Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-19

ing volley that sang all around me.
Luckily the engine was not disabled
but one bullet struck me in the calf
of the leg, ploughed its way in and
up. and finally came out on top of
the thigh Owing TO weakness from
the great loss OF blood | was barely
able to get back to our lines. -"
Worshipped and Feared. i'll =
After got out of the hospital 4
commenced operations again and dur.
ing the following months had an ex-.
eellent opportunity. TO see Villa in ac-
ton. BY his own army he is equally
worshipped and feared. admired for
his successes. and dreaded on account
of his terrible temper One mistake
brings any man in his army, before
firing squad The general has no
federation for anything approaching
fear, because he is absolutely fear.
less himself. n
The story is we'll authenticated
that when he was in the hands OF
Huerta the latter seized aepretext, &C;
cused him of treason and brought
him out before a firing squad in the
CITY of Mexico. A great throng came
out to see the execution of the famous
leader. but Villa bore himself like a
hero throughout He refused to have
his eyes bandaged or his hands tied
behind him, at which the crowd burst
into cheers Then, just before the
word to fire was. given, he went up
to the firing squad and shook hands
with each man. At this the throng
burst into such storm of applause
that Huerta was afraid to go on with
the execution, and few days later
Villa was free.
while 1 was with the army | have
seen him perform almost inhuman
feats. The man seems Ito loye.sthe
whistling Of bullets ON one occasion
he rode out with his staff to make a
reconnaissance and took up position
on a small hill A battery of the
enemy got the range and commenced
a heavy cannonade. Ten men fell on
all sides of the general and the rest
OF the staff had fed before he would
relinquish his post and came riding !
slowly back The men who retreated
were shot the same day
Led Hopeless Charge.
"OH another occasion the found di-
version by leading a perfectly hope
less charge against strongly in
trenched position At the head of a
body of light cavalry he rode up to
the trenches, waited Until his men had
emptied their revolyers and carbines
and then rode back with one-third |
of the force which had started on the |
Oh. no q q
famous as the charge OF the Light
Brigade at Balaklava il there We're a
Tennyson to celebrate 1T.
Because of exploits such as this,
there has grown up general super
stition throughout Mexico that Villa
bears charmed life and men from
all quarters flock to his inyincible
leadership. To show the confidence |
with which he looks forward to the |
close of the war may be mentioned the
fact that he has invested large sums |
of money in lands and shops through:
out Northern Mexico.
Finances in the army are in the |
widest state of disorganization. When |
man is raised to the position OF
general he sets up his own printing I
press and makes his own money. T.
have walked into a vault and picked |
up a handful Of money without being /
questioned This money is perfectly /
good in Mexico, but is only worth a |
couple of cents on the dollar in the |
United States ~
"Villa has in his hands almost all |
the gold in Mexico. and while this is
true | do not see how he can be de- |
feated AS soon as he has finished off /
Obregon ] look to see him make short |
work of CarranZa. and when Villa is |
once supreme look for short reign /
of terror and then a long period |
of what will doubtless be a tyrannical |
but will probably also be valuable !
reign Mexico is not in q condition I
TO be ruled by reason: My personal
opinion of Villa, in word, is that he I
is a very capable-butcher!' - |
F. T. Fish, who writes the letter,
is one of the best known aviators in +
the United States. He is the only /
airman in the world who executes the T
spiral. At present he is in |
the east preparing to fly for the
Wright brothers in 1.-The cross CONT /
mental aeroplane race =. ...... -.