THE ABIQ-WA REPUBLICAN
AN INDEPENDENT PROGRESSIVE JOURNAL
TWENTY-SIXTH YEAR
, 10 PAGES
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, MONDAY MORNING, APRIL 17, 19 IG
10 PAGES
VOL. XXVI., NO. 333
(MS Iff MOLDERMG BODY OF B.
IT Villi
7
7
GRAY
AND
Apparently Reliable Reports Indicate Outlaw's Death Over Week Ago, If So U. S. Troops To Be Withdrawn
If Villa Is Dead American
Troops Will Be Withdrawn
Administration Officials
Make This Statement in
Commenting on Reports
from Mexican Sources
That Body Is Found
NO CONFIRMATORY
ADVICES AS YET
In Some Quarters There Is
Disposition to Credit Re
ports Despite Fact Border
Humors Generally Viewed
With Suspicion
OTTOMAN TROOPS GET
SET BACKS IN DAY'S
FIGHTING IN TIGRIS
Y IS
I
TO BE IN POSSESSION OF
TROOPS 10 M ON I
E
IT FOB POSH
NT Ml
AUTHOR
"PECK'S BAD
BOY" IS DEAD
Republican A. P. Leased Wire
WASHINGTON, April 16.
American troops will be with
dawn from Mexico immediately if
Francisco Villa is dead. Adminis
tration officials made this state
ment tonight commenting on re
ports from Mexican sources that
the' bandit's body had been dis
covered and was being taken from
Cusihuirachic to Chihuahua City
by special train.
Neither the slate nor war depart
ments had any confirmatory advices
cm the subject from American sources.
Reports reaching El Paso and other
border points were forwarded for in
formation. There was no attempt here
to disguise their eager interest in the
reported killing of the bandit. Every
message reecived was closely scrutin
ized at the slate department and sent
to the White House. In some quar
ters there was a disposition to credit
them despite the fact that border re
ports generally have been viewed with
so much suspicion, since the pursuit
began.
Officials would not discuss what
proof they would deem necessary to
establish the fact, that the body is that
of Villa. It is certain however that
every effort will be made to obtain so
complete an identification as to make
sure beyond reasonable doubt that the
man who waged war with a few hun
dred bandits against the United States
ami the de facto government of Mexi
co has paid the penalty. Consul Letcher
at Chihuahua should be able to make
the identification.
The customs collector Zaek Cobb, in
formed the state department late today
that Mexican customs officials at
Juarez had told him the body of the
bandit had been found and would be
taken tonight to Chihuahua City.
The Mexican embassy earlier had re
received this message from Mexican
Consul Garcia at El Paso:
"The telegraph operator at Cusi and
Madera have Informed me that they
have found the body of Francisco Villa
I M 1 LW A I'KKE, Wis., April 16.
George W. Peek, 75 years old, j
former governor of Wiseonson for
j two terms, and at one time mayor
of Milwaukee, died here today I
I after a short illness". Peck was
i one of three democrats who since
the admission of Wisconsin to the
union in 1S4S, held the position of
! governor. He was governor from
j lS'.il) to In his oppon-
I ent on the republican ticket was
former United States Senator
John C. Spooner, whom he de-
featcd. Peck, achieved national
fame as a writer of humorous
I tales, his best known book being j
j "Peck's Bad B y." He was the
publisher of Peck's Sun.
111 NOTE ON
SUBMARINES IS
In Other War Theaters the
Allies Seem to Have Best
of Day's Engagements;
lleavv Infantrv Fight' at
a.' O
Verdun
HEAD TO SEND
Republican A. P. Leased Wire
WASHINGTON, April 16 The com
munication in which the United States
will call Germany to account for the
numerous tecent submarine attacks
upon mercnant ships carrying Ameri
can citizens is understood to be ready
for transmission to Berlin. Officials
indicated tonight that it might go
forward at any time.
President Wilson devoted nearly the
entire day to completing the case of
the United States for presentation to
the German government. He had be
fore him a mass of evidence and
memorandum submitted by the state
department.
The communication in its completed
form it was said, authoritatively to
night, is to be emphatic in its decla
rations, and possibly will recall state
ments made by the United States in
previous correspondence on the sub
ject of submarine warfare. It is de-
(Continued on Page Three)
(Continued on Page Six)
RUSSIAN HOSPITAL SHIP SUNK
ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN DROWNED
Republican A. P. Leased Wire
The British troops going to the re
lief of Kut-El-Amara have gained fur
ther ground against the Turks who are
barring their way along the Tigris
river. Pushing steadily ahead the Bri
tish have driven in the Turks from
their advanced lines on the right bank
of the river killing many of the Turks
and taking a considerable number of
prisoners.
The Turks also have met with an
other defeat at the hands of the Rus
sians in the Black sea litteral. Petro-
grad reports that the Russians have
driven the Ottomans from a strongly
organized position 15 miles east of
Trebizond and are pursuing them ener
getically. The Doaumont Vaux sector north
wist of Verdun has been the scene of
another hard fought infantry engage
ment but the Paris and Berlin offi
cial reports are at variance as regards
the result.
Paris reports that south of Douau
mont, rYeneh troops in an attack cap
nred sections of German trenches and
took 200 prisoners. Berline asserts that
in the fighting which extended from
Fort Douaumont to the Vaux ravine,
the French were repulsed with san
guinary casualties and in addition lost
two nundred men taken prisoners.
The Germans are heavily bombarding
French positions in the Avocourt wood
and on Hill 304, and considerable ar
tillery activity also is being displayed
around Douamont and in the Woevre
about Moulainville, Haudimont and Les
Epprgcs.
The British report the raiding of
German trenches south of the Bethuno
Lv Basse road, while Berlin records
the destruction of a British position
about sixty metres in length in. opera
tions there
Artillery bombardments continue at
various places on the northern Rus
sian lines. Farther south, near Smor
gon, the Germans started an offen
sive, but were repulsed, while south of
the Olyka station the Rusians at sev
eral pla es have made advances.
In the Sugana valley and Carso sec
tors of the Austro-Italian zone, the
Italians have taken Austrian trench
es. The Austrians evidently are fight
ins; hard to regain the Sugana posi
tions as Rnme reports they they are
being maintained under a curtain of
fire.
Three British naval aeroplanes have
raided Coi stantinople, dropping bombs
on a ;,owder factory and aeroplane
hangars. Another machine dropped
IS mm
FORCE SHOT UP
TMEADCANS
Detailed Report of Action
Written by Major Frank
Tompkins to General Per
shing Is Received by Gen
eral Funston
v&M ft '
1 f
AMERICANS LOSE
TWO MEN KILLED
Forty of the Mexican Sol
diers Including One Major
and One Civilian Were
Killed by the Retreating
American Troopers
(Republican A. P. Leased Wire.)
EL PASO, Tex., April 16. Pancho Villa is dead and his body, dis
interred some days after his burial, is in possession of the Carranzista
troops, according to a series of telegrams received in Juarez today by the
Mexican omcials.
For more than a week reports that Villa had died from wounds have
been current both here and in Juarez.
Today's accounts were the most cir
cumstantial and apparently reliable
yet received. They were accepted
with reserve by American officials,
including General Bell, but the Mex
ican officials expressed confidence in
their reliability. The message, in the
order in which they were received,
were as follows:
The dispatcher of the Mexico
Northwestern railroad at Juarez re
ported to General Gabriel Gavira,
Carranza commander at Juarez, that
he had heard a conversation over the
telegraph wires to the effect that
Villa's body was in the hands of the
Carranzista troops.
General Gavira notified Consul
Andres Garcia here, who rushed mes
sages to the telegraph operators at
Madera and Chuihuirachic, asking
for confirmation.
The Madera and Chusihuirachic
operators answeerd confirming the
report and stating the body was be
ing taken to Chihuahua. FRANCISCO VILLA
The telegraph operator at San Antonio, fifty miles west of Chihuahua
telegraphed Consul Garcia that Villa's bodv was in nossession of Cnlonpl : rarrai. reinforced by
PovIao Pni.v.nn v,VU,t n 1 " . ...U ,1 . , ! squadron of the Tenth under Major
vtuiuo vjaiiaia, iicpiicvv UJ. VJCIlCIitl Vail eUiZil, WHO WaS LaKUlg It Hi a
special train to Chihuahua.
In reply to this message telegrams were sent to the Carranza e-ener-
1 ii r i i j rr ' i n t - , -i i , , ,--- report ana oy troop dispositions tnat
ais in tne neia, to omcials m Mexico City, Cninuanua and OtflGr DOintS ! toneral Pershing has ordered, the
asKing connrmation out no answers have yet been received.
Republican A. P. Leased Wire
SAX ANTONIO, Tex., April 16. It
was a force of Carranza's soldiers who
engaged the little detachment of
American cavalry at Parral Wednes
day in a regularly organized action,
according to a detailed report written
by Major Frank Tompkins and for
warded today to General Funston by
General Pershing.
Forty of the Mexican soldiers, in
cluding one major, and one civilian
were killed by tha retreating Ameri
cans. The American casualties were
; two killed and six wounded, including
i Major Tompkins. His wound was
i slight.
j Major Tompkin's account of the
I action was received at General Fun-
ston's headquarters tonight and served
to clarify General PershingJs report
j received yesterday, in which the iden
tity of the attacking force was un-
j stated and in which he left the in
j ference that the cavalry was under
Colonel V. C. Brown.
Gen. Pershing reported to head
quarters today that a motor truck
train carrying aeroplanes was at
tacked by 40 bandits Friday night
fifteen miles north of Satevo. The Mex
icans were driven off and one of their
number was killed. General Pershing
was with the motor truck train at
the time of the attack. There were
no American losses.
The Americans are now north and
a
Young, accompanied by Colonel "VV. C.
Brown and a picked squadron under
Major Robert L. Howze. Fear for
their safety has been dispelled by this
report and by troop dispositions that
Apart from the telegrams sent here
there are some known facts which
have been pointed out by Mexican of
ficials as lending strong support to
the truth of the report that tho ban
dit chief's career has been closed by
death. These facts are:
Villa has been suffering for more
than a year from a virulent form of
blood poisoning.
He was treated for this disease
while in Jaurez by Dr. W. L. Brown,
Republican A. P. Leased Wire
BERLIN, April 16. (fly Wireless
to Tuckerton.) Announcement Is
made by the Turkish government that
the Russian hospital ship Portugal,
sunk in the Black Sea last month,
was torptyloed by a Turkish subma
rine. The statement was given out
today by the Overseas News Agency
as follows:
"The Turkish government publishes
the following report of the com
mander of the Turkish submarine,
which sank the Bteamship Portugal:
"The ship was sighted on the night
of March 29-30. It was steering to
ward a landing place. When day
break came It was ascertained that
the ship was laden heavily and that
It was towing several heavily loaded
punts, with numerous occupants. The
commander and other officers of the
submarine were Justified In believ- j
ing the ship was a transport which
was on the way to land troops and
suppliea The ship was painted gray,
with a small red line, and flew the
Russian merchant flag. No Red
Cross flag was flying and the name
of the ship was invisible.
"The first torpedo did not hit.
After the explosion of the second
torpedo, which struck below the
bridge, a violent explosion occurred
within the ship. This explosion un
doubtedly was due to large quantities
of explosives stored In the ship. Im
mediately after this, a destroyer at
tacked the submarine.
"The Russian affirmation that the
ship was struck by two torpedoes
was untrue. The Turkish government
regrets It if persons exclusively In the
Red Cross service perished, but the
responsibility rests on the Russian
fjovernment, which transported the
persons o a vessel which is being
used for war purposes against the
Turks.
'Provisions of the conventions
adopted at The Hague stipulate that
hospital ships must lie painted white.
with a green or red stripe one and
one-half meters long and also must
fly the Red Cross flag."
The Portugal had 273 persons on
board, of which 115 were drowned.
The Russian government sent to all
neutral governments a note protest
ing against the torpedoing of the
hospital ship. It was asserted the
Portugal bore all the distinctive signs
prescribed by the special agreement
signed at The Hague in 1S08.
A semi-official Russian statement
contained the assertion that the Por
tugal had on board neither troops nor
war material, but only Sisters of
Charity, and the necessary crew.
nM nf thtt hpnt Itnnuun nhv!niana in
lomlis on Adrianoplfi railway station, i Paso
i;ons'nniinopie reports mat no damage j
was done. i
More Ships Are Sunk
LONDON, April 16. Lloyd's an
nounces that the Norwegian steamship
Pus-nastaff of Christiana was sunk to
day. he was going from New Castle
to Boulogne. The crew was saved.
The British steamship Fairport is
reported to have been sunk. She was
unarmed.
Th" Fusnastaff is not mentioned in
maritime records. The Fairport, 3,
SIS8 tons gross was built in 1!06 and
owned in New Castle. She sailed from
Rio Janeiro on March 10 for an un
named port.
The British steamer cardona has been
sunk by a torpedo. The crew was
saved.
The Cardona was a vessel of 2,065
(Continued on Page Three)
ADKWi
ATTACKED
IS
FAILURE TO ADOPT SUFFRAGE PLANS
Republican A. P. Leased Wire
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April
1C The twenty-three suffragists of
the Congressional Union party on
their thirty-eight day dash through
the suffrage states, spent today in
Colorado Springs, where the local
branch of the organization enter
tained them. A sight-seeing trip in
the mountains and a recepon at the
Antlers hotel made up the .afternoon
program. . ' .
Mrs. Harriet Stanton Blatch, one of
the pioneer leaders in suffrage, work,
met the Pioneer Suffrage Workers of
Colorado Springs at a special recep-jn
tion this evening. At a mass meetinp
tonight a half dozen of the speakers
told their plans to secure the passage
of the Susan B. Anthony amendment
for national suffrage, declaring that
the women of the west must lead in
the movement. A number of local
women made addresses in which the
administration was attacked for its
failure to adopt the plans of the Con
gressional Union. The party left f-r
the west tonight.
Dr. Brown states that the condi
tion of the bandit was such that even
a minor wound would be fatal in ten
days unless treated prompty and with
the best medical skill and ore. Even
I under the most favorable conditions
! such a wound would be of the grav
est character.
It is certain that if Villa was
wounded he could not have command
ed anything but the most primitive
treatment.
Another message from Chihuahua
City received here today stating that
rioting had broken out there was re
garded , in a measure confirmatory
of the bandit's death. .Villa is known
to have had numerous sympathizers
among the lower classes in the city
find it was considered probable that
their sympathy would take the form
of violence if they learned the body
of their hero was being brought to
Chihuahua to be exhibited as that of
a criminal.
Nothing positive has been known of
Villa since the battle at Guerrero at
which time the reports of his being
wounded were accepted by General
Pershing and other American officers.
If he hi.d continued south, as was as
sumed, he must by this time have
reached either Torreon or Durango
City in which event some news of his
movements would almost positively
hive become known.
Only one message was received in
Jp.urez today glvinc- any details of
the supposed finding of Villa's body.
According to lt Villa's death and
burial were revealed by a former
colonel of a hand who had been cap
tured and was under sentence of
death. This colcnel offered to show
his captors Villa's grave in return
for his life. He led a detachment of
Carranza soldiers under the command
of Colonel Cazos to . San Francisco
Borja, a small town thirty miles south
of Cushuirachic, with which it is
connected bv a vague and deserted
trail. Near this lonely spot the Car
ranza soldiers are said to have ex
humed the body of the bandit. One
les was said to have been swollen
to enormous tize and to be in such
a gangrenous condition that there was
no doubt as to the cause of death.
Consul Garica refused to commit
himself posisitively tonight as to
whether he . accepted the story of
Villa's death as true
"In the absence of official informa
tion," he said, "I cannot say that the
story is absolutely true, but I consider
the message I have received as reli
able. I have sent a telegram to Gov
ernor Knriqntz of Chihuahua to have
tne body of Villa sent to Jaurez if it
h:is been found, so that the Americans
here can satisfy themselves as to the
facts."
The attitude of American officials
Northwestern railroad, fifty miles west
of Chihuahua and is the point through
which the American troops passed af
ter crossing the great continental di- I
vide in their drive south following the
battle at Guerrero. It is one of the
points on General Pershing's lines of
cemmunication and a detachment of
United, States soldiers is presumably
on duty near there.
One question which has been serious
ly discussed among Americans here is
character of which General Funston
did not wish to reveal.
Major Tompkins' story of the fight
Indicated lack of control over the
troops by the commanding officer of
the Parral garrison. General Lozano,
j and bitter antagonism by the public
and troops. The fighting took place
outside Parral and was continued over
a route of eight miles to Santa Cruz
northeast of Parral on the railroad.
General Funston said tonight that
while Major Tompkins undoubtedly
acted in acccordance with his best
judgment in retreating he regretted
that he had not made a stand on ac-
.,c ..,ll.., Luat a ,o,.sutKH may nave : 0f)unt of the m effect tne story win
been made in the identity of the body have th., Mexican people, who nat
exhumed at Sun Francisco Borja. It ; ura wiu reg:ird tne inciaent as an
is pointed out that in the climate of ; Aniericun uefeat.
northern Mexico decomposition sets in ! Major Tompkins arrived outside
very rapidly and that positive identi- Vnmi on the forenoon of Aoril XI
Iication ot a bodv which hart heen
buried for some days, especially in '
the case of a man who had died from '
Mood poisoning would be very diffi
cult. The doctors who treated Villa here
however, express confidence in their
(Continued on Page Two)
and army officers here ranged from I ability to identify his remains if they
frank skepticism to watchful waiting.
General Bell admited he was a skep
tic as did Consul Edwards in Jaurez,
who snid he had received a message
from Chihuahua City early today in
which no mention of Villa was made.-
On the other harid General Gavira
and his staff freely accepted the story
of ViHu's death as true and expressed
the highest gratification over the news.
Shcrtly alter the first messages were
received in Jaurez bugles blew a tri
umphant fanfare outside General Ga-
ira s headquarters and the roll of
drums summoned the soldiers to hear
tne news. A column of the troops
wlr quickly formed and, headed by
the bugiars, marched down the sun
ny dusty streets toward the playi.
The news flashed from one erd of
Juarez to the other and t'irongd of
civilians joined in the procession in its
triumphal march
The big crowd poured into the plaza
and waited patiently for more than an
hour in expectation of one of the fa
miliar proclamations which follow ev
ery important event in a Mexican
town. They dispersed slowly as it
became evident that no proclamation
wr.s forthcoming.
If Villa's body has been brought to
San Antonio, prepatory to shipping it
to Chihuahua City, as reports here
state, confirmation of the news should
be received shortly from General Per
shing. San Antonio is on the Mexican
are brought to Jaurez.
ENDORSES FOREIGN POLICY
Republican A. P. Leased Wire "
ItOMK, April 16 The chamber of
deputies has endorsed the foreign
policy of the government bv a vote of
302 to 34.
WOULD HAVE BODY
TAKEN TO JUAREZ
, EL PASO, April 16. Consul
Garcia said this afternoon that he
had made a request to Governor
Enriquez, of Chihuahua, to have
Villa's body brought to Juarez,
where the American people can
view it and be convinced that the
bandit is really dead.
-
DESTRUCTION 0 F ANY MEi
PITS m NEAR PARRAL
INI
Republican A. P. Leased Wire ranza garrison took no part in the
EL TASO, April 10. Americans fighting against the Americans, but
. , , . , , r, i made strenuous efforts to restrain the
who arrived here today from Parral i . .
mobs. Of course, there was the usual
denied the stories which had reached Noting, especially in the outlying dis
here previously of enormous destruc- tricts. The Alvarado plant was en
tion of American mining plants in the tered and furniture and supplies car
rioting in and near that city. In par- ried off, but that was all. The plant
ticular they denied that the great litself was not seriously damaged."
plant of the Alvarado Mining com-j This account conformed with a tel
pany had been destroyed. One of jegram received today by Colonel Gar
these arrivals said: icia from General Gutierrez, Carran-
"The whole affair was nothing more 1 za's field commander. General Gu
than a riot by street mobs who had tierrez telegraphed that the Alvarado
been excited by Villista agitators, plant was undamaged, although there
who told them the Americans were j had been some looting. He added
going to seize the city as part of j that he had sufficient troops now in
their invasion of Mexico. The Car- J the Parral district to maintain order.