The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-06
GENERAL TERRAzAS PLEADS WITH CONSUL ID SAVE SONS LIFE Sons Life Made Forfeit of 500,000 Pesos by Pancho
 Villa TORTURE USED TO
 SECURE MONEY Wealthy Mexican in Rebels Hands Threatened With Death-May Send Special Appeal to
 Secretary Bryan

Ei Paso. March 5--Gcn. Luis Terrazas this afternoon appealed to Marion Letcher. American consul at Chihun- hua. now in this city awaiting instruc- lions. fo save biS son Luis. whose life has been made the forfeit if JOO,00O to Gen. Francisco Villa. the rebel leader.
 Consul l.etcher declared himself deeply moved by the appeal of the oc- togenarian head of the great Mexican family whose wide possessions have been confiscated by the constitutional ists, lut he Ina dto reply that he was helpless in the matter
 "I am so years old and neither life nor money mean much to me-" said General Terrazas. with a tremor in his voice.
 Ny son Luis has l3 children and they need him. I would gladly return to Chihuahua and Villa could kill me Instead of my son
 Does Not Say Much
 While General Terrazas did not say as much, the interview left the infer ence that he is not now in possess sion of the sum demanded. Luis, the son, Is about 50 years old and for sev- eral months has been held prisoner by the rebels.
 At the time Of his arrest the rebels demanded se5o,Ooo gold as the price of his life This sum was slow in being I I,,s., moose was adjusted about his neck Then he was gently hoIsted from his feet This torture was repeated until he signalled that he would pay the sum temanded-all that he had In the Chin uahua bank.
 After this incident he was removed from the palace where he had been confined and allowed To five under guard with his family in one of his fathers houses Women relatives some- time later appealed to Villa to release him. but Villa was adamant.
 If the cientificos had pancho Villa. q prisoner in the same circumstances, do you think he would be restrained in a palace and treated with the con sideration l have shown Don Luis ?n Villa replied.
 No; Rancho Villas head would have been placed on a pike and paraded about the city. The Terrazas family have accumulated its great wealth through oppression of the people and now the people demand reparation."
 General Terrazas left Consul Letch- CTS room and appeared in the hotel lobby visbly shaken. His beard is white and his figure below the me- dium. He walks with cane, but erectly.
 He was surrounded by friends and relatives on whose faces anxiety for the son and pity for the father were plainly written.
 A personal appeal to Secretary Bryan was suggested, but the old man only shook his head. The appeal, how ever, may be made, unless 1t is pos sible to raise the ransom money. The great bulk of the Terrazas fortune, nor mally estimated at $40, 100000 gold, was tied up by the confiscation order and most of the money available in foreign countries has been spent in the last three years.
 Serious Obstacle
 It was said today that the most se- rious obstacle In the way of settle ment of the matter is Villas refusal to allow Don Luis to leave Mexico after the money is paid.
 General Terrazas. in replying to Vil- la, made payment of the money con- tingent on his son being brought to the center of the international bridge here while the sum was changing hands.
 This Villa flatly declined to do. Gen eral Terrazas regards any other ar engagements as folly. as his son, doubt less he thinks, would be used mere ly as a means of further extortion.
 Villas messenger to General Ter razas said the money must be paid within five days or Don Luis will be killed. The five days will expire to- morrow. but it is thought by refugees that Villas desires for the money, de- spite his enmity toward the Terrazas family will persuade him to delay ex-