VILLA, THE INFAMOUS

Evening Star, Issue 15513, 8 June 1914, Page 7

VILLA, THE INFAMOUS

A FRIGHTFUL CAREER (From a Correspondent of the London 'Telegraph.') Francisco Villa was born at Las Nioves in the State of Durango about the year 1868. He is wholly uneducated, being unable to read and barel» able to sign his name. About the year 1882, when only 14 years of age, he was eentenced to a term of imprisonment for cattle-stealing. On his discharge he settled in the mining camp of Guanacevi, where a few months later he underwent another 6entenoe of imprisonment for homicide. When he came out of prison for the second time he organised a band of robbers, which had their headquarters in the mountainous region of "Perico" in the State of Durango, and were the terror of all that district. In the year 1907 he was in partnership with one Francisco Reza, stealing cattle in Chihuahua and selling them in the United States, and then stealing mules and horses in the United States and selling them in Chihuahua. In consequence of some disagreement he shot and killed Reza. in broad daylight, while sitting in the plaza in the City of Chihuahua. During the early part ci November, 1910. he attacked the factory of a Mr Soto, in Allende, State of Chihuahua, and killed the owner. By threatening the latter's daughter he forced her to Slow where she had hidden a sum of ll,ooodol, which he stole and used for arming a considerable force. He then joined Maderos revolution, uniting his band with Urbina's column. In January, 1911, he was at Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, where he killed Caries Aiatorre and Luis Ortiz for refusing to pay him the money he demanded for their ransom. At Batopilas, State of Chihuahua, in February of the same year, he tortured a lady named Senora Maria 3e la Luz Gomez until he made her pay him 30„000dol. She died from the effects of the barbarous treatment she received. —Cold-blooded Crimes. —

When Ciudad Juarez wa6 taken from the Federals in May, 1911, he killed Senor lgnacio Gomez Oyola, a man of over 60 years of age, under the following circumstances: —Having sent for him, Villa asked whether he had any arms in his house, and on his saying he had not, Villa, " who was seated on a table," drew his revolver and shot him dead. After rifling the corpse of money and valuables it was tin-own into the street. After the triumph of the revolution, Villa, in November, 1911, obtained a monopoly from the then Governor of Chihualiua for the 6ale of meat in the city of Chihuahua, which he procured by stealing cattle from the neighboring farms. Suspecting one of his subordinates, Cristobal Juarez, of stealing on his own account, he killed him one night in the latter part of November in the Calle de la Libertad. In the early part of May, 1913, Villa, with 75 men, assaulted a train at Baeza, State of Chihuahua, that was carrying bare of gold and silver valued at 100,000 pesos, killing the crew and several passengers, including Messrs Caravantes and a Senor Isaac Herrero, of Ciudad Guerrero. Later in the same month he entered the town of San Andres, Chihuahua, and assaulted the house of Senor Sabas Murga, an Hacendado, who, with his two sons, tried to defend themselves. Two of his nephews were killed, but the Murgas got away. Villa then got hold of two sons-in-law of Murga who had not taken any part in the fight, and after 1 torturing them to say where their father-in-law had hidden his money he had them killed. Towards the end of the month Villa's band took the town of Sta. Rosalia, Chihuahua, shooting all prisoners and treating the principal officers with terrible cruelty. Colonel Puebiecita was shot and his body dragged along the streets of the town. The commercial houses of Messrs Visoonti, Sarli, Cia Harinera, Sordo y Blanco (Spaniards), and many others were totally sacked. Many private persons were murdered, one of the worst cases being that of a Spaniard, Senor Montilla, cushier of the house of Sordo y Blanco, who was shot over the head of his wife, who tried to defend him. Villa personally kicked her in the face as she lay on the dead body of her husband. He also himself killed a Senor Ramos, secretary of the Court of First Instance. He arrested more than 20 of the principal people of Sta, Rosalia, torturing them and taking them out to be shot, until he obtained from tbem 70.000 pesos, which were collected by several people in order to save their lives. One of these was a lady, Senora Maria B. Coviero, who was herself also tortured until the sum Villa wanted was forthcoming. —Wholesale Atrocities. —

In July, 1913, Villa took Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, and shot more than 80 noncombatants, violating several young girls, amongst them two young ladies named Castillo. He attacked and took the town of San Andres, which was held by the Federals. in September, 1913, shooting many peaceable residents and more than 150 prisoners, many of these being women and children. In shooting these people, in order to economise cartridges, he placed one behind the other up to five at one time, very few of them being killed outright. The bodies of the dead and wounded were then soaked with petroleum and thrown into bonfires prepared for the purpose. The prisoners were forced themselves to make the bonfire and cover with petroleum the rest of the victims. After this he went to the small town of Carretas, where ho took prisoner an old man of more than 70 years of age, na.ned Jose Dolores Moreno, demanding from him a ransom of 200dol. As he could not pay, Villa killed him with his own hand. On September 29, 1913, Villa, having overpowered a force of over 500 Federals commanded by General Alvirez at Aviles, 15 kilometres from Torreon, had every prisoner shot. Towards the end of November he took the city of Juarez by surprise. Nearly all the Federal officers who were taken there were shot, as well as some 60 non-combatants, most of them inferior employees and servants. The higher employees had managed to escape across the river to the American city of El Paso, Texas. On December 8, 1913, Villa took possession of the town of Chihuahua, which had been abandoned by the Federals since November 28, seizing all the commercial houses of Spaniards and Mexicans, down to the smallest bars and drag stores, besides some owned by other foreigners. Moreover, Villa expelled all the Spaniards, obliging more than 500 Spanish families to leave within three days. Only two Spaniards disobeyed this order—namely, two brothers, Martinez, owners of a small eating-hojuse. Villa thereupon ordered them to be beaten to death. —Children Held to Ransom.—

Senor Pedro Olivares, an old and very infirm man, whose shop, under the name of Josa Ma Sanchez, Successor, had been already pl'indered, is being held until he pays 50,000d0l ransom. He has already paid 10,000dol for two of his children, these also having been held for ransom. Villa also took prisoners two children of 14 years of age called Lorenzo Arellano and Alfonso Aloliner, sons of two gentlemen who were able to leave Chihuahua before Villa arrived. Many private houses have been occupied by Villa's men, who use their carriages and automobiles. These last are placed at the disposal of public women for their daily orgies. The house of Senora T. S. Vda. de Pietro is also occupied by the rebels. This lady paid 25,000 pesos to Villa to allow her to leave the town- Villa has shot in Chihuahua 150 non-combatants, the greater number being poor people who could not leave for want of means, or because they thought they ran no risks, as they took no part in politics. For all the people in any way connected with the Government had left before Villa entered the city. Special mention may be made of the case of flanor Ignacio Irigoyen and Senor Jose A. YStn'ez, who, though in no way connected with politics, were taken by Villa and tortured for several days with threats to shoot them until they paid ransoms of 20,000d0l each Having obtained fron Villa himself safe conducts to leave by tr-iin for the border, the train in which they were was caught up at the station of Montezuma by a locomotive in which were several officers in Villa's confidence, headed by an exMaderista deputy called Miguel Baca Ronquillo, who took them from the train and shot them iu the presence of the passengers.