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The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, April 13, 1916, Image 9

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IX
i
Vivid Description of Running
Engagement In Which De
feated Bandits Were
Driven to Hills.
WHILEfacingysunknown
Photo by American Press Association
PANCHO VTMJA AND HIS WIPE.
he clattered into the town and lifted
his poor horse back upon his haunches
at a sleepy hail:
"Halto! Quien vive?"
"The gringos are coming!" was his
answering yell.
Rush For the Horses.
There was a chorus of shrill, excited
cries, a sudden tossing aside of thin,
mangy blankets and serapes as dark
forms sprang from the ground. There
was a scurry of feet, a creak of leath
er, and Immediately the one street of
San Geronimo was filled with evil
looking-, dark skinned men, dragging
emaciated horses after them and re
peating:
"The gringos are coming!"
They were the men of Pancho Vil
la's nondescript command. Dirty and
tired, and hungry, and with the glare
ijp hunted animals in their eyes, they
punched their weary horses into
town the night before and had
irly fallen from their saddles to
atch a few winks of sleep.
the light of the sun and the glow
the moon and stars they had been
riding and fighting across over 200
miles of territory, hustling for the
sanctuary of the hills far beyond, al
ways with the knowledge that behind
themfast oncomingrode a relentless
\toe.
The gringos were coming indeed!
Dawn was streaking the hillsides as
Villa's men finished strapping their
wide pommeled saddles to the sore
backs of their horses and cramming
the cruel bits into the mouths of the
tired animals.
I Troops Emerge From Mist.
$ There came the noise of heavy hoofs
heating upon the road. The peaked
^rvice hat of an American cavalry
man lifted out of the vapori&L mist
Then another. Then another. Then
stUl another. Finally there came a
muffled pop, as if some distant auto
Mobile had blown out a rear tire, only
It was followed by the never to be mis
taken and never to be forgotten whine
of a steel jacketed bullet, crying along
the breeze.
The gringoes had arrived!
Villa's menthe last of the "golden
ones the ragtag volunteers and the
scared conscriptsall that motley
crew that has-been following the chief
tain across Chihuahuamade a mad
rush for their saddles. In another mo
ment they were flying out of San
Geronimo, but behind them, moving
closer and closer every minute, came
those bobbing peaked hats atop the
long striding horses of the American
cavalry, and ever the mournful wail of
the gringo Springfield sang in: their
ears.
Sixty dead Mexicans were gathered
js^jSfS'^
t++++**r+*+++4+*+*0
man hundreds of Amer
ican troop are now in Mex
ico dangers,
with occasional fights be
tween the cavalrymen and members
f Villa's band, interest of the public
is of course centered there. Every
body is wondering what will be the
outcome. Everybody is trying to guess
if the president will be proved right in
his judgment in sending troops there.
But few realize the tremendous ob
stacles that must be surmounted be
fore the expedition comes to a suc
cessful culmination. The following de
scription of a battle with the forces of
Villa gives a good insight into the diffi
culties that must be overcome:
Out of the gray mist that lay over
life fields surrounding the tiny town
of San Geronimo rode a ragged, hat
less Mexican. He came, so runs the
story, on a little, shaggy, staggering
pony, and he was furiously roweling
the rickety ribs of his mount with the
huge seven pointed wheels that hang
to the boot heels of every Mexican
rider.
That he bore news of import was ap
parent in his manner and gestures as
in mm
Magnificent Ride Without a
Stop Shows That United
States Mounted Troops
Are Not Excelled.
I fr #SS^^^#S#VS^#S##S^S#^S^^#
np by those who went over the five
mile course of the running battle out
of San Geronimo.
Four Americans, troopers of Lieuten
ant Colonel Erwin's squadron of the
famous Seventh cavalry, constitute the
total casualty list of the fight with
Villa's forces.
Led by Lieutenant Colonel Erwin.
It was Lieutenant Colonel Erwin
who led the column into San Gei'oni
mo. His detachment was one of the
three columns under Colonel Dodd.
An hour or so earlier and Erwin
would have surprised the Mexicans
asleep on the ground in San Geronimo.
He had planned to hit the town about
4 o'clock in the morning. He was
COIiONBIj DODD.
jy
Photo by American Press Association.
EXAMINING BREAD FOB TROOPS.
snatching a leaf from Villa's own book
of night attack. Instead he got there
about 6 o'clock. His plans had mis
carried to some extent, due to no fault
of his own. In the meantime that Mex
ican messengera sympathizer with
Villahad managed to get to the vil
lage with a warning.
"With practically no provision for his
men and mighty little for his mounts,
Erwin swung the noses of his horses
In the direction of San Geronimo. He
rode all that day. He rode all that
night.
Walk, trot, gallop, walk, trot, gal
lop, their saddle bags bounding up
and down, their rifles slanted along
the backs of their necks and their sa
bers clattered against the stirrups
all day, all night the men of the Sev
enth rode.
The sun went down, the stars came
out and still they pounded along the
trail. A cold wind swept down from
the mountainsforerunner of the rain
and the sleet and finally the snow
through which most of the columns of
the punitive expedition are moving.
Occasionally a subdued muttering
passed along the files as the men com
mented on their probable destination,
but mainly they talked little. They
knew they were going somewhere and
were glad of itthat's all.
Huddled down in their saddles, their
heads bowed to the cold blasts, they
rode stirrup to stirrup and boot to
boot The wise old cavalry horses
footed it along with their muzzles al
most to their knees, nosing the dark
roadway.
Walk, Trot and Gallop.
As the long hours wore toward
morning and Erwin saw he would be
a little late, he hit up the pace. Walk
and trot, gallop walk, trot, gallop the
column moved, but now it was mostly
trot and gallop, A man had .to be
leather legged and have a spinal col
umn of tempered steel to stand that
ridea long ride, hard ridea typical
American cavalry ride.
There was a brief halt here and
there to breathe the horses and tight
en the cinches, and then at the end of
more than fifty miles of the distance
and seventeen hours of riding the town
of San Geronimo showed faint and far
away through the clearing mist, and
Pf^ftfelSfff?
THE PRINCETON UNION: THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1916
the rifles were lifted from the rings at
the cavalrymen's belts.
The Villistas fought what might be
described as a rear guard action in
their flight After about five miles the
main body began splitting up Into
small detachments and dodging off to
the four winds. Suddenly every Mexi
can seemed to evaporate from the land
scape. They had all ducked into the
hills, every- man for himself and the
devil take the hindmost.
Erwin began closing up and taking
stock. The fight was over for the time
being. There was nothing left to be
lone but to pick up the wounded and
the dead, who lay sprawled on the
ground, as the long necked, long beak
ed vultures began wheeling like small
specks in the sky far above.
With the campaigning of the last
two weeks under their belts, there is
no cavalry in all the world that can
equal these sunbrowned, hardened men
and horses of the American army.
They outrode Francisco Villa, one of
the hardest riding, fastest moving
troop leaders that war has ever pro
duced. His horses were supposed to be
the pick of the country through which
he has fled and all inured to climatic
conditions thereabouts.
Cold Does Not Chill Spirit.
It has been bitter cold along the
Casas Grandes and the Santa Maria
valleys, through which the American
troops are camped or are moving. It is
bitter cold in the hills where the horse
soldiers are riding. The cold spell be
gan with a rain, which turned into
sleet, and following the sleet came a
species of snow, only it was colder
than most snows.
The men in camp passed most of
their time in their dog tents, while
those who were so situated that they
Photo by American Press Association.
SEARCHING MEXICAN SUSPECT ON BOBDEB.
could not raise those puny shelters
grouped themselves about campflres
made of green cottonwood and mes
quite, which gives off a prodigious
smoke, but not so much heat.
It is hard to suppress the spirits of
the American soldier, however, and in
one big camp, after the rain passed,
there was a terrific whooping and a
wild charge in every direction by hun
dreds of soldiers in pursuit of a badly
scared jackrabbit They finally ran the
rabbit down and hauled him into a
stew pot before the lather on his sides
had dried.
Twenty real Indian scouts have re
cently joined the expedition. Strange
looking soldiers they are, but regular
soldiers and proud of it as any in the
army. Five of the twenty have for
years been enlisted men in the army,
on duty at Fort Apache, and the other
fifteen were recruited especially for
the present expedition. The battalion
of moving picture men had been await
ing eagerly for a week the opportunity
to catch these newcomers in all the
glory of their Navajo blankets and col
orful costumes. Instead they arrived
in olive drab, the regulation costume
of the American soldier, but neither
rules nor officers could make them give
up their eagle feathers. These sprout
ed incongruously from the regulation
army wide brimmed hats of the
Apaches.
And hidden beneath their costumes
they carried their soft leather mocca
sins. Some of the army officers have
done duty at the army post in the mid
dle of their reservation, and they say
that as soon as the Indians get in
action there will be twenty, pairs of
heavy army shoes thrown away on the
desert, and the Indians will put on the
moccasins for the real work.
They are mostly squat, rawboned,
powerful looking fellows, the color of
a well used saddle, their unaccustomed
clothing bunching on them like sacks,
some of them with long black hair
falling about their shoulders and most
of them being sixty and seventy years
old, but with the physical endurance
of an ox.
One Paper For $65.
George E. Mead of El Paso, Tex.,
has sent $65 fil Villa currency to a Chi
cago paper with the request that the
paper be mailed to him for the period
of time considered proper for that
amount. According to the paper, only
one copy will be mailed to Mr. Mead.
New Device For Street Cars.
W. Z. Musgrave and H. K. Duffield
of Atlanta, Ga., have invented an auto
matic street and station indicator for
i use on street cars. This device shows
the stops on a reel which unrolls as the
car reaches them.
WAR WILL END
IN TWO MONTHS
Statement Is Credited to Count
von Bernstorft.
AMBASSADOR URGES DELAY
German Envoy Informs Secretary of
State That Pressure by the United
States on Submarine Controversy
Will Only Prolong Conflict
Washington, April 12.Count von
Bernstorff is understood to have told
Secretary of State Lansing that the
war will be over in two months if the
United States does not press the sub
marine sisue to the point of involv
ing America and Germany in unfriend
ly relations.
This statement, said to have been
brought out at the cabinet meeting,
has put two courses up to President
Wilson.
One is to take the matter up with
congress as a preliminary to a break
in diplomatic relations.
The other is to embody accumula
tive evidence of recent submarine at
tacks in a final note to the Berlin for
eign office.
Officials say the president has not
weakened in his determination to
force an accounting with Germany,
but they add that Berlin's official dis
claimer of responsibility on the Sus
sex case and the plea of justification
for sinking the four other ships, con
cerning which the United States made
representations, has practically forced
the matter back into the note writing
stage.
Tension Somewhat Relieved.,
The possibility that diplomatic ne
gotiations may be ^reopened on the
whole issue already has somewhat re
lieved the tension.
The president heard arguments in
favor of calling Germany to account
and insisting on guaranteed definite
pledges that American lives hence
forth will be protected on the high
seas at the cabinet meeting and he
likewise heard some of his official ad
visers argue in favor of seeking some
compromise that would delay any dras
tic or definite action.
As the evidence on the Sussex case,
which is coming in the liner St. Paul,
will not be here before Friday, the
president reserved judgment.
The suggestion is made in authori
tative German quarters that a few
more months' delay on the submarine
issue may see all the difficulties
solved by the end of the war. For
this reason, it is said, Berlin admit
tedly courts diplomatic negotiations
and delay.
$40,000,000 RIVER
BILL PASSES HOUSE
Washington, April 12.The annual
rivers and harbors appropriation bill,
carrying $40,000,000, passed the house
by a vote of 210 to 133, with every
item as agreed upon in committee un
changed.
Scores of amendments to cut down
items, urged by representatives who
charged that the bill was "a pork bar
rel" measure, were rejected during
the two weeks' debate.
Just before the final vote an effort,
led by Republican Leader Mann, to
reduce the total to $20,000,000 failed,
200 to 149.
The entire appropriation, except for
a $700,000 item to deepen the ap
proaches to the Brooklyn navy yard,
is for continuing work on improve
ment projects already authorized and
under way.
The single new project was urged
by President Wilson and Secretary
Daniels as part of the preparedness
program.
GOPHER SOLDIER DECORATED
Lester Spaulding of Aitkin Awarded
First Medal by Canada.
Winnipeg, April 12.Private Lester
K. Spaulding, a Minnesotan, has been
awarded the first distinguished con
duct medal in Canada. The medal,
which is presented for unusual acts
of bravery, was pinned on Private
Spaulding's breast by General John
Hughes, inspector of Western Cana
dian forces.
Spaulding left for Duluth and Ait
kin, Minn., his birthplace and where
his parents live. Spaulding will re
turn to the front as soon as his
wounds heal.
"BOSSY" TAKES WHOLE SEAT
Cow Climbs Up With Driver and
Shoves Him Off Into Street.
Chicago, April 12.An ambitious
cow being hauled in a wagon to a
packing plant strove to ride in the
seat with James Powell, who was
driving.
There not being room in the seat
for James and the cow, James went
off into the street.
Policeman Thomas Burke sent
James to his home for repairs and
himself escorted the proud cornfed to
the shambles.
^'"-iW/Jl^^*^- \t-.''$*n--
-S'---..^/i:i:i
HENRY SIEGEL
Former Financier Expects
to Make Good His Losses.
Photo by American Press Association.
New York, April 12.Henry Siegel,
lormer merchant, who went to prison
when his bank failed for $2,500,000, is
to open a department store. Friends
are financing him for approximately
$250,000. Siegel's proposed store is
the first step in the fulfillment of his
declaration made when he emerged
from prison that he would try to make
a fortune and restore money to those
who lost by his failure. He says "I
can sell goods and I'm going to sell.
All confidence has not been lost in
AMERICA SECURES
CANAL ROUTE RIGHTS
Washington, April 12.Ratification
by the Nicaraguan congress of the
treaty, by which the United States ac
quires for $3,000,000 canal route rights
and a coaling station on Fonseca bay,
was announced in a dispatch received
here from Managua by General Cha
morro, the Nicaraguan minister.
The treaty already has been ratified
by the United States senate.
Later the state department receiv
ed word of the ratification from Minis
ter Jefferson at Managua.
The final vote was taken in the
Nicaraguan house, the senate having
acted last week. It is assumed at the
department that the convention was
accepted without amendment.
If so, nothing remains to be done to
put it into operation but to exchange
ratifications in the usual form here or
at Managua.
As the Nicaraguan government is
urgently in need of money arrange
ments will be made at once for plac
ing the $3,000,000 to its credit.
SCULLY GOES TO PRISON
Given One to Seven Years for Offense
Against Girl.
Minneapolis, April 12."Kid" Scul
ly's true name is Henry Tipp, he dis
closed to the court when District
Judge W. C. Leary sentenced him to
Stillwater penitentiary for a term of
from one to seven years for an offense
against the young girl whose story
started the vice investigation.
The prisoner apologized to Judge
Leary for the scene he created when
the jury returned its verdict against
him. At that time he denounced court,
jury and prosecution and was led from
the courtroom shouting defiance.
"I am sorry for what I said I was
excited I had wanted to testify and
my counsel wouldn't let me," Scully
explained to the judge.
SPY IS PUT TO DEATH IN
4 LONDON.
4*
h London, April 12.A spy was 4*
4 put to death in London. An-
4* nouncement of this occurrence 4*
was made officially as follows: 4*
4* "A prisoner charged with es- 4*
4* pionage was tried by general 4*
4* courtmartial at Westminster 4*
4* Guildhall on the 20th of March, 4*
4* and on the following days, 4*
4* and was sentenced to death, 4*
4* which was carried out." 4*
4* 4*
$15,000F0RBR0KENPR0MISE Milwaukee Girl Recovers From Chi
cago Medical Student.
Milwaukee, April 12.A jury in cir
cuit court awarded a verdict of $15,-
000 to Elizabeth Slran in her suit
against Fred H. Schroeder, Chicago,
for $50,000 for alleged breach of
promise.
Miss Siran, a maid employed in
Schroeder's home in 1913, testified
that Schroeder, a medical student at
the College of Physicians and Sur
geons, had promised to marry her. A
year ago Miss Siran brought suit in
civil court here, against Schroeder for
the support of her child and she was
granted $15 a month.
DEATH STORY IS
BELIEVED RUSE
Villa's Friends Are Believed to
Have Started Rumor.
HAS PLAYED 6AME BEFORE
High Army Officers and Washington
Officials Are Inclined to the Belief
That There Is No Foundation for the
Reports in Circulation.
Columbus, N. M., April 12.The re
port that Francisco Villa is dead of
blood poisoning, resulting from the
wound he is supposed to have receiv
ed in the fight with Carranza soldiers
at Guerrero, was the chief topic of
discussion in Columbus.
There was much speculatfon as to
whether the "Fox of the Sierras" had
not himself spread the report in an*
effort to throw his pursuers off his
trail.
Lieutenants H. A. Dargue and E. S.
Gorrell, who brought the report to
Columbus after a 330-mile flight from
San Antonio, a short distance above
Satevo, said that the natives of South
ern Chihuahua placed great faith in it.
Students here in Mexican warfare
and particularly of Villa tactics re
calltd, however, that time without
number in previous campaigns the
bandit leader has caused himself to
be reported wounded in order to mis
lead his enemies.
That General J. J. Pershing, expedi
tionary commander, who was reported
to be removing his headquarters to
Satevo and the advanced detachments
of American troops were "still too
busy to report," was indicated in the
lack of dispatches from the front.
RUSE BY VILLA'S FRIENDS
Washington Officials Doubt Story of
Bandit's Death.
Washington, April 12.Marked
progress toward solving the problem
of supplying General Pershing's col
umns and further evidences of co-op
eration by Carranza soldiers in the
pursuit of Villa were recorded in offi
cial reports from Mexico and the bor
der.
Rumors from several sources that
"Wlla had died of blood poisoning and
press dispatches from Queretaro teH
ing of an announcement by the de
facto government's war department
that it had reason to believe the ban
dit chief had been killed in action
were the occasion of much discussion
here.
In some quarters there was a dis
position to credit the reports, but they
were without official confirmation and
both army officers and state depart
ment officials suggested that they
probably had been put out by Villa's
friends as a ruse.
VILLA PURSUIT NEARS END
American Mining Concern at El Paso
Receives News.
El Paso, Tex., April 12.The pur
suit of Villa probably will be brought
to a definite conclusion within forty
eight hours, according to information
received here by an American mining
concern, with large interests at Par
ral and Torreon.
The messages received stated that
the report that Villa was dead was
current throughout Southern Chihua
hua and Northern Durango and while
it was still far from confirmed it was
expected that definite news would be
received within the next few days.
Villa Hiding in Sierras.
Mexico City, April 12.Francisco
Villa has left the main body of his
command and is hiding, almost un
attended, in the Sierra mountains of
Chihuahua, according to information
given out at the war department.
NICHOLSON FOR WAR AIDE
Indiana Author Agreed Upon by Wil
son as Assistant.
Washington, April 12.Meredith
Nicholson of Indianapolis, an author,
practically has been agreed upon by
President Wilson and Secretary Baker
for appointment as assistant secretary
or war.
Mr. Nicholson is a close personal
friend of Mr. Baker and is understood
to have the support of Vice President
Marshall.
FOUR PERSONS LOSE LIVES
Spanish Steamer Santanderino Sunk
by Submarine.
Madrid* April 12.The owners of
the steamer Santanderino have been
notified that the vessel was sunk by
a submarine and that the passengers
and crew were given fifteen minutes
to leave the ship. Four were drowned.
The torpedoing of the Santanderino
has produced a painful impression on
the Spanish press and public.
Free Sugar Repeal Beaten.
Washington, April 12.The senate
passed its substitute for the house
free sugar repeal resolution, extend-,
ing the present duty of 1 cent a pound
on sugar until May, 1920. The vote
was 40 to 32.

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