The Washington times., 1916-04-04
Carranza Consul Asserts Cook
and Escort Have Made
Offers.
BANDIT IS NEARING PARRAL
Ell Paso Reports Locate Outlaw
At Satevo, South Of Chihua-
hua City.

I'll PASO, Tex, April 1.-TWO men
intimately associated with Villa have
made propositions to Mexican officials
in the last six weeks to kill the bandit
leader for money.
This information was given out by
Andreas c. Garcia, consul general of
the Carranza government here.
Another development of Importance
Is the report that Villa, unwounded.
and accompanied by only eight men,
was at Satevo. fifty miles south of
chihuahua City, two days ago. He
Ia believed to have outwitted his
One OF the men who offered to as
saPsinate the outlaw was Villas cook.
The other was an officer who was
member OF the bandits personal es-
oort. Each proposed to guarantee the
death OF villa for $25, 900.
Garcia put the proposition up to the
high officials OF the constitutionalist
Because, as badly as they wanted VII
10 out of the way, they did not wish to
bring dishonor on Gen. Venus:iano
Carran1a by plotting assassination.
to Ell Paso for q chef He came to
see me, told me villa was losing caste
with his followers. He believed, he
said. their old leader was approach:
ing the end of his career. He offered
to anticipate this end by poisoning
the food he served to Villa. He said
he could Kill not only Villa but his
entire staff.
Suggests Poison Plan.
ct can do this without difficulty
said the cook. 'Zapata eats only the food
prepared by one woman, who has been
with him for years. But Villa is care
less; he eats anything. I can poison
the food served to him any time.
why, do you wish to kill your old
commander I asked the man.
IT have no special desire to kill him.
but ! would kill him II could get my
price. My. price Is $4,000 II cannot
get my price for killing him Villa may
IAN officer on Villas staff came TO
see me In FL Paso." Garcia continued.
He was on secret mission for Villa
to New York; He also offered to kill
would be able to do 1t and escape with
villa and I frequently ride behind
the column on the march,, said the Of
ficer.. could shoot him after the col
umn has rounded a shoulder on a noun
tain trail; then I would run for 1t. My
chance Of escaping alive from such an
risk 1t. II I got away. / should come
to the United States and live in comfort
the rest of my life"
Headed Toward Parral.
II the report that villa was at Satevo
two days ago is correct, II bears out
previous reports that the bandit chief
is headed toward Parral. and Is lead
ing his American pursuers by at least
sixty miles. The nearest point to Sa-
tevo which the American troops are
known TO have reached is San An
tonic, sixty miles to the northwest
The route said to have been taken
by villa Is one with which he is thor
OuRhlY familiar and which indaaI In
known among the poems as "Pancho's
Road" From Guerrero IL leads across
the continental divide through the
Bachiniba Pass into broad valley
which runs east to San Andres, Villa's
old headquarters, thence south to San
ia ISABEL, the scene OF Villas mas
sacre OF eighteen American mining
men, and then southeast through
Satevo to Parral.
The man who brought the story Of
Villas arrival at Satevo here gave a
maneuvers and plan of campaign.
While his story is impossible Of veri-
fication his own credibility is vouched
for by reputable American business men
here who have employed him for sew
"viila," he said, has never taken
part in any fighting with either Amer
lean or Carranza troops. He left the
main body of his troops In the Guerrero
district with orders to oppose as far
as they could the American advance.
At the same time the poems were in
structed TO give information freely to
American officers. always provided that
the information was false.
Story a Fabrication.
The story of villa being wounded was
carefully CONGO cted for the express pur-
pose of misleading General Pershing and
Colonel Dodd into the belief that the
bandit was In hiding in the mountains,
and thereby inducing them to sDlit their
forces into small searching parties who
would waste their time in the wild
SIerras while Villa was making his way
safely southwark"
This part of the story is given color
by the admission of General Pershlng
today that his intelligence department
has been given much misleading infor-
nation, and thaL II was becoming more
difficult to secure reliable guides.
Continuing his story. the man said:
The American officers were fooled at
first. but they have a fair knowledge
of tho real situation now, and the ad-
vance column Is driving southeast with
all the speed they can command. Their
only chance OF catching up with Villa is
that they have good road and should
not be handicapped by the big prom
lem of forage and water
IF they can catch up with Villa be-
fore he gets into the Torreon district
they ought to be able to kill or capture
him, but II he Is able to Join forces
with Canuto Reyes they will have a
difficult task ahead of them"