El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-12-06
Pancho Villa, From Bandit to Military Dictator

way runs. was the scene of Villas life !
as a fugitive from Justice" His oper-
ations covered hundreds of square
miles of territory. One week he might
be resting his men in the village or
San Andreas, 60 miles west of Chihua-
hua. and the next be seeking refuge or
holding pursuers at bay in the noun
tain Businesses west of MADEIRA As
the years went by, the country people
learned that Villa was their friend.
for he aided them with food many
times, and they became his friends.
Government spies working to learn
where Villa and his band might be,
met with little success, for the peas
antry shielded him whenever they
could.
wits and Bravery Saved Him.
It is said that Villa would visit
Chihuahua at times, going alone into
the capital, when he knew that cap
three times he narrowly escaped be-
ing caught, but his wits and bravery
always got him safely away. As he
says himself, Il was spared, I suppose,
to help my people. I gave those
''CientificOs' some trouble, and I am
still here giving them more"
His last daring act before joining
the Madero revolution in 1911 was the
killing, it is alleged. of high police
official. Like the eScapade that made
him an outlaw, this took place in the
capital of Chihuahua It is said that
this official angered at the failure or
the ''rurales" to capture Villa, told
friends that he himself would go out
and "get' the outlaw. villa learned
of the threat and wrote to the off
cial, saying that it would not be nee
essary to come out for him. as he.
Villa, would call on the official at
Villa called. He rode into the cap
ital one night, so the story goes, and
met the official coming out of the po-
lice station. A duel followed and the
police officer was killed, while Villa
rode back to his mountains unframed
This incident aroused the authorities
and elaborate preparations to hunt
Villa down were made. Before they
could be carried out, Francisco / Ma
derO's revolution burst forth and Villa.
for a time was forgotten
Joined MaderO's Revolution.
In the early part of 1911, when Ma
dero's army had penetrated western
chihuahua, villa offered his services
and those Of his men to the dtminutive
leader. From that time on he became
a man with a definite purpose, and
that was to GUST Porfirio DiaZ and
the "CientificOs" from power in Mex
leo. His loyalty to Madero and the
principles for which Madero gave up
his life have never been questioned In
the least. When men of a supposedly
higher stamp than Villa turned their
backs on Madero after aiding him to
overthrow Diaz, Villa remained true to
him and the cause he represented.
The history of the MaderO revolution
and the events that followed Madero's
succession to the presidential chair has
no part in this story It is sufficient
that Villa fought bravely for the
cause He was in the battle of CaSaS
Grandes and took part in the siege that
gave Juarez to Madero and ended the
revolution, in fact he is said to nave
ordered the battle to open. When
Madero went to Mexico City. Villa ac-
mand Of a volunteer corps in Chihua-
hua, with headquarters at ParraL
Was Loyn1 at ParraL.
Then. in February, 1912, the Orozco
revolution against Madero broke out
Villa refused to join and held his men
loyal to the man who, as Villa says,
gave him a chance to become a peace
full citizen. The progress of the OroZco
revolution and its collapse when
Huerta assumed the reins OF govern
ment at Mexico City, have already
been written. Villas main part in 1t
was to defeat the OrOzcO column under
Emilio p Campo. which was sent TO
capture Parral in March, 1872. with
less than 500 men, villa met Campa's
army of 1900 at ParraI and gave them
a severe beating.
Realizing that he could not hope to
hold Parral against the army that he
Villa evacuated the city with all his
forces a few days after the battle, tax
ing with him, it is reported several
hundred thousand pesos from the Bank
Of Parral Marching overland, ne
reached TOrreOn, where he waited Tor
the army which Madero was preparing
to send north against the OrOzouistas.
How this army, led by Gen. Victor
iano Huerta- now provisional president
of Mexico reached TOrreOn from Mex
NJ (lTOTc0
forces back to Chihuahua has already
been written. Villa placed himself
under the command of Huerta and
started nOrthward with him.
MaderO Saved Him From HuertR.
Huerta placed Villa under arrest on
a charge of characterization. The real
story of what led UP to the arrest has
never been told, though 1t Is said
leadership abilities. Tt is also whis-
pered that Huerta feared Villa. Huerta
is said to have been plotting against
Madero even at that early date ana
feared to have Villa with him, for he
knew that the exoutlaW was loyal TO
the man who had Ousted Diaz
Sentenced to death by courtmarttal
of Huerta's officers, it looked for a
time that Villas career was about TO
end But Madero ordered that Villa be
sent to Mexico City, where the charge
against him could be given fuller in
Villa was sent under
guard to the Mexican capital ana
placed in the penitentiary there. He
dropped from the public eye for
time, until the news was flashed over
the telegraph wires one night that ne
had escaped from prison and was en-
I cute to the United States. It is the
current belief that Madero allowed him
to escape
Turned Up On Border
When next heard from he was here
in FL Paso. That was in March, 1918,
a few days after MaderO was MUIR
1ered in Mexico City. Eager to avenge
the death of his benefactor, Villa did
not remain here long.
One rainy night about the middle OF
March, Villa disappeared from I'll
Paso, crossing into Mexico below
Ysleta. The other day he was telling
Of the passage across the line to his
home in Juarez-
Tells of organizing Army.
THAT night I had eight men with
me. We had no definite plan, but had
decided to make for my old haunts IN
the Sierra Madre mountains, where
knew that could find men to follow
me. We had one sack of flour, two
small packages of coffee and some
salt. That was all of our food sup
plies OF course, we were all armed !
but had little ammunition.
Now" and the general smiled, Tess
than nine months from that night.
have an army Of $4,000 men under |
my command and have possession or |
all of the state of Chihua- !
hua. When I first began to gather !
men around me down in the noun
Of M