The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-04

secretly aided the opposition and
quickly replied that military necessity"
required that the military must rule
until Mexico was at peace. Villa knew
the men he had put in charge in Chi
| huahua and he did not know who would
| be elected
When Chihuahua was taken Villa
made prisoners OF many men in the
city whom he suspected OF treachcry.
one by one they were shot. Six were
to be shot one morning in n Quartet and
villa was on the spot early lie ordered
one of them to step out. asked him a
few questions, pulled his revolver and,
without a movement that showed emo
ton. shot the man.
As the victim tumbled at the feet Of
the big leader one Of the remaining Ave
stepped forward and pleaded TO he given
trial.
II will shoot you first: then you can
tell me your story" villa replied. and
the revolver cracked and the man fell
at his feet. villa smiled at his Joke.
A Federal spy was caught along tho
railroad track between Chihuahua and
Juarez. According to reports, he had
discriminating papers. Villa ordered
him executed. The man pleaded for
chance to send a message to his mother.
IAN right" said villa we will put
you up very close to the telegraph
wires" and ne ordered the man hanged
| to the nearest pole.
| These incidents denote the type ~
man he Is when an enemy is concerned.
Yet his heart is tender to the appeal of
woman for bread. and he will express
sympathy for soldier with heel
| blistered from n new hrogan.
Just what are the ambitions Of Villa
only himself knows Up to the pres
ent his actions have all substant!ated
his declarations that he wanted 10 free
Mexico from the rule Of Huerta. Then
what?
Villa has gone on record as saying
that he doesn't believe he Is capable ~
being President. He Is not alone in
this belief. but with free elections, such
as villa promises, the popular man will
he elected and villa is the most popular
man in the rebel cause. villa can read
and write. hut that Is all. He has
shown remarkable governing powers,
however. Aside from perfecting his
army organization he has maintained
better order in tho districts held ny his
men than any of his predecessors since
Madero set in motion the revolt against
Diaz.
Villa went into Mexico little over a
year ago from FL Paso with revolver.
a borrowed horse and $3.50 in cash. He
declared that he was going in to avenge
the death Of Madcro. But his first &C
tions indicated that he was returning
to the old life OF the bandit. He held
up orc trains and seized their bullion
he rclca Sod II for ransom lie robbed
stores and banks.
He had but n small command and II
was the general impression that he was
lining his pockets while his country
was bleeding from the knife stabs of
the new revolution which Carranza had
set under way in Coahui'a. He made
no pretencc Of enlistng under The Car
rama standard
Soon his army began 70 multiply.
Then villa began to take towns. The
people hailed him az the man who
would carry out tho ideas of Madero.
with an army big enough - capture
towns Villa needed no longer to rot
ore trains. He could take a city, put
his agents in charge to levy taxes and
become the government. Men focked
&C. him because they liked his ways
because they thought him sincere ir
fighting for their rights or becaus,
tncN tnoNSNt inc l1otlnE Wonlu ne more
profitable and soldering much moro
pleasant than working on ranches or in
mines ten hours a day.
The Villa hand began to he known as
the Villa army along the countryside
Some men grow with their RESPONSE
hilitlcs and Villa appeared to he emerg-
Ing into new life. He seemed to &C
Ccpt the opinions of the majority oi
the men who surrounded him, Of the
people whose countryside he visited
and t. begin trying to live the part of
the new leader. He took Torreon anc
: became famous in northern Mexico
over night. still the bandit training
asserted itself and he looted the stores
: robbed the merchants and even stole
the widows mite.
, At this time Venustiano Carranza
supreme Chief OF the Constitutional
lists" was crossing from Coahuila
where his own revolution had beer
rather tame, into Sonora. where Obre-
Gon and his aids had been more sue
cessful. At Culiacan. Sinaloa. Carranza
: got the news that villa had taken Tor
reon, looted 1t and left. He made tho
statement that Villa was "a dangerous
bandit; Z thief and a robber who should
he captured and shot: a wolf living off
| the spoils Of n people torn with war"
villa was soon supreme at Juarez
Oiinaga and Chihuahua. Then agents