Arizona republican., 1916-04-01
Largest Band of Villistas Surprised Near Guerrero Early in the Morning by Force of American Cav airy
FLIGHT FOLLOWS
 FIRST ONSLAUGHT
For Ten Miles the Defeated Villa Force Was Followed by Pursuers Until It Was Broken Up into Small Bands
Republican A. p. Leased Wirel

lhepuDItCdn As r. Leased WlFel
 FL PASO, March 31.-Four hundred American cavalrymen under the com mand of Colonel George A. Dodd, whirl- ing down from the granite slopes of the great Continental Divide have fallen like a thunderbolt on the main body of Francisco Villas bandits at the San Geronimo ranch, scattering them like chaff in the wind and driving the ban dit chief wounded and crippled, to seek a hiding place in the mountains over which he has ruled for so many years. carriage
 The battle opened at six o'clock on the morning of March 29.
 The news of, the brilliant exploit of the American troopers was flashed over the Mexican wires into JuareZ today and sent thrill along the border. For seventeen hours the veteran Colonel Dodd and his picked riders of the Sev- enth and Tenth cavalry drove down the valley of the Santa Maria river. At the end of fifty five mile ride they burst upon the unsuspecting Villista camp where 800 bandits were celebrating the
  previously, at Guerrero. Villa, shot through the leg and with one hip shat tered, was hurried from the scene barely in time to escape the onslaught of the soldiers of the north.
 The bandits made a brief but hope less stand before the fierce charge of Col. Dodd and his troopers. Then they broke and fled leaving 31 dead on the field, including their commander, Gen. eral Elisco Hernandez. Two machine guns, number of horses, rifles, ann intuition and equipment fell into the hands of the victors. Among the known wounded is Pablo Lopez, Villas lieu tenant in the Columbus raid. The American casualties were four privates wounded.
 The American soldiers did not finger on the field of victory. For five hours they drove the enemy before them on the wilderness of mountain peak, desert and canyon where roads or even trails are unknown and where mistep means death to horse and rider. They halted only after the chase had led them ten miles from the battlefield and the fu- gitives were scattered far and wide in little bands of half dozen men each Villas career has ended His power has been broken. His death or capture is only question of days, perhaps only hours. Such is the inevitable conclu. sion reached here as little by little de. tails of "Dodd's ride" seep across thu border. It seems impossible that the crippled, defeated bandit can long re. main hidden in the mountains waste. in which he has sought refuge.
 The scene of Col. Dodds victory i. broad valley lying at the head of tn, Rio Santa Maria. On the west, rise tn, barren foothills of the Continental Di. vide and to the east is trail made ia. nous by Villa which leads through tn, Laguna de Castilla district to the ill famed Santa Ysabel. It was at tn, latter place that Villa killed eighteer American miping men, crime whicl sent thrill of horror throughout tn, United States and marked the begin ming of what many believe to be tn, end of his bloodstained career. It wa, toward Santa Ysabel that he was be lieved to be heading when the trooper of the U. s. swept down from the nortl upon his camp.
 From the meager details which hav reached here from Mexican militar sources. Colonel Dodd's men made thei way unnoticed through the arroyos. O deep gulches, which split the foothil1 in all directions. and were almost il the camp before the alarm was giver Villa is reported to have been in