about villa
there. They missed him by barely
twenty-four hours
villa Warned. and Escapes.
Next pursuing columns were sent
secretly through mountains 10 catch
him at Namiqupa, about 225 miles
below the American border. villa was
warned and escaped through the
mountains toward the east.
The fourth phase then developed,
when Col. George A. Dodd, at General
Pershing's orders. took the string
OF the bow" a straight line south
ward, west of the mountains, while
Villa was taking the ARC of the bow,
q longer route east of the mountains.
This surmise OF the American staff
proved correct enabling Dodd to
strike Villa as the latter rounded up
at Guerrero, March %. Throughout
every one Of these movements the
Americans received no guidance from
CaIrauza military men, and lack of
guides each time delayed the pursuers
just long enough to prevent the pos
sibilty OF reaching their goal.
Begin Present Stage.
After Guerrero. began the present
stage. when IL was learned that Villas
bodyguard. and almost surely villa
himself, had started southeastward
from Guerrero Four small columns
first entered this chase, one on villas
heels, starting three days behind, and
cutting down the lead hourlyl through
terrible mountain passes, while two
other columns Of cavalry thanked this
chase, one east and another west OF
the Villa trail. to catch him should
he deviate in either direction. Colonel
Dodd meanwhile moved toward the
vast mountain ranges in the southwest
OF Chihuahua, to prevent the fugitive
from circling back into those almost
surely safe refugees. Finally, Il few
days ago, when 1t was seen that Maj.
Frank Tompkins, leading the chase
directly on Villas trail, with only ia
men, was heading for the unfriendly
Parral country, a fifth cavalry col
umn was sent over direct line to
close up on Tompkins rear.
The long anticipated break from
Carranzstas came at Parral on April
~. Within few hours after that
fight, four of tn American columns,
following the general plan, had Join
ed Tompkins near Santa Cruz, about
fifteen miles north of Parral. maxi
ing a body of troops strong enough
for any emergency
Dodd with the strongest individual
column. remained in the west guard
ing the Businesses
Fifteen hundred men comprised
these flying columns when they start
ed from Casas Grandes. a little
more than half of them remained at
the front the day OF the Parral battle.
The others had been dropped through
the necessities for food, the deaths of
horses, and their own semi-nakedness.
due to the rigors of day and night
riding and occasional fighting among
Jagged mountaing rocks, wildernesses
of thorns and the bitter snow and cold
of the Guerrero region.