The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-05-29


one night in the latter part Of No
vember in the Gale de la Liberadad
In the early part of May. 1913, Villa,
with Is men, assaulted q train at
Baeza. state of Chihuahua, that was
carrying bars of gold and silver val.
ued at 100000 pesos. killing the crew
and several passengers, including
Messrs. Caravantes and Senior Isaac
Herrera of Ciudad Guerrero.
Murders In Cold Blood.
Late In the same month he entered
the town Of San Andres, Chihuahua,
Sabas Murga an haciendado, who,
with his two sons, tried to defend
themselves. Two Of his nephews
were killed. but the Murgas got away.
Villa than got hold of two sons-in-law
of Murga who had not taken any part
in the fight, and after torturing them
to say where their father-in-law had
hidden his money, he had them killed.
Towards the end of the month VII
las band took the town of Sta. Rosa
liza, Chihuahua, shooting all prisoners
and treating the principal officers with
terrible cruelty. Colonel PueblecitaI
was shot and his body dragged along
the streets of the town The com|
mercial houses of Messrs, Viscontti
Sarli, Cha Harinera, Sordo Blanco
(Spaniards) and many others were
totally sacked. Many private persons
were murdered, one of the worst cases
being that Of Spaniard, Senior Mon
tflla, cashier of the house of CofAo y
Blanco, who was shot over the hegi of
his wife, who tried to defend him Viii
la personally kicked her in the fa6s as
she lay on the dead body Of her hus7
band. He also himself killed a Senor
Ramos, secretary of the court of arst
instance.
Massacre at Casas GrandeA
In July. 1918. Villa took e'asas
Grandes. Chihuahua. and shot more
than 80 noncombatants. violating sew
eral young girls, amongst them two
young ladies named Castillo.
He attacked and took the town Of
San Andres, which was held by the
federals. in September. 1913, shooting
many peaceable residents and more
than $50 prisoners, many Of these be-
ing women and children. In shooting
these people. in order to economic
cartridges, he placed one behind the
other up to five at one time, very few
Of them being killed outright. The
bodies of the dead and wounded were
then soaked with petroleum and.
thrown into bonfires prepared for the,
purpose. The prisoners were forced
themselves to make the bonfire and
cover with petroleum the rest OF the
victims.
After this he went to the small town.
OF Carretas, where he took prisoner a
man of more than seventy years Of
age, named Jose Dolores Moreno, de-
manding from him a ransom Of 5000.
AS he could not pay Villa killed him
with his own hand.
All His Prisoners Shot.
On September 20, 1918. Villa, hav,
ing overpowered force Of over 500
federals commanded by General Alvi.
req at Aviles, fifteen kilometers from
Torreon, had every prisoner shot.
Villa has shot in Chihuahua $50 non.
combatants, the greater number being
poor people who could not leave for
want Of means or because they
thought they ran no risks, as they took
no part in politics, for all the people
in any way connected with the govern
ment had left before Villa entered the
city. Special mention may be made
Of the case Of Senior Ignacio Irigoyen
and Senior Jose A. Yanez. who, though
in no way connected with politics,
were taken by Villa and tortured for
several days with threats to shoot
them until they paid ransoms Of 500
600 each. Having obtained from Villa
himself safe conducts to leave by
train for the border, the train in which
they were was caught up at Monte,
yuma by locomotive in which were
several officers in Villas confidence.
headed by an ex-Maderista deputy
called Miguel Baca Ronquillo, who
took them from the train and shot
them in the presence of the passen.
gers.