The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1916-03-24
SECOND FORCE CHASING VILLA
MOSTLY CAVALRY-REPORT
ED CASUALTIES DUE TO
SHIPPERS DENIED.
OUTLAWS SEEKING REFUGE
IN THE SIERRA MADRES
Mormon Settlements With 500 Ameri-
cans Safe and UnmoIested, Bishop
Reports-Carranza Consul Says
Villa Has Disbanded Most of
His Men and is Hiding.

His Men and is Hiding.
Ell Paso, Tex, March 1S-A few
definite facts about the American ex-
petition into Mexico stand out with
considerable clearness as the result
of officially published reports and the
news brought here by Americans who
have been in touch with some portions
of the American movement.
The American expeditionary force
has had no casualties and has had no
clashes with Villistas to date, accord
ing to reports received at Fort San
Houston. There has been no instances
of shipping reported.
Constituted For Speed.
1t seemed certain that of the two
columns which are somewhere in
Mexico one was constituted for speed
while the other apparently was NOV
ing more slowly. The swift-footed
column was the auxiliary army, seem
ingly mostly cavalry, which went into
Mexico so miles west of the main
army of Gen. ]. j. Pershing when his
forces crossed at Columbus, n. M.
BY these same reports the two col
umns will form a junction near the
threatened American Mormon colon
lists, possibly in the Casas Grandes
region.
Troop trains came in here during the
night and Columbus awoke to find
the camp had grown considerably in
population. A new lot of cavalry
horses was noticed. Great piles of
supplies, in boxes and stacks of baled
hay had sprung up near the railway
station.
Quartermaster wagons left constant
ly over the road to the south during
the day.
Aeroplanes Tried Out.
In the sage brush, off to the side of
the camp, number of aeroplanes
were tried out. They had been set
up since their arrival Wednesday and |
were tested thoroughly. None of the |
aviators have not yet joined the adj |
vance columns so far as could be as
certained here.
The strict military censorship of all |
news on troop movements out of Co |
lumbus has not yet been relaxed.
Early Clash Likely.
From their point of departure the
distance is So miles to Casas Grandes
and the start was made early We'd
nesday morning. If Villa intends to
offer any organized resistance to his
pursuers it might be possible for Uni
ted States soldiers to come in contact
with his outposts very soon. The
American expedition is penetrating
Mexico under ideal weather condi-
tious. The hot season will not be
reached for month or six weeks and
if the windmill wells which dot that
part of the country through which
the expedition is passing are not
dried up the water supply situation
should be relieved.
Mormon Settlers Safe.
Definite information that the Nor
mon settlements with their 500 Ameri-
can men, women and children were
safe and unmolested, was brought here
by Daniel Hurst, son of P. H. Hurst,
Mormon bishop. Mr.. Hurst brought
news understood to be of much mill
tary importance which was forward
ed to General Pershing. Mr. Hurst
refused to make public its nature.
According to Mr.. Hurst, Villa has
at most 400 men, some of whom are
He said also that it was
not believed in the Mormon colonies
that the bandit chief had more than
800 men with him when he raided Col
umbus.
Says Villa Seeks Refuge.
What the intentions of Villa are re- I
mains a profound mystery, Andrew ,
Garcia, the Carranza consul here, as (
serted, that from information in his
possession he was satisfied that Villa
had disbanded most OF his men and in ]
tended to take refuge in the heart of {
the Sierra Madres, with only three or t
four trusted companions.
Thousands of men are not wanted
TO pursue Villa" said Consul Garcia
He has no intentions of fighting any /
one, but will take refuge in the noun I
tains, which he knows so well. He r
will be captured, believe, when a |
prfce IN Dut on his head" !