Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-05-28

city Of Chihuahua, which he procured
by stealing cattle from the neighbor-
ing farms. Suspecting one of his sub
ordinates, Cristobal Juarez, of steal
ing on his own account, he killed him
one night in the latter part of No
vember in the Gale de la Liberadad.
In the early part of May, 1913, Villa,
with Is men, assaulted a train al
Baeza, state Of Chihuahua, that was
carrying bars of gold and silver val
ued at 100000 pesos, killing the crew
and several passengers, including
Messrs. CaraVantes and Senior Isaac
Herrera Of Ciudad Guerrero.
Murders In Cold Blood.
Late in the same month he entered
the town of San Andres, Chihuahua,
and assaulted the house of Senior
Sabas Murga an haciendado, who,
with his two sons, tried to defend
themselves. Two of his nephews
were killed, but the Murgas got away.
Villa than got hold of two sons-in-law
Of Murga who had not taken any part
in the fight, and after torturing them
to say where their father-in-law had
hidden his money, he had them killed.
Towards the end of the month Viii
liza, Chihuahua, shooting all prisoners
and treating the principal officers with
terrible cruelty. Colonel Pueblecita
was shot and his body dragged along
the streets of the town. The COM
mercial houses of Messrs, Visconti,
(Spaniards) and many others were
totally sacked. Many private persons
were murdered, one of the worst cases
being that of a Spaniard, Senior Mon
t1lla, cashier of the house of Cordo y
Blanco, who was shot over the head of
la personally kicked her in the face as
she lay on the dead body of her hus-
band. He also himself killed a Senior
Ramos, secretary of the court of first
instance
Massacre at Casas Grandes.
In July, 1913, Villa took Casas
Grandes, Chihuahua, and shot more
than 80 noncombatants, violating sew
eral 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 $50 prisoners, many Of these be-
ing women and children. In shooting
these people, In order to economic
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 bonfres 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 he took prisoner a
man of more than seventy years of
age, named Jose Dolores Moreno, de-
handing from him ransom Of $500.
AS he could not pay Villa killed him
with his own hand
All His Prisoners Shot.
On September 29, 1913, Villa, hav.
ing overpowered a force of over 500
federals commanded by General Alvi-
rez at Aviles, fifteen kiIometers from
Torreon, had every prisoner shot
Villa has shot in Chihuahua $50 nom
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 govern
ment had left before Villa entered the
city. Special mention may be made
of the case of Senior Ignacio Irigoyen
and Senior Jose A. Yanez, 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 $780,
900 each Having obtained from Villa
himself safe conducts to leave by
train for the border, the train in which
they were was caught up at Monte
yuma by a locomotive in which were
several officers in Villas confidence,
headed by an ex-Maderista deputy
called Miguel Baca Ronquillo, who
took them from the train and shot
them in the presence of the passen-
gers.