The Washington times., 1914-05-10
Genius for Fighting Made Him
First the Scourge, Then Lib
orator, of His III-Starred
Country.
Price Placed Upon His Head
by Diaz When He Slew Jefe
PoIitico to Avenge His Sis
ter's Honor.

and Huerta at bay. making his last
stand. ''Pancho'' Villa. bandit-tacti-
clan. looms on the battle-swept hori-
zon of Mexico with greater potency
than ever before.
Romantic to the extreme is the
knowledge that the military genius
of the rebel advance is that same
''Pancho' villa, VINO for fifteen
years terrorized northern Mexico
with his savage banditti and sue
cessfuIly repulsed the efforts Of
Diaz's rursles TO capture him
Stories of the mans character. his
aims and hopes. are told every day
by those who have had the oppor-
tunity OF seeing him AZ close range,
and these reports are SO widely di-
vergent as still TO leave the world in
a state Of conjecture as to the real
Villa
His origin is rather obscure. but
the accepted reports give TO him a
mother of pure Indian origin. Very
little is known OF his father. 1t is
more than probable. however. that
he has Spanish blood flowing in his
veins from some source, for in his
moments OF victory and boasting he
has all of the swasgers and Ses-
lures Of the cape ana the sword
How this Mexican peou first found
himself beyond the pale o. the law.
his strides forward from farmer and
herdsman to bandit and freebooter.
to revolutionary soldier and finally
to supreme command OF & revolution
of his own. the idol CT the Mexican
people. is a story of romance unsur-
passed.
Known as "The Tiger"
Thirty-six years ago ne first saw
the light of day in the state OF
Durango and later the family moved
TO Chihuahua In his growth to
manhood he early revealed those
attributes which later made him the
most feared character in the coun-
try, on whose head Diaz set price
of $1,000 in gold. He was always
known as the Tiger and this to-
day describes the man when in the
throes Of his ungovernable temper.
Upon his fathers death he was'left
in charge Of the ranch and the
bringing up to womanhood OF his
young sister. She is described as
girl Of marvellous beauty. He made
a practice of taking herds of cattle
10 market for his more fortunate
neighbors and II was on his return
over the mountains from a trip Of
this sort that he found desolation
1T 10
sister had disappeared. Suspicion
fell upon the local jefe' poIitico, or
city magistrate, who held sway
through the countryside as an in
strument of the Diaz regime
Nothing daunted by the high estate
OF the eloper, PanchO Villa impress
ed the village priest into service.
gathered up a band Of his own
choice spirits and sprang to the pur-
suit. The tireless and resourceful
chase brought forth all the qualities
which afterward caused such terror
thro ghOut northern Mexico and
later compelled the world to recog-
nize him as that country strongest
military leader.
The priest married the girl ofhand
to the jefe, and Villa made this
lieutenant Of Diaz sign his own
death warrant as the only legal
power available. Without hesitancy
he stood his unwilling victim against
a wall and shot him dead The
priest had given absolution and the
body was then and there buried with
all rites. after which the party re-
turned over the mountains and took
up their lives anew.
Price Set Upon Head.
Diaz was then at the very apex Of
his despotic power: tho peo1 class
vas at its very lowest ebb and su-
premeIy glad for the privilege Of
mere living. Ii is not to be Won
dered 3t, then, that official circles
were for a tine lost in wonder and
incredulity that one of the despised
poems had done to death a jefe
poliuco. Then the order went forth
to Diaz's rurales: ViIla-dead or
alive,
The boy. he was only eighteen, fed
into the mountain Businesses For
fifteen years he rOamed over Chi
huahua and surrounding states,
spreading terror among the inhabi-
tants, stealing, looting, burning, kill
ing. The rurales, sent against him
in force, Eeemed pOwerless, and he
became famous for his fights with
these Mexican mounted rangers.
Finally, Diaz offered $4,000 in gold
for the bandits head, the rurales
redoubled their efforts to effect his
capture. and relentlessly tracked HIN
from hiding place to hiding place. It
is said that in the course of his
years OF lodging justice that he had
fifty pitched battles with the ru-
rales. at times alone, at times in
command of kindred spirits. and his
rifles have been notched forty-two
times. each In CommemoratiOn of the
staying OF rurale.
Finally, during the progress OF tho
Madero revolt, he made a stanch
friend of RaOul Madero one of the
younger brothers of the Mexican
martyr. who gIorified Villa as a cru
sader and a hero. Through the good
offices Of this Madero, Villa was
given a command and promised i'm
munity for his crimes. Without
waiting for orders from his chief he
gathered about fifty Of his own band
and started on his campaign for
Madero.
Sweeps Northern Mexico.
With ever-increasing success. his
army constantly augmented hy re-
cr7uits. who either feared him or
lcnged TO join the force of the ia
nous brigand. he swept over north
ern Chihuahua AMI Durango. driving
federal rsrrisons before him. until
Madero Joined forces with him, and
the revOlution's success became as
SHred.
He seemed inspired by something
far greater than mere gratitude to-