The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-05-15
FRANCISCO WLLA-THE WORLDS
BIGGEST VALLAlN

A number of newspapers that reach
our exchange table are trying most
to magnify, dignity and
adorn Francisco Villa, the Mexican
bandit and outlaw, with attributes
which he does not possess, and to
which all his life he has been a total
stranger.
The New York World does not seem
TO think that he is quite so bad as he
is painted. and. somewhat APOLOGIZE
cally, says that sometimes bad men
can and do perform some very credit
able acts.
The Progressive" is the name of
a newspaper printed at Tarpon
Springs, which says that this famous
constitutionalist general, for some
unexpplainable reason, is the recipi-
ent of a good deal of villification.
The Progressive" invests him with
kind Of romantic halo. 1t says that
there is a story going the rounds that
while under the rule of Diaz, a beau
tiful sister of Villas was brutally
treated by some Spaniard, and when
Villa heard of it he hunted the Span
lard down and killed the wretch. AS
Spanish influence was strong with the
Diaz administration Villa was COM
PEELED to flee to the mountains, and,
possessing the qualities of leadership,
he raised a force which became
strongly felt in the Madero revolution.
The London Telegraph has a spe-
cial correspondent in Mexico. The
Telegraph is one of the greatest news
papers in England. 1t is entirely un-
sensational and enjoys an excellent
reputation for veracity, accuracy and
responsibility.
In its issue of April Is, 1914, it gave
what purports to be an accurate bio
graphical sketch of General Francis
co Villa.
The article here alluded to was read
in the United States senate by Sena-
tor Lodge of Massachusetts, with the
following comment:
These statements, made in re-
sponsible newspaper, are given with
great detail, with names, places, dates
and all that gives them, think, signif-
icance
Il see it stated in the public press
I know not how truly that the state
is preparing biography
of Pancho Villa. I offer these sug-
gestions from a London newspaper as
matters which, at least, should be
considered in the preparation of the
work, if it is ever prepared"
The article from the Londcn Tele-
graph reads as follows:
Francisco Villa was born at Las
Moves, in the state of Durango, about
the year 1868. He is wholly unedu-
Gated, being unable to read and bare
ly able to sign his name. About the
year 1882, when only Ia years of age,
he was sentenced to term of impris-
onment for cattle stealing. On his
discharge he settled in the mining
camp of Guanacevi, where few
sentence of Imprisonment for homi-
eide. When he came out Of prison for
the second time he organized a band
of robbers, which had their headquar-
ters in the mountainous regions of
Perico, in the state of Durango, and
were the terror of all that district.
''In the year 1907 he was in partner
ship with one Francisco Reza, steal
ing cattle in Chihuahua and selling
them in the United States, and then
stealing mules and horses in the Unit
ed States and selling them in Chihua-
hua. In consequence of some disa-
greement he shot and killed Reza in
broad daylight, while sitting in the
plaza in the city of Chihuahua. Dur
ing the early part of November, 1910,
he attacked the factory of Mr.. Soto,
in Aliende, state of Chihuahua, and
killed the owner. By threatening the
lattter's daughter, he forced her to
show where she had hidden a sum of
$1,000, which he stole and used for
arming considerable force. He then
Joined Madero's revolution, uniting his
band with Urbina's column. In jan
uary, 1911, he was at Casas Grandes,
chihuahua, where he killed Carlos
Aalatorre and Luis Ortiz for refusing
to pay him the money he demanded
for their ransom.
eat Batopilas, state of Chihuahua,
in February of the same year, he tor
tured lady named Sonora Maria de
la Luz Gomez until he made her pay
him $4,000. She died from the of.