The Sentinel=record., 1914-03-06

the commission
 Appeal for Terrazas.
 El Paso, Tex, March 5.-Gen Luis Terrazas this afternoon appealed to Marion Letcher. American consul at Chihuahua now in this city awaiting instructions, 10 save his son Luis. whose life has been made the forfeit if 5O0.00O pesos ransom money is not paid over to Gen. Francisco Villa, the rebel leader
 Consul Letcher declared himself deeply moved by the appeal of the octogenarian head of the great Mex ican family, whose wide possessions have been contiscated by the consti- tutionalists, but he had to reply that he was helpless in the matter.
 "I am so years old and neither life nor money mean much to me" said Gen. Terrazas, with a tremor in his voice My son Luis has thirteen children and they need him. I would gladly return to Chihuahua and Villa could kill me instead of my son"
 While Gen, Terrazas did not say as much. the interview left the inference that he is not now in possession of the sum demanded. Luis, the son, is about 50 years old and for sev- eral months has been held prisoner by the rebels.
 At the time of his arrest the rebels demanded $650,000, gold, as the price of his life. The sum Tas slow il being paid and Luis was taken out and a moose adjusted about his neck. Then he was gently hoisted from his feet The torture was repeated until he signaled that he would pay the sum demanded, all that he had i1 the Chihuahua bank.
 After this incident he was remov- ed from the palace. where he had been confined and allowed to live un- der guard with his family in one of his fathers houses. Women relatives some time later appealed to Villa to release him but Villa was adamant
 "If the cientificos had Pancho Villa prisoner in the same circusmtances, do you think he would be restrained in a palace and treated with the con sideration 1 have shown Don Luis?" Villa said
 "No." he continued. "Pancho Villas head would have been placed on a pike and paraded about the city. The Terrazas family has accumulated It's great wealth through oppression oi the people and now the people demand 1 reparation."
 Gen. Terrazas left Consul Letcher's room and appeared in the hotel lobby | visibly shaken. His beard is white and his figure below the medium. He walks with a cane, but erectly.
 He was surrounded by friends and relatives on whose faces anxiety for the son and pity for the father were plainly written.
 Personal appeal to Secretary Bryan was suggested but the old man only shook his head. The appeal, now ever. may be made unless it is possible to raise the ransom money. The great bulk of the Terrazas fortune, normal ly estimated at $4O,OOO,000, gold was tied up by the confiscation order and nest of the money available in for eign countries has been spent in the last three years.
 It was said tonight that the most serious obstacle in the way of a set clement of the matter is Villas re- fusal to allow Don Luis to leave Mex leo after the money is paid.
 Gen, Terrazas. in replying to Villa. made payment of the money contln- gent on his son being brought to the center of the international bridge here while the sum was changing hands
 This Villa flatly declined to do. Cen Terrazas regards any other arrange ments as folly, as his son, he thinks doubtless would be used as a means of further extortion
 Villas messenger to Gen. Terrazas said the money must be paid within five days or Don Luis will be killed. The five days will expire tomorrow. hut it is thought by refugees that Villas desire for the money, desplte his enmity toward the Terrazas ram ilv. will persuade him to delay "X' treme measures pending further nego- tiations which were suggested to hlm in +e1apramg today