Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-12-04
VILLA CAPTURED
NEAR PARRAL IS
REPORT RECEIVED
Juarez Hears That the Bandit
Chieftain Is a Prisoner, But
Official Confirmation Has
Not Reached Border.

Ju3reZ, Mexico, Dec. 3 (by the AS
sociated Press.) - Vigorous efforts
were made tonight by civil and mill
tary officials here to obtain official
information regarding the reported
capture of Francisco Villa near Par
raj, which was announced late today
in message received by p, w, Cabal-
lero, superintendent of the National
Railways of Mexico for Chihuahua
who is here on an inspection trip. Up
to 1880 o'clock no confirmation of the
report had been received,
The first word of the reported cop
ture was given to the Associated
Press by Senor Caballero, Later it
was explained that the report had
come from q telegraph operator at
Parral, by way of Jiminez and Chi,
hauhua City, and thence to Juarez.
lgnacio Bonillas, Mexican ambassa-
dor at washington, telegraphed An
dres G. Garcia, Mexican consul general
at El paso, asking confirmation of the
rumor. Senior Gagoia replied that he
was pushing strenuously to obtain Of
fetal advices. and that he would ad-
wise the Mexican embassy as soon as
he succeeded.
General j, GonZalo Escohar COM
mander of the Juarez district, said to-
night that he had dispatched a tele-
gram to General Manuel M. Diegue2,
commander of military operations in
the north, who is now reported to be
in Jimnez, Chihuahua. General Die
guez has force of 1900 operating
in the northern zone, 1t = said.
IF Villa has not been captured
now--and have strong hopes that he
has been--he will be caught soon
within two months at the outside"
General Escobar said.
Unofficial advires to the American
consulate here from chihuahua City
seemed to SUI port the belief chat
Villa had been captured.
Reports from other sources were to
the effect that the people of Chihua-
hua city. were celebrating the sup
posed fall of the rebel chieftain.
An American mining man, who ar
rived from chihuahua City today said
that the report that a regiment of fed
eral troops had been massacred by
villa rebels near Rancho Espejo re-
Gently was generally believed by the
business men in his district.
Eel Paso. Tex. Dec. S.--Reports Of
the capture.of Francisco villa, MeXi-
can rebel leader. near Parral. were
received in certain quarters here with
some degree of doubt II was pointed
out that the insurgent chieftain Is too
willy and has his men under too great
control TO permit any of them to de-
sert under the circumstances given in
the earlier reports II was not be-
lieved that the "Attila Of the north"
would allow himself to be trapped in
so simple a way.
Carranza officials on both sides of
the river however, took a more hope
full view They asserted, for one
thing, that the recent elimination OF
Gen. Felipe Angeles, Villas right
hand man, would be likely 10 con-
vince the rebels followers of the utter
hopelessness of their cause, Great
stress was laid in these circles on what
against villa that has been waged
against the insurgents in the north,
by Gen. Manuel M. Diguez, federal
commander of military operations in
the north.
1t was also argued that the reward
of $4,000 pesos, recently Offered by
the state of Chihuahua would be like
ly to act as an incentive to some Of
his followers TO surrender their chief,
Mexicans on the border expressed
the strong belief tonight that the cap
ture of Villa, If confirmed, will do
much toward relieving the situation
that now exists between the American
and the Mexican government