The Cordova Daily Times
(/""volume TWO. NDMBElTrn OMM».VA. Alaska. TUESDAY jk.umnU APRII.4. 1916.ALASKA, TUESDAY, APRIL 4. W
GERMANS TO MAKE DESPERATE DRIVE
Special by Associated Press.
PARIS, April 3. — The military
writers and experts predict that the
latest attacks on the defences sur
rounding Verdun, forcasted a renewal
of the Teutonic attempts to take thal
fortress. They believe thnt the Ger
mans are preparing for an infantry
rush on a grand scale, hoping to over
whelm the French defenders, aftei
preparing the way by a great artil
lery bombardment. This view is bornf
out to some extent by the French all
scouts, who report that the Germans
have moved batteries of large cali
bre much nearer to the front, giving
them closer range on the French po
sitions. The fighting yesterday and
last night was severe and sustained,
with honors tending to favor the
French, the Teutons not making any
gains, and being swept by a strong
fire (rem the French light artillery
and machine guns. The Germans
have been working with the evident
object of closing the French appfoach
■■ ■ ■ —
>
e3 to Fort Dountnont. A division of i
fifteen thousand Germans was thrown
forward between Douamont fort and 1
the village of Vaux, but their effort
resulted in small gain, the French
yielding but five hundred yards of
the terrain. The fighting was com
pact and terrific and the Germans
suffered heavily. The battling con
tinued ail night the roar of the big
guns mingling with the sharper c rack
le of the machine guns and the rifle
fire, and the explosive bursts of shrap
id. West of the V'use little activity
van shown, tlie chief battle ground
>eing east of the river between Doua
nont and Van* The issue turned
generally in favor of the French, who
regained some ground which they
lost yesterday early, in the northern
portion of the Oaillette wood. The
Bermans had attempted to consolidate
thr^se positions after forcing the
French to retreat, but were driven out
before their task had been accom
plished.
E. E. Swergal, for several years chief
clerk, to the superintendent of the
Copper Hiver and Northwestern rail
road, is now at Doming, New Mexico,
and he writes the following interest
ing report of Villa’s raid on Columbus,
to a Cordova friend:
Columbus, situated in Buna coun
ty (of which Doming is the county
seat), oiMthc E. I*. & S. \V. railway.
80 miles west of El Paso and imme
diately north of the Mexican boundary.
\ small desert town, garrisoned by
two troops of the Thirteenth XI. S.
cavalry. These troops were stationed
at Columbus for mounted patrol duty
I along the border. About 4 a. m. (when
j only one company was in garrison,
I the other patron; this fact having un
doubtedly been reported to Villa by
his many Mexican spies on the Am
erican sine .of the border), two of
Villa’s men crawled up on the Ameri
can sentrres, shooting the two sta
tioned south of the camp, one of the
sentries before dying having killed
' tv.o Villa men and the other killed
one. Before arriving at the boundary
( ilia harrangued his 400 men to kill,
burn and loot; Incidentally premising
each man an American wife (this and
other information confessed by Villa
wounded and prisoners now in Deny
ing jail). Villa overlooked his hand
by instrucing his men to fire the ho
tel and stores, us this resulted in 'lie
town being sufficiently lighted to in
able our troops to deal his men un
believable execution. The Thirteenth
cavalry is noted for marksmanship,
nearly all being medal men. Colum
bus is not a barracks post, consequent
ly troopers are living in tents. Every
American awakened up fighting at the
first, shot, but had to undergo big
risks getting to their ritles and shells,
which were stacked in a centralized
place. Our men fought, in their under
wear and pajamas, women were fore i
out. of hotels and houses in their night
"lathes, nine civilians either burn r
<or shot to death by Viltalis men and
five American troopers kilted. After
the fires were started Villa’s men
started to loot and got away with
some of it, but not far. The Ameri
can.-. were shooting the Mexicans down
in heaps, and having gotten to their
horses they mounted snd followed
Villa's men across the boundary, a
part of the Second troop, which bad
been out on patrol and tend heard the
firing, made a flank movement on
Villa, snooting the horses from under
his men and shooting Ills men as tiiey
ran across the deBert. Sow daylight
l-came, and about twenty-five Arneri
jeans followed Villa fifteen miles south
of the boundary, killing all along the
way. Seeing Villa reorganizing for
a stand, and fearing secret forces, the
Americans returned to Columbus. The
count of dead Villa men finally rose
to 200 or more, as they were gathered
up and burned during the following
days. Dead horses, saddles and arms
dotted the desert along the line of
retreat. Villa's men almost invariably
being shot in the head, demonstrating
the fine shooting qualities of our men.
it is believed Villa expected to steal
In. massacre all soldier - and men civ
ilians, loot the arms, ammunition an 1
I stores, capture white men and escape
! south. Hut he was treated to a noli of
j surprise, the greatest he ever cx
| j-e.-iencod, for he apparently had over
looked the fart that he was going i<i>
against Americans instead of Mexi
cans.
Thousands of Curranzu garrison m<n
stationed along the border at Juarez,
Agua Prieta, Naco, Nogales, etc.
have never yet, and are not now, mak
ing a move to apprehend Villa. \m
eric^ns conclude they are either '.uke
warm for Carranza and at heart \ ilia
men, or their commatiders personally
fear to attack Villa. Villa is a foxy
and daring fighter, and knows that
lie has psychologically "buffaloed” the
Carranza men. Americans here think
that Professor Wilson has made an
other mistake in his failure to de
mand of Carranza that Villa be deliv -
ered dead or alive in. say. thirty
days. We don’t understand why
Americans should spend $50.75 per
minute and hazard our men’s lives
while Carranza men are setting on
their soft chairs and rolling pills. We
have not any assurance but that corn
' plications will set in. and Carranza
j men (so-called) will rally to Viila and
attock our men unexpectedly. Confi
dent that our soldiers arc capable of
doing some high grade professional
billing if confronted with treaeherv.
Villa is retreating into Sierra Mad
ras and unless our men apprehend
him roon he will be able to get into
his own well known hiding places.
Many bandits, singly or in groups,
are running freely on both sides of
the boundary. Following the Colum
bus attack. Deming and other border
towns feared a secret assault. All
American homes are under arms, and
all Americans carry arms when out
side of the towns. Mounted armed
Mexicans have come as far as the
Southern Pacific main line. Ameri
cans have been either kilted, wounded
or pursued on both sides of the bor
der, but Mexicans, too, have received
(Continued on Page Three.)
bandit gives enemy the slip
El. PASO, April 3. — From all tha
can be learned concerning the pneneir
status of the chase of GeaicraJ Villa
1 it is believed that the Merdcan band!
1 has slipped through the net which thf
' Carranza and America ntroops wer<
drawing around him. The report th*
’ Villa had been wounded has not yeJ
’ been confirmed, although It is per
sister.t'y reported that he i# hadll'3
hurt and unable to walk.
• ,
WASHINGTON. April 3. — A flghl
j between a small group of the VHh
i forces and the Carranza forces undei
Colonel I)ato occurred last Wednes
day. Emmanuel Boco, one of Vllla’t
1 commanders, was kXtied.
FIELD SiEADQUARTEES, Mexico
April 3. —!It is officially reported that
the American troops were cause behind
General Villa yesterday. The Ameri
can cavalry entered a village shortly
attiw Villa Siad departed. American
air arcoirts -are now flying over tilt
| entire* country suspected of hiding
j Villa, asnd the .army motor traeks have
jalso penetrated into the mountains
\ keeping up the supply lines Pur the
j flying esrtumns of cavalrymen.
i ________w
I
EL PASO, April 3. — General Ga
vaseos. hoad of the garrison at Guer
rero, reported today to General -Ga
vlra, the Carranza commander at Jua
rez, that VSBa had been wounded in
m
the knee In the fight between the
Carranzaistsaa and the haridin at
Guerrero.
SAN ANTONIO, April 3. — General
Pershing reported to General Funstcm
at headquarters today that a detach
ment of Villa forces, which Use Am
ericans under Coloneil Dodd defeated
at Guerrero lant Wednesday, were lo
cated today near Baehineva, northeast
of Guerrero.
FIELD HEADQUARTERS, Mexico.
April 3. — Scouting American cavalry
men encountered n fleeing force of
Villnistas early Sunday morning in the
mountains in 'ho vicinity of Guei
rero. The light was short, as tile Vil
laistas put up a weak resistance, and
those who were not killed by the
Americans were captured. The Am
ericans suffered no losses. The
whole country around Guerrero Is be
ing combed., as It is thought that Villa
is not far away. Scouting parties and
detachments at American cavalry are
searching all tlie valieys, and hamlets.
In an effort to get information con
cerning the course travelled by Villa.!
So far nothing has been learned con
cerning his wanderings, except that
one of the captured bandits stated he
was hurt, and was being carried fur
ther into the mountains in a coach.
i HONG KONG, April 3. — The Mg
- Japanese liner Ciyu Maru, bound front;
> San Francisco to Japan, stranded to
) j day 111 a heavy storm off the Leran
»| islands, near this seaport. All of the
r passengers and crew have been saved,
» and the ship has been abandoned.
- The storm haa driven the boat far
- up the beach and the pounding it is
- receiving from the wages will pro
bably make the ship • tola) wreck.
SACRAMENTO. April 3. — A map
named W. R. Smith, appeared in the
Oak Park branch of the Sacramento
bank today and thrust a gun under
the noses of the two tellers, ordering
them to throw up their hands. They
did so, and the man, who was dressed
as a cowboy, grabbed seveu thousand
dollars Ip currency aud fled. The tel
lers immediately gave the alarm, and
the thief wa* captured after a mile
chase.
John Honan and Bennett James.1
I mining operator# from Seward, spent
, Sunday evening with Cordova friends
on their return home from an ex
tended trip to the States.
-.0:
W. T. Foster, of Fairbanks, left for
the Stales on the Admiral Evans, tak
ing with him the body'of his wife, who
died al their home in the interior.
-:o:
The Chamber of Commerce held a
special meeting list night, and consid
ered a number of matters of local in
terest.
-:a:
John J. Wold, a ship carpenter, on
the steamer Victoria, who has been
a patient at the local hospital for sev
eral weeks, was an outgoing passen
ger on the stoamer Evans tor hi*
horap in the States.
:
CONSTANTINOPLE, April 3.—The 1
war office issued an official bulletin '
[his morning containing the statement I
!hat a ten thousand ton Russian trans- s
port, laden with troops and war mu- i
[ilt'.ons. for the Grand Duke's army (
n Asia Minor, bad been torpedoed and 1
junk by a Turkish submarine on r
dnrch 30. 6
-: o:- t
Walter Warner left on the Farragut
or Valdez.
‘1 l!
S LONDON. April 3. — Further Zep
) pelin raids over Great Britain oc
curred Saturday and Sunday nights.
Sixteen persons were killed by the
bombs Saturday night, hut little dam
age was accomplished by the air raid
ers on Sunday.
BERLIN, April 3. — It was official
ly announced today that on Sunday
night a flotilla of Zeppelins attacked
the cities of Edinburgh and Lieth, in
Scotland, and also dropped bombs on
the dock establishments along the
Firth of Forth. The important ship
building firms in the Tyne at Edin
burgh were also bombarded. Men
on the Zeppelins report seeing several
fires break out in the buildings, and
violent explosions were also heard
A battery near Newcastle, which was
firing at the airships was silenced
All ol the Zeppelins returned it
safety.
LONDON, April 3. — The govern
ment announced officially today that
ten persons had been killed and clever
i wounded in Sunday night’s raid b\
} the German Zeppelins along the east
ern coast or Scotland and England
All of the casualties happened ir
Scotland, the mombs dropped in Eng
land having fallen harmlessly in th<
water or in the open fields.
-—
JISI VALLEY
DELEGATE 01
IT SEWARD
FAIRBANKS, April 3. — TerUftoria
Committeeman Tom Lloyd, left hen
this morning to attend the Repu'tfficai
y convention, to be held in Seward oi
April 19. Lloyd has with him aboil
forty-five proxies from Repififlicai
delegates, half or wfeieSi are «on
ditional, with instructions that Utoyt
vote for Wiekesham, as tine Repifblieai
candidate for delegate. Lloyd wfll
go over the trail to Chitlna, and pro
bablv take the railroad to Cordova
meeting with the Cordova delegate*
and all going over on the same treat
to Seward. Lloyd refused to discom
his choice for national committeeman
-or the reported combination between
Wtckersham and Shadjleford.
CHANGES MADE
■WASHINGTON, April 3. — Tin
Senate is debating the army bill, am
numerous amendments being propose!
are being disposed of as rapidly a
possible. An amendment offered b;
Senator Cummins of Iowa, was adop
&d after a spirited debate toduy
i^'iirh provides for the creation of i
militia section under the direct com
mand of five officers, who shall b
members of the general staff of th<
army. This is contrary to the hill a
reported by the committee on militar;
affairs, and although the committe*
and Its chairman, Senator Chamber
lain of Oregon, opposed the amend
ment, it was carried over theJr ob
¥ ft
'\t .
J. ,
This Is election day, arul there i«
but one ticket in the field for the lo
cal offices to be filled. It is known
as the Peoples' ticket, and the eon*
cilmanie candidates are Henry A. 81*
ter, Edgar J. Davis, Bartley Howard,
Wm. L. Smith and George A. Harmon,
members of the present body, and A.
J. Adams and E. A. IIegg. For presi
dent of the school board. Nathaniel
Greene. The polls open at 7 o'clock
a. m. and close at 7 p. m. There are
221 voters registered, and it is hoped
that all will cast a ballot, in order to
make a good showing lor the town.
At a regular meeting of the city
council, held last night tie- election
officers to conduct tie municipal elec
tion were chosen, ami are as follows:
Judges, F. \V. .Marshall, t ii.tries M.
Rossv.ug and .1. !!. Not ton ri. rk •, L.
H. Belter and E. W. Exum.
Under a new territorial -v the
marshal's office serve 1 no on the
-'-ulnon keepers to do Me - of
business at midnight, and re ain
closed until 7 o'clock tonight.
-:o:
NEW YORK, April 3. — Oliver
Cline, the fugitive cashier of the Pa
cific Coast Company, was arrested in
this city last night. He is charged
with the embezzlement of the com
pany's funds. He expressed his wil
lingness to return to Seattle and face
his accusers without forcing the pro
secutors to ask for extradition papers.
He denied that he was guilty of any
wrongdoing, and said that the whole
matter would be explained when he
returned.
GERMANY WILL
REPLY
WASHINGTON. April 3. — The
German government has replied to
Ambassador Geradd’s request for in
formation as to whether the English
man and the Eussex were torpedoed
by German submarines, saving that a
arompt reply would be forwarded to
Washington, as soon as reports could
3e received from all the submarine
;ommanders at sea at the time these
ihips were sunk. The American gov
•rnment will feel called upon to eon
;ider the sinking as a vi o > e
epeated promises of Germany, and
trill demand that Germany disavow
he unwarned attack ur " t
hips with American passengers if it
s found that they were torpedoed by
lerman submarines. The reply is el
ected to be forthcoming about the
liddle of the week, as it would take
even or eight days for the admiralty
j complete its investigation.
-o —
Special Show at Empress tonight.