The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-04-01

FL Paso, Tex, April -Four hundred
American cavalrymen under command OF
Col. George A. Dodd galloping down from
the granite slopes of the great Continen-
tai divide, have fallen on the main body
of Francisco Villas bandits at the San
Geronimo ranch, scattering them in many
directions and driving the bandit chief,
wounded and crippled, to seek hiding
place in the mountains. Villa was hur-
red from danger in a carriage. The fight
opened at 6 o'clock in the morning of
March 20 and continued for several hours.
The news of the exploit was flashed
into Juarez yesterday and sent thrill
along the border, For II hours the vet
eran colonel, with his picked troopers of
the seventh and 10th cavalry, drove down
the valley of the Santa Maria river. At
the end of smile ride they fell upon
the unsuspecting Villa camp, where 500
bandits were celebrating the massacre of
l72 Carranza soldiers two days previous
ly at Guerrero.
Villa, shot through the leg and with
one hip shattered, was hurried from the
scene, barely in time to escape the on
slaught OF the Americans. The bandits
made brief but hopeless stand before a
C0dTBe Dt 0UlOHel DOuu anu MS bIOppeIs'
Then they broke and fled, leaving 81 dead
on the field, including their commander,
Gen. Elizeo Hernandez. Two machine
guns, number of horses, rifles, ammuni
tion and equipments, fell into the hands
of the Americans.
Among the known wounded is Pablo
Lopez, Villas lieutenant in the Columbus
raid. The American casualties were four
privates wounded
The American soldiers did not linger
in the field For five hours they drove
the enemy before them into the wilder
ness of mountain peak, desert and can
yon, where roads or even trails are un
known, and where misstep means death
to horse and rider. They halted only
after the chase had led them 10 miles |
and the fugitives were scattered into lit I
tie bands OF half dozen men each.
Villas career has ended; his power |
has been broken. His death or capture |
is question Of days, perhaps only hours. /
Such is the inevitable conclusion reached
here. as little by little the details OF /
Dodds ride reach the border. 1t seems
impossible that the bandit can long re-
main hidden. even in the mountainous
wastes in which he has sought refuge.
The scene of Colonel Dodd's victory is
a broad valley lying att he head of the
Santa Maria river. On the west side rise
the barren foothills of the Continental ,
divide. and to the east is trail made
famous BIZ Villa. which leads through the
laguna lie Castillo district to Santa
Nsabel. ID was al the latter place that
Villa killed Is American mining men, a
crime which sent thrill OF horror
through the United States and marked
the beginning Of what many believe to
be the end Of his blood stained career. II 4,
was toward Santa Nsabel that he was
believed to be heading when the troopers
Of the United States swept down from
{ he north upon his camp. 1,
From the meagre details which have
reached here from Mexican and American !
military sources, Colonel Dodds men
made their way unnoticed through the !
lrroyos or deep gulches which split up !
the foothills in all directions and were t,
almost in the camp before the alarm was !
given. y
Villa Is reported to have been in a I
small tent. nursing his injuries, when
The crash Of the American volley fire
,woke the bandit TO panic-stricken ae
ION.
The extraordinary hold the bandit :
.hief has on his followers is shown bylv