The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-04-17

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Phone 80
during his recent career This course
ON the part of the major general, de-
spite the fact that no official intima-
ton has come to him Of Villas body
having been found. indicated Funston
was placing considerable faith in the
reports from Mexico. He declared he
had no information on which to base
a surmise that the body is Villas.
But Funston laid emphasis on the
fact that the point where the body
was exhumed Is near the region
where Colonel Howe reported Villas
latest operations-the La Borta re-
gion. Howe knew beyond question
that villa was in that section, it was
stated at headquarters, but the time
was not made clear.
DR.. wickman, treated Villa for
blood disease and was held captive
for two months in order to assure
Villa medical attendance. He escaped
the Villista army when the forces
reached a point near Douglas and
army officials lost track OF him.
Funston, said he, personally, would
not view the body. even II 1t were
Villas and brought to the border to
be seen by the American officials.
No further information on the fight
and rioting at Parral had reached
headquarters today. The only reports
received stated that portions OF the
Tenth, Eleventh and Thirteen cavalry
were now stationed at Santa Cruz
!! prepared to defend the position or
take up the pursuit again.
Pershina to Investi ate.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, April IL
General Pershing left Cusihuiraichic
with a cavalry detachment to view
the body being brought to Chihuahua
claimed to be that Of Villa, 1t was an
nounced at headquarters today. Perish
ing should be able to give positive ad-
vices in a few hours as to whether the
body is that Of the fugitive bandit I'M
less the corpse is in such condition
as to prevent Identification.
Anxious for Confirmation.
| by Carl D. Groat, United Press Stair
Correspondent
WASHINGTON, April 17.-Wash-
| ton today strained every resource
seeking to confirm or disprove cir
cumstantial reports of the death OF
Pancho Villa. The reports thrilled
every person in the capital. from
President Wilson down. 1t meant, II
true, that "t1le Mexican situation" no
longer existed. Today the war and
state department wires were singing
with inquiries directed to the army
and consular agents in Mexico. Ev-
cry official ear in the state, war and
navy building was cooked hopefully
/ in the direction OF the telegraph
office waiting for the response.
! No st6s looking toward the with
drawal o. troops were taken, but
state and war department officials
said the troops would be called home
| in short order once the report OF
Villas death IS verified
| If the question is one OF merely
| identifying the body reported to be
! on its way to chihuahua City in
charge of Colonel Carlos Carranza.
nephew of the first chief, it should
be answered quickly.
| United States Consul Letcher at
Chihuahua is able to identify the ia,
NOUS bandit, it is believed, and his
may be the first official announce
ment that the bandit hunt begun
March 9, is ended. Doubt OF the re.
port was based largely on other re-
ports reaching the war department
telling OF Villas whereabouts at var:
ious other points Another report
from Major Robert L. Howe, in com.
mand of a picked squadron OF the
Eleventh cavalry, wired from Santa
Cruz near Paral, said Villa was in
the mountains southwest Of La Bor1a
fifty miles northwest Of Parral, and
not far from Satevo.
| The ivednce thus far indicating
Villa really is dead, includes:
| MADEIRA and Cusihuirachic tele
graph operators on Mexican North
western railway SO report to Car.
ranza's consul general at FL Paso
Andreas Garcia.
! Dispatcher on the railroad al
Juarez reports he heard a converse
ton on the wire that Villas body was
| In the hands Of Carranza troops.
Dr. w. l.. Brown, one of the best
known practitioners in FL Paso, says
Villa has suffered so much from blood
poisoning for a year that slight
wound would prove fatal. DR.. Brown
I has treated him for the trouble. Re-
/ ports of rioting In Chihuahua where
Villa is a hero, are confirmatory OF
: the death story, officials say.
| IL Villa had been sound in body,
officials declare, he would almost GER
/ tainly have been heard of since the
Guerrero fighting But not the
/ slightest activity has been reported.
| Secretary Baker greatly impressed
| by the message of Customs Collector
/ Cobb at FL Paso to Lansing, reporting
Villas death as fact, nevertheless
indicated there would be absolutely
no change in plans or preparations
for changing plans unless unimpeach-
able confirmation Is received. The
department cannot afford to overlook
possibly false reports, intentional or
otherwise, he felt