Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-05-29

told themselves they loved younl
"Pancho" more for the love he showet
for them. But the suitors continued
to come and the gallops in the hill
were as frequent a. before.
il.-vIIIa Stays the Man.
There was q certain young magis
trate in the town Of Torreon whom
Villa disliked intensely. Word came
to "Pancho" at length that this magis
trate was seen ogling his elder sister
Later villa detected the pair in 8
clandestine meeting. In q rage hs
ordered his sister home and threat
ened the young magistrate with dealt
should he dare set foot on villa prop
erty again. That night. upon his ar
rival At the ranch house. young Pan
cho" berated his sister sharply and
commanded her to cease her friend
ship with the magistrate.
The senorita's eyes filled with tears
She had become infatuated with the
wealthy young man.
At the morning meal next day the
elder sister was missing A search OF
the house failed to reveal her. Pan.
oho" was worried. He discovered,
then, that the young magistrate, too,
had disappeared. The pair had eloped.
The brothers rage knew no bounds
and at once he girded himself for pur.
suit.
He galloped madly to the home of
a priest whom he knew.
Get your horse and come with me. "
were the only words that "Pancho"
spoke to the man of the church. There
was that in the speakers eyes which
made the priest obey.
In silence they rode rapidly on into
the hills, where Villa was confident
his sister and the young magistrate
had gone. An hour before nightfall
they struck the clippers trail. Push
ing on. despite the darkness. "Pan-
cho" and the priest came upon the
couple in a camp they had pitched in
q sheltered nook.
Villa said no word, but drew his re-
volver. The fellow trembled at the
sight Of the irate brother. "Pancho"
turned to the priest.
Marry them" he ordered sharply
Refusal was on the churchman's
lips, but a flourish of Villas revolver
caused him to comply.
There In the dark Of night. in the
hills high above Torreon, the marriage
was solemnized. 1t WAS q marriage
by no words of congratu-
lation. NO smiles, no kisses. Within
ten minutes from the time Francisco
Villas sister became the young mag.
tstrate's bride she became his widow.
Villas acts Of that night are history
in and about Torreon.
Scarcely had the ceremony been
said when villa stepped between his
sister and the magistrate. Again he
turned to the priest.
Make ready a death warrant" he
ordered. grimly.
Again the churchman would have
refused, but young "Pancho's" revolt
yer made him obey. SEEKING the
priests leather bound book and tear
ing the fyleaf from 1t, villa coolly
wrote the words that spelled death
for his sisters abductor. At the point
Of his pistol he made the priest sign
the paper.
A moment later q single shot rang
out In the forest stiffness. The form
Of the young magistrate stiffened.
then crumpled. twisted and fell
dead
villa ordered the priest to conduct
his sister to her home. Then he gal.
loped OF in the darkness. His career
as bandit had begun.
lIl.-vIIla, the Bandit.
For more than fourteen years after
that night of tragedy "Pancho"
roamed the woods and the hills,
hunted by the rurales amounted DO
lice), always terrorizing them and al
ways eluding their grasp. He never
was captured. The town Of Torreon
rings with the stories of the bandit
Villas deeds In the hills. His raids
and his deeds of daring became the
talk Of the community.
Secretly, of course. the ranchers of
the community who had known young
'Pancho" sympathized with him and
we're glad to hear of his successful
Of the rurales. Publicly. how.
ever. a. he was an outlaw, "Pancho"
was denounced and the rurales were
urged to bring him to town. dead or
live. Time after time villa escaped.
He made them appear a. laggards
md blunderers. Under their very
noses the bandit would perpetrate his
leeds Of daring, laugh at the rurales,
hen escape into the hills. The posses
hat pursued him invariably returned
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