Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-04-21
PEN PICTURE OF VILLA
A Brute Every Inch Of Him and Build
ina Freedom Structure on Corpses.


His name is properly pronounced
wee YAH" and his hair is kinky, re-
ports Alexander Powell in an article
in the New York Times, after an in
terview with the man who Is making
so much news in Mexico. Stockily
built, Of medium height-not over five
feet ten, perhaps-"with the chest and
shoulders Of a prize fighter and the
most perfect bullet-shaped head
have ever seen."
His skin Is the color Of a we'll
smoked meerschaum, a small black
moustache serves to mask a mouth
which Is cruel, even when 1t Is smil-
ing. The most attractive feature Is
and extraordinarily piercing; Indeed,
they are not really eyes at all, but
gimlets, which seem to bore into your
very soul. After had looked into
them l began to understand the dead
ly fear in which his subordinates
stand Of him." His methods in this
particular had been illustrated only
the day before:
Villa had ridden over to the railway
station to superintendent the depart
ure OF a punitive expedition which
he was rushing south to MADEIRA to
check the depredations Of Maximo
Castlilo's bandits. Owing to some
mishap to the engine the train was
20
angry turns up and down the station
platform Villa strode to his chief OF
transportation, and jerking loose his
heavy automatic, showed the muzzle Of
the weapon in that startled officials
face.
If that train isn't out Of the station
in five minutes" he snarled, "Tll blow
your head OFF,"
But, general" expostulated the
trembling official, I'm not RESPONSE
BILE for the delay. The engine Is brok-
en- down."
That doesn't concern me-" said VIII
Ia, coldly. I'm not an engineer-Pm
a soldier. II that train doesn't move
in five minutes you'll be dead"
The train moved.
Lined against the wall Of the room
in which Villa received the journalist.
was a row Of canvas sacks, each
marked 1000" There were thirty OF
these. A dozen Mauser rifles, two or
three cavalry saddles, half empty
case Of ammunition, a baby's chair
and a sewing machine were other OBJ
jects that caught the eye; and on the
table were Villas pistol, in easy reach,
and his field glasses. Sitting timidly
on the edge Of a chair in the back OF
the room was a plain-faced little wo-
man with a black shawl drawn over
her head, peasant fashion-Villa's
wife, an illiterate woman, dressed in
cheap stuffs, splendid rings blazing
from every finger.
All sorts of men were found in the
encourage Of the constitutionalist SOL
der; a Jewish looking American ar
tilleryman, a Prussian baron, son Of
the German field marshal who trained
the Turkish army; young Garibaldi,
grandson Of the liberator Of Italy.
Villas advisers, cultivated, polished
men, for the most part, many Of them
educated at Harvard and oxford and
the Sorbonne, "at home in the best
society Of the worlds capitals stand
hat in hand like messenger boys In the
presence of this disagreeable colored
person.
The correspondent told Villa that
his casual habit of causing funerals
was not setting the best with sympa-
thizers in the United States, and that
If he would keep it up a little longer
he would achieve a unanimous unpop-
ularity in this country. Villa said all
that he had killed, needed killing and
badly; but he had attended to most
Of these, and from that on would be
more circumspect. That was the day
before he ordered Diazs messenger
shot. 1T made a most unpleasant
mess in the garden" adds Mr.. Powell.
He fits the dark hour. The occasion
seems to call for blood letting; very
well, Villa will let blood as cheerfully
as squeeze grape.
Well, so have men struggled else
where in the world, and at other times
building freedom and civilization
and enlightenment and peace, upon a
structure Of corpses, and agony, and
blood soaked soil, as that Of Torreon.
But at this hour Of the worlds ad
vance it seems a terrible price to pay.
even for the greatest blessings. And
Mexico's day Of blessing is apparently
far in the future.