El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-05-16

u
~ ton. L. s. Army, near Nami-
i \ quipa, Chin. Mex. May 1O-(By
an tomobile truck TO Columbus. y. NJ.
Nay IA)-For the past few days the
sky has ben dimmed by heavy pail Of
saol re and the Heavens lighted by the
GLOW Of a ring Of fire. The mountains
on G., rery side Of the American army
are ssethinE furnaces Of flame.
Whsn this camp was established,
after the removal Of The field head
Quarters of the expedition from
colonia DubIan to this more southern
point on the long line Of communica-
lion with the north, occasional Tres
svept small areas. damaging the
Grazing. but little attention was paid
TO the matter except to send details
OF men TO see that the flames were
NOT permitted To transgress the line
which spelled danger for the tents OF
orficers and men for the stores of the
quartermaster-
Me1ieans Tr- 80 stop Search.
Q Then followed tho persistent search
OF the hills for bands Of bandits.
Bunches Of cavalry roaned the passes
i'm every direction and these cavalry
,,or ware much given TO grazing their
horses on the high. dry grasses when
covered almost every inch OF Inc
,-rofind for many miles TO the north
east goutl and west. This grams
enabled them TO stay for longer per
iods from headquartsrs ana lls store
If is now believed that the bandits
and their friends took notice OF me
use to which the grass was pens Put
Of the supply thar the ScouIn-
troopers would have TO either cut
short the distance Travelled or carry
forage for their mounts ne lll
became more numerous and began TO
cover a wider range than lneE ever
did before. These fires. with their
conaeouent destruction Of hundreos on
thousands Of acres Of fine grass ana
timber are working great nardShlp 20
The cattlemen OF this district as WeL
as 20 the soldiers VINO are CSGll93ILl-
fbe businesses Of the Sierra Madres'
while LOOKING for remnants Of Villas
once powerful army
Grass All Killed.
No mass will grow upon tho burned
over diartrict till the rainy season SETS
I'M BY that time the cattle WhlCn
should have been pastured upon ~
will have drifted Tar If. indeed, many
81 the COWS and the young calves WIZ
not have starved
diers to abate their interest IN ,tne
matter OF ferreting out the niulhB
nlaceg OF the bandits The latter are
being given no rest Not only IS the
search being prosecuted by laIEs
commands such as those leu og Coi
George A. Dodd which rendered such
good account Of itself al guerrero
and Temochic and by Nal Robert j.
Howe. which made such tine record
for the army when Il marched TO the
Durango line and back ana lhen sur
prised a band Of brigands at oJos
AZules and almost annlhilattl IT, put
i+ fq being maintained by countless
smaller commands, constantly on lHe
move, giving the bandits no opPot
tunity to rest themselves yes, or tneiI
faded and half starved ponies.
Bandits Thoroughly Frightened.
Ii is believed, by officers and men
that a few repetitions OF the pHhi,TTn-
rnent administered at Guerrero, le-
mochic and OjOs Azules viii have the
effect 70 cause the bandits to DreaH
M into small bands, and TO spread
over a greater area Of country rms .
-vould pfaoe fl in the power OF the
local cOnstahulary to handle the sltua-
tiou much more readily than would DC /
possible were the bandits to be per Z
mitfed to travel as they have beeh (
doing. in small armies OF from 90 /
10 900.
heard from the Juarez conference by I
the correspondents. II anything mas /
been heard by the staff officers OF the J
expedition they have not taken the /
correspondents into their confluence. (
amy effect In causing a lessening of !
effort on the part Of the quarter
masters department TO provide Tor the
trucks. heavily laden. continue to ar
rive from the border by the hundreds,
only 10 hurry back for more ammuni-
tion or food as soon as they can be un- I
loaded by hundreds OF willing hands.
Truck Trains Guarded.
To prevent an attack upon a motor
truck train by come desperate leader
Of a band, large or small, the line be
tween the border and the extreme I
front is so thoroughly guarded that il
IS not believed any bandit leader will /
have the temerity TO attempt to ap-
preach within rifle range Of the road
way over which the trucks are driven
As to whether or not Villa still
lives or as to whether or not he was
wounded during the fighting at Guer-
zero, the army seems TO be paying no /
attention. or at least, il is wasting no I
time I'm trying to run down the VAR I
lous rumOrs which, from time TO time, I
are put aflOat by an sorts and condi- |
tons Of Mexicans. The most import
amt work of the moment seems to be /
the driving Of the bandits from their !
hiding places in the mountains. II .
Villa is alive, wen and good When /
me comes from his present retreat. he ] q
Will be confronted with the necessity .
OF getting together another set Of fol-
lowers. His old timers will have been
killed off II he is dead, the killing q
off Of the men who, under his leader q
ship became proficient in their gentle
ART Of cutting threats and i'm gather j
ing in loot, viii leave the people upon j