South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-09-22
A VICTORY
FOR VILLA ARMY
Official Report Shows Bandit
Retired With 16 Auto
Loads of Arms.

the Mexican independence Na! ~ "
successful assault on the Carranza
garrison reached the war depart
ment Thursday from Brig Gen.
George Beu commanding the Fl
Paso military district II asserts THAI
villa personally led the attacking
forces he took and held numer-
GUS important buildings i'm the city
for several hours that he was JOIN
ed bv thousand or more men Of
the Carranza garrison, and retired
promising To return soon and taking
with him "a large quantity Of captur-
ed arms. ammunition and artillery
Gen. Bells despatch does not
show the source of his information
and many officials believe his ac-
count Of the incident was founded
on rumOrs reaching the border. as
were various stories which have
been transmitted by state depart
ment agents. Reports 50 far receiV-
ed are similar only i'm that they
show "a fight did occur ON Sept. 10,
and that the Villa followers took
the penitentiary and some other
buildings.
Forwarded To COMMISSION
All reports received are beins for
warded TO New London for the in
i formation of tho MeNican-Amerit can
commission.
No official would predict what Ell
/ feet the incident may have on the
negotiations at New London, which
embrace Gen. CarranZa S request that
American troops he withdrawn from
/ Mexico. II was deemed certain, how
ever. that no agreement could be
reached by the commissioners until
Ia was known precisely to what eN-
tent the situation in northern Mex
I leo had been altered 10y the Chihua-
I hua CITY developments and until 1t
was made clear what the Carranza
government would do 10 cope with
/ the new situation.
Doubt villas Power.
Many army officers still believe
that Villa is either dead or his power
so thoroughly broken that he could
rot hope to re-establish himself. Gen.
/ Pershing expressed the latter opinion
i'm a report TO the war department
some weeks ago and Gen. Funston's
recommendation that the American
troops be withdrawn is believed To
4 have been founded on that view. If
( Gen. Bells reports prove accurate,
however. and Villa did appear in
person at Chihuahua. it is expected
/ that the fact will he established de-
/ hnitely by witnesses whose evidence
! could be accepted without question.
/ Ii is thought unlikely that Gen.
| Pershing's forces will he involved
in any new lighting in Mexico even
/ if the most favorable account for
villa Of the Chihuahua battle proves
true. The nearest American detach-
ment is more than 100 miles north
of Chihuahua, and the main body
still farther away. No matter what
successes they might achieve in sur
prise attacks on Carranza posts. the
bandits are not expected 10 risk an
attack upon the Americans and the
latter could not 90 out in pursuit OF
the raiders without new orders from
Washington.
The Official Report.
The official report of Gen. Bell is
as follows
I was completely successful in his at
tack Saturday upon Chihuahua City
and accomplished all and more than
he said he would do. There is a
diversity of opinion and statements
as TO the mum her OF men with which
he entered chihuahua. Some ac-
counts state that he only had about
500 while others give him LOO.
but all agree that he was able to
secure possession of the penitentiary
the governors palace. the federal
building and held them for several
hours and ali this with a Carranza
I garrison az Chihuahua which no
one places at less than 5000. He
liberated over zoe prisoners. Sc
cured and carried away more than
16 automobile loads of arms and
ammunition and actually took out
artillery under an escort of desert
ing Carranza troops. lie left Chi
huahua with from 1000 10 1900
more men than he entered with
Villa retired leisurely and proceeded
without molestation. The firing 10y
Trevino's artillery occurred after
lllh llo0hS NdO WAAtui Il " IT,
Notified TreyinO.
'On Sept. IA Trevino received a
letter from Villa stating that ne
CNiiia) would be in Chihuahua 70
shake hands with Trevino on the
18th. and he hoped that ne would
have "a suitable reception for him
that he might be hungry and would
like 10 have something TO eat. . ON
the 18th of September il was re
ported that Villa personally entered
chihuahua. was seen 10y many Of
his friends there and reconnoitered
the city. OF course he was in dis
guise. on the night of the 18th
16 Nillistas approached chihuahua
from a camp which he had main
tanned for two days within % miles
of that city. After Villas column
had secured possession OF the peni-
Tertiary. the governors palace and
federal buildings. Villa himself went
into the governors palace. went into
the main balcony. displayed his face
and made a speech which in SUBJ
stance. was as follows:
Promises To Return.
'NiVe Mexico. You do not have
Your liberty. L viii give YOU your
liberty. for I am your brother.