The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-05-15

November in the Gale de "a Libertad
"In the early part CT May, 1913, Vii
la, with rs men, assaulted train at
Baeza, state of Chihuahua, that was
carrying bars of gold and silver val
ued at 100000, killing the crew and
several passengers, including Messrr.
Caraventes and a Senior Isaac Here
70, of Ciudad, Guerrero.
Later in the same month he enter
ed the town of San Andres, Chihua-
hua, and assaulted the house of Senior
Sabas Murga, an h2cendado, who with
his two sons tried to defend them
selves. Two of his nephews were kill
ed, but the Murgas got away. Villa
then got hold of two sons-in-law OF
Murga, who had not taken any part in
the fight, and after tortouring them to
say where their father-in-law had hid
den his money, he had them killed.
Toward the end of the month Vii
las band took the town of Sta. Rosa
liza, Chihuahua, shooting all prisoners
and treating the principal officers
was shot, and his body dragged along
the streets of the town. The CONNER
cial houses of Messrs. Visconti, Sarli,
Cha Harinera, Sordo Blanco (Span-
iards), and many others were totally
sacked. Many private persons were
murdered, one of the worst cases be-
ing that of Spaniard, Senior Montilla,
cashier of the house of Sordo Blan-
co, who was shot over the head of his
wife, who tried to defend him. Villa
personally kicked her in the face as
she lay on the dead bobby of her hus-
band. He also himself killed a Senior
Ramos, secretary of the court of
first instance.
HE arrested more than 20 of the
people of Sta. Rosalia, torturing them
and taking them GU ito be shot, until
he obtained from them $2S0,00O, which
were collected by several people in
order to save their lives One of these
was a lady, Sonora Maria B. Coviero,
who was herself tortured until the
sum Villa wanted was forthcoming.
Wholesale Atrocities
"In July, 1918, Villa took Casas
Grandes, Chihuahua, and shot more
than 80 non-combatants, 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 them
selves forced 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 pris-
oner an old man of more than 70 years
of age, named Jose Dolores Moreno,
demanding from him a ransom of
5000. AS he could not pay, Villa killed
him with his own hand.
con September 30, 1918, Villa, hav-
ing overpowered force of over 500
federals, commanded by Gen. Alvarez,
at Aviles, 15 kilometers from Tore
on, had every prisoner shot.
Toward the end of November he
took the city of Juarez by surprise.
Nearly all the Federal officers who
were taken there were shot, as well
as some 60 noncombatants, most of
them inferior employees and servants.
The higher employees had managed
to escape across the river to the
American city of Ell Paso, Tex
"On December s, 1913, Villa took
possession of the towns of Chihuahua,
which had been abandoned by the fed
erals since November %, Selling all
the commercial houses of Spaniards
and Mexicans down to the smallest
bars and drugstores, besides some
owned by other foreigners.
Moreover, Villa expelled all the
Spaniards, obliging more than 500
Spanish families to leave within three
days. Only two Spaniards disobeyed
this order, namely, two brothers. Mar.
tinez, owners of small eating house
Villa thereupon ordered them to be
beaten to death.