The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-03-06
AGED MEXICAN
PLEADS TO DIE
In Place of His Son, Who Is Threatened
With Death If Big Ransom Is
Not Paid to Villa.

El Paso. Tex, March 6.--Gen. Luis
Terrazas yesterday afternoon appealed
to Marion Leteher, American consul at
Chihuahua, now in this city, to save his
son, Luis, whose life has been made the
forfeit if 100000 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 Mexican family, whose
wide possessions have been confiseated
by the constitutionalists. but he had to
reply that he was helpless in the mat
ter.
Il am so years old and neither life
nor money mean much to me" said Cen
sral Terrazas with tremor in his voice.
Ny son, Luis, has l3 children and they
need him. ] would gladly return to Chi.
huahua and Villa could kill me instead
Of my SON."
While General Tarrazas did not say
as much, the interview left the infer
ence that he is not now in possession
pf the sum demanded. Luis, the son, is
about so years old and for several
months has been held prisoner.
AT the time of his arrest the rebels
demanded S650,000 gold as the price of
his life. This sum was slow in being
paid and Luis was taken out and moose
adjusted about his neck. Then he was
repeatedly hoisted from the ground The
torture continued until he signalled chat
ne would pay the sum demanded.-aIl
that he had in the Chihuahua bank.
After this incident he was removed
rom the palace where he had been con-
fined and allowed to live under guard
With his family. Women relatives some
lime later appealed to Villa to release
him, but Villa was adamant.
"If the CIentifices had Paneho Villa
, prisoner in the same circumstances, do
you think he would be restrained in
palace and treated with the considera-
lion | have shown Don Luis 2" Villa re-
Piled. "No; Pancho Villas head would
nave been placed on pike and paraded
ibout the city. The Terrazas family
has accumulated its great wealth
through oppression of the people and
now the people demand reparation."
General Terrazas left Consul Letcher's
room and appeared in the hotel lobby
Tisibly shaken. His beard is white and
ais figure below the medium. He walks
With cane, but erectly.
He was surrounded by friends and
elatives on whose faces anxiety for the
ION and pity for the father were plainly
written.
A personal appeal to Secretary Bryan
vas suggested, but the old man shook
bis head The appeal, however, may be
made, unless it is possible to raise the
'ansom money. The great bulk of the
Terrazas fortune, normally estimated at
40y000000 gold, was tied up by the
,onfiscation order and most of the mon
" available in foreign countries has
been spent in the last three years.
1t was said last night that the most
Ierious obstacle in the way of settle
nent of the matter is Villas refusal to
How Don Luis to leave Mexico after
,he money is paid. General Terrazas, in
replying to Villa, made payment of the
money contingent on his son being
brought to the center of the internation-
II bridge here while the sum was chang
ng hands.
This Villa fatty declined to do. Gen
lral Terrazas regards any other ar
'angement as folly, as his son, he thinks,
doubtless would be used merely as
means of further extortion.
Villas messenger to General Terrazas
laid that the money must be paid with |
N five days or Don Luis will be killed. |
rhe five days will expire to-day, but |
4 is thought by refugees that Villas |
lesire for the money, despite his enmity |
% the Terrazas family, will persuade |
lin to delay extreme measures pending |
turther negotiations, which were sug- |
rested to him in kilograms yesterday.