Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-05
OMAHA MAN WHO
FOUGHT WITH VILLA
But He Manages to Get Away and
Beats His Way Back to
Omaha.
HE WORKS IN LAUNDRY HERE

Down in the hot. steam-laden at
mosphere OF the Kmball laundry
basement, 1909 Jackson street,
works James G. Garrett.
James G. Garrett is an engineer in
washing. and a good one.
You wouldn't look to find any
romance or adventure in this small.
wiry. sandy-compiexioned man.
But here is what has happened in
the life OF James @. Garrett in the
last two and half years:
Prospeotcd for sold in Mexico.
Was held up by bandits four times.
Fought in Villas army about two years.
James @. Garrett says he doesn't like
soldering, doesn't believe in II. He says
villa Is a fine man. a likesble man and
that Mexico lie a country Of simply un-
'believable richness. both In mining and
agriculture.
Hunts for Gold.
Here 10 his story as he told H.
Two other fellows and I started from
san Diego in the spring OF 1918 10 hunt
for gold lu Mexico. We crossed into old
Mexico at Mexicala and II wasn't long
before We knew We were In a guerrilla
country. First they stole our horses.
thensour pack mules and finally n hand
Of robbers stripped US Of everything. even
our hats and shoes.
"one OF my partners died Of fever. We
two then tried to get 10 the American
line. We reached LAguna and there we
decided TO Join the vilia-carranza army.
There are lots OF Americans with that
army. Lots OF them, we were told,
darcn't return TO this country. They
made We promises that they would soon
be victorious and then We were 90 get
large tracts Of land and be paid q a day
for all the time We spent fighting for
villa
During my time in Mexico 1 was In
eeventy-twO skirmishos and battles, in
Guiding the bloody battle at Torreon.
They had bsrbed wire entanEiements for
Ne 10 buck and the floods made Il worsa.
There my other partner was killed and
I was badly wounded IN the Hdo."
Garrett talked personally with villa and
saw him often.
He has features somewhat like a
negro" he said. "and was told he has
negro blood. Ho is a big. fine looking
man. but has flat nose. He Ia OF a
copper color. lie deals pretty stiff with
prisoners and mixes In court-martlais
himself sometimes. l remember what he
did to members OF band Of bandits that
had captured ono Of villas men and cut
his tongue out and sent him back to
villa. He ordered every one Of them
shot that We captured. Also when we
captured any OF Huerta's officers they
we're always executed.
Liquor he win not allow. saw ono
Of his own soldiers shot because he got
drunk, When we captured any place
where there was lIouor guard was
placed around the booze az once until II
could be destroyed,
Eat Mules and Cactus.
Il see some In thls country say that ths
big interests are helping villa. Well, n
they are they ought to buy food for him
snd his men. When I left them we wero
eating mules and toasted cactus
How did | get away7 Well. when villa
and carranza split / stayed with Villas
army because Il was IN control OF Mexico
~ to the United States line. We were ai
,Laguna and three carloads Of ammuni.
tion we're expected across the line II
JuaFoE l was one OF the guard detailed
to so up and guard the cars a. they came
down.
THAT was lest April. We arrived al
JuareE one evening and that Same even
ing / Just naturally sneaked across tn,
bridge onto good old Uncle sans soi
asain.
Beats MS Way.
Il had 80 In villa money and l sold 1
20 soldier there for six bits. Then
rode the bumpers all the way back 10 saI
Diego. ! had left my motorcycle there n
storage. I got II out and rode up 20 Oak
land. There I sold II and beat Il fol
Omaha"
Garrett declares that vnla would hav,
been beaten long ago II it were not fo
the many Americans. both white ans
black. In his armies.
A 70 Mexico. he says N is the riches
country he has seen. He had sovsra
nuggets Of gold as big 40 walnuts tina
he had washed out. but the bandits tool
these. He saw grass growing wild a
high as a mans head.
Garrett resided In Omaha for man,
years. coming here about eighteen year
ago ana leaving about six years ago. "A
and Charlie Van Deusen. now police de
tective, were employed az the Mlilard no
Tel laundry together one year.
There you have a leaf from the Ife
book OF James q. Garrett. soldier OF fos
tune. d'Artasnan Of the west-and laun
dry engineer.