The Washington times., 1913-12-21

$500 men, he was forced to retreat from
a siege of Chihuahua, by the ARRIVAL OF
re-enforcements for General Mercado,
who was defending the city for the 1eu
erals At TERRA Blanca he captured a
troop train end an idea
Strategy Like Trojan Horse.
Taking the name of the officer in
charge of the. train, villa seized the
telegraph Office, dictated a message
signed with this name, representing that
rebels were reported south OF TERRA
Blanca and asking permission TO re-
turn to JuareZ. This was sent TO Cen
eral Castro, Cederal commander at Jua-
rez. Castro denurred at bringing the
train back, giving the opinion that the
rebels were only a party Of Suerillas.
villa sent on d message declaring that
two culverts had been blown UP ahead
of uhe engine. and that there were re-
ports in TERRA blanca that villa is
moving north" Then Castro reluctantly
gave the order for the return oi Ihe
train. 80
Quickly loading 800 Of his men, with
several rapid fire guns. on The cars
Villa began daring ride Just be
was stopped and four nnen went for
ward seized the station agent and tele-
.-raph operator. wired ahead the arrival
of tn. train at that station and then
pushed onward. The train had to be
backed by the engine the entire dis
tsnce. as there was no chance to take
the time for switching at any point.
II was ticklish work. The slightest
alarm before the telegraph operator WAS
seized at am. OF the stations would
have meant death to the whole party,
az tie federals had mines under all the
frid2es and the touch 6f a button would
have sent the train bodily into the air
or into some deep chasrn. But the SIM
1uF= n
saved the day. Early in the morning
of November i, Villas band was borne
secretly INTO sleeping Juarez somewhat
as the Greeks were borne INTO Troy IN
the wooden horse, and noisclessly sciz-
ing the points of vantage. Ctudad
JuareZ, a prize in every revolution In
Mexico. woke up to fnd itself i con-
stitutionalist cit.
Got Idea From American.
Villa got his idea, 1t is said, from an
American soldier OF fortune, who once
related to him the famous railroad raid
/ Of the civil war when if-a-dozen-oc-
| so Union men led b. James j. Andrews
| seized train and made a wild dash
from Marietta, :, Ga for Chattanooga.
| TO cut the Confederate supply lines.
| ''pancho' is of magnetic personality.
fcunninG. resourceful and alert. He has
some OF the capacity Of Stonewall Jack
son for driving his men on forced
lnafCneS ana appearing SuuueHly AT lne
| unexpected place. striking q telling
| blow. then. disappearing utterly. only
to be heard from week later, miles
away. doing more damage. He has the
nerve TO make a bold attack. but even
his friends say he will run to avoid a
pitched battle with a force of equal
size.
This man if Ire makes good his prom
| Use to press southwark until the city OF
Mexico falls, will beyond a doubt de-
mand the reward that every Mexican
conuueror demands and receives, the
! presidency OF the republic.
Already, how ever, a counter-revolu-
| tion has been started against his power
| in the State of Chihuahua. Col. Juan
N Medina, his ,deposed chief or staff,
| is at the head of the movement.
Medina is in Ell PasO. confined IN Jail
but he is immensely popular md is di-
recting the movement. Villa is not
! liked because Of his execution of civil
ians Most imporatnt OF all. however.
| is the rumor that Gems. Orozco ana Sal
azar may throw their federal forces
| with the new junta.
There are different stories in Mex
| ico today as to the starting Of Villa $
career. He first became known as a
! murderer. hTe fact Is pretty generally
agreed to, but the stories Of this first
| crime differ greatly. Villas family was