The historic times. [volume] (Lawrence, Kansas) 1891-1891, 1891-08-22
A MEXICAN TERROR.
He Rivals the Most Blood Thirsty and Fee
rocious of italian Bandits.

I
He Rivals the Most Blood Thirsty and Fee
rocious of italian Bandits.
Ibid | know Natividad Villaneuva,
the bandit? had reason to know him
well This was presented to me BY him
when we were school-fellows together,
and this one received from one of his
men when |, as a soldier in the Mexican
army. was assisting 70 capture him in
the mountains.
1t was Miguel Antonio, residing In /
San Francisco, who spoke. He had
been asked for information about the /
adventures of the bandit whose death |
by the bullet, after he had killed civil |
Judge near Guadalajara, was recently |
reported in telegram from the City OF |
Mexico.
| The first scar was one that had been
made by knife just above the fore
head on Antonio's scalp, and the second
scar was from bullet that had struck
/ his left arm between the elbow and
wrist
! so the wretch is dead. It's a good
thing. People can travel on the noun
| tain trails of the state of Jalisco now
/ without being escorted by regiment
/ of soldiers.
HE gave me this cut on the head
when he was not yet ten years old.
One day when he was about eighteen
years of age he stabbed in the back
youth who reprimanded him for beat
ing his aged father The wounded boy
died and Villaneuva was arrested.
Through the connivance OF a jaller he
made his escape and became an out
law.
Going to the mountains, Villaneuva
Joined a gang of bandits and accom-
panied them on their depreciation tours.
A year later his leader was killed dur
ing brush with soldiers, and his COM
panions, recognizing his natural tai
ents for the position, chose Villaneuva
as their leader. Under the guidance OF
the youth, who had not attained his
twentieth year, the gang became the
terror of the country around Guadala-
lara. They did not confine their opera
tons to attacking travellers in the noun
tains, but often made excursions into
Guadalajara, carrying off cattle, food,
money, clothing, and often women. At
the request of the people a regiment of
soldiers was stationed in the town.
81 remember the time Villaneuva
captured a man from ST Louis named
Sessions He had a mine in the state OF
Jalisco, and was travelling with body
, guard of pack mules carrying with
, him large sum of money to pay off his
| employees.
"At certain point in the mountains
two men stepped into. the road and said:
? Senior Villaneuva would like to see
I YOU At the mention of the bandits
name the bodyguard threw down their
, weapons They knew better than to
, fight when he opposed them. Sessions
5 remained in Villaneuva's camp several
/. weeks All his money was taken from
r him, and Villaneuva found on his per-
a son letter of credit on bank in the
: City of Mexico.
I 1.-THE traveller starved nearly a week
q before hunger drove him to accede tc
q Villaneuva's demand that he be giver
J. an order on the bank for the amount
= designated in the letter of credit. Their
/ Villaneuva, to punish Sessions for hi:
obstinacy, cut the flesh off his nose
When the courier returned from the
City of Mexico with the money Session!
was restored to liberty.
IT at was his rule to kill every prisoner
captured who had no money. When h'
e thought captive was obstinate abou
= yielding up money the most frightfu
tortures would be resorted to in orde
n to enforce obedience. 1t was in suci
Is a way that Mexican cattle raiser me
p his death. Being captured by Villa
neuva he declined to writ home for tn
', ransom.
II THE starvation system was resorte'
re to until his captive was almost dead
when, seeing that it had no effect, Vii
4 laneuva determined to try more afro
Id cious method. The cattle raiser wa
" strapped and thrown on the ground
bandit with a sharp stick bored hole
d through his hands, arms, cheeks an
RI legs, while red-hot irons were apple
~ to his feet. But the cattle-raiser wa
plucky and died under the torture with
o. out yielding. 1t afterwards transpire
K. that his daughter and invalid mothe
~ would have been left destitute If he ha
- written for the ransom.
MANY conflicts did Villaneuva an
~ his men have with the soldiers while
90 was in the army, but he always cam
- off first hest IN Y Journal