Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-03-26
EXPEDITION HAS
DIFFICULT WORK
AHEAD Of It
Fugitive Chieftan Seeking Almost
1mpregnable Natural
Fortress.
ROADS IMPASsABLE
OVER CANYON WALLS
An Aeroplane Mail and Despatch
Route Has Been Established by
General Pershing.

El PasO, Texas, March 2o.-Vllla
has outwitted his pursuers by split.
ting his forces, leaving one body to
hold in check the Carranza troops
in the neighborhood of Namiquipa,
and he at the head of the picked force
is trying to break through the lines
south OF MADEIRA, according to infor.
nation brought here today by Ameri.
cans arriving from Pearson and Casa
Grandes. /.
Wait For Report Of Clash.
This information redoubled the In.
terest with which word is awaited
from General Pershing that the Amer
lean troops had clashed with the Viii
Ia forces. Reports from usually reli.
able sources, and coupled with what
is known Of the punitive column, AM
erican cavalry reached MADEIRA yes.
terday and should be close on the
bandits today
Difficult Trait. ~
From MADEIRA as far south as TUtt.
aca. distance of about 30 miles, q
mountain trail winds through the 81.
ezra Madres. At Tutuaca, it bends
sharply to the southeast, until it is
lost in the wild and barren country
south of Minaca. This trail was
known for years as '.Pancho's road"
1t was popularity believed to have
been broken by the bandits and its
intricacies are known to few but him.
Almost ImpassabIe Roads.
No wagons can possibly pierce the
desolate mountain region through
which the road runs. Few Americans
are known to have penetrated the
district. Ben Harris, veteran scout,
who is now living here, declared today
that if Villa succeeded in reaching
Tutuaca the task of finding him
would be a hopeless one.
"Only Mexican ponies can take that
road,' he said, "and even they must
be very lightly loaded.
Villa Knows Every Nook.
"The trail runs on the edges of
canyons three to four thousand feet
deep, and winds over bleak mountain
tops, where the cold and rare air
makes living almost unbearable. I
could defy on thousand soldirs to
catch me in that country, and Villa
knows every nook and Granny in it."
BY Wireless From Chihuahua.
Chihuahua, by radio to Columbus.
N. NJ, March 25.-An aeroplane mail
and dispatch service was established
today between the border and the ad.
vance base of the American expedi.
tionary force here.
inspection Of Troops.
General j. j. Pershing started TODAY
to make a two-day inspection trim OF
all the troops in the field. There
have been no clashes involving Am.
erican troops since the start Of the
expedition, and quiet prevails through.
out the district occupied, according to
reports to military headquarters hero
today.
From Field Headquarters.
Field Headquarters United States
Army in Mexico, by aeroplane to Co.
lumbus, N. M, March 25.-Owine to
limited wire and wireless facilities.
the total number of words which NAV
be sent from here by correspondents
is $50 or 300 daily. This number OF
words has been divided equally among
the correspondents in the Held. 50
that the number of words any news.
paper may receive by wire during =
day is about 25.
Did Scouting. E
During the daylight he climbed hills
and watched many miles OF valleys.
When looking for some troops he saw
the dust which they raised many
miles away, without the aid Of glass.
es, but even with his glasses, he oould
not penetrate the dust clouds to learn
what sort Of troops they were until
he was several miles closer to then.
0odged Battle.
The Villa bandits who were report,
ed two days ago to be engaged In
battle with General Cano 1t "a 1so.
five miles south of Namiquip0 escAp-
ed without any real fighting, accord.
ing to a message to General Gavifa,
made public here tonight by Cooo1l
Garcia.
The message said the men Were &C
Neronimo, a ranch somo miles south
of Ell Iso, and that i've columns of
American troops were co.opefatine
(Continued on PaEo 9VUl