The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-05-31
In Attacking Soldiers On
American Soil,
SAYS REVENGE CHIEF OBJECT
Former Villa Chieftain, Sitting
In Shadow Of Death, Ex.
plains Matters.
TELLS AN INTERESTING STORY

Chihuahua, Mexico, May 26 (by
courier to Ell Paso, Tex, May 27.)-
Squatting in a corner of his cell in
the Chihuahua penitentiary, Pablo
Lopez, the former Villa chieftain, to.
day gave the Associated Press an ex-
PLANTATION of the two eliminating
crimes of Francisco Villas career
the Santa Ysabel massacre and the
Columbus raid, from the Villa point
of view.
Coming from Lopez, the story was
almost as if Villa himself had told
1t, as Lopez was the Mexican rebels
closest associate, his chief lieutenant
and his prime aide and executioner
in both affairs.
Sitting in the shadow of approach
ing death-Pablo is to be executed
just as soon as his wounds are heal
ed-the bandit declared that in kill
ing eighteen Americans at Santa
Ysabel last January he only obeyed
Villas orders.
He accepted a cigarette with the
remark that they were very dear in
Mexico pesos a package-while
his friends were very poor. Then he
went on:
81 am only a poor, ignorant peon,
Senior. My only education was gain
ed in leading the oxen and following
the pIow. However, when the good
Francisco Madero rose in arms
against our despotic masters l glad
ly answered his call.
1--WE all knew Pancho villa-who
did not? His exploits were recount
ed nightly at every humble fireside.
He was the object OF worship of all
who were ground under the heel of
the oppressor.
when the call came was one of
the first to join him and have been
his faithful follower and adoring
slave ever since.
1--WE were disappointed over the
COLUMBUS raid. All We got there
We're some horses. many bullets and
a lot of hell!
'My master, Don Pancho Villa,
continually was telling us that since
the gringoes had given him the
double cross he meant not only to
get back at them, but to try to wax
en- our country to the danger that
was very close. Don Pancho was
convinced that the gringoes were too
cowardfy to fight US, or to try to
win our country by force of arms.
He said they would keep pitting one
faction against another until We
were all killed off and our exhaust
ed country would fall, like a ripe
pear, into their eager hands.
Don Pancho told us also that
Carranza was selling our Northern
States to the gringoes to get money
to keep himself in power. He said
he wanted to make some attempt to
get Intervention for tmhe gringoes
before they were ready and while we
still had time to become a united
nation.
"The Santa Ysabcl affair partly
satisfied my masters desire for re-
venge. but it did not succeed in sat
isfying his other wishes. So we
marched on Columbus-we invaded
American soil.
"You see this partially healed
bruise over my heart? / got that at
Columbus-it bears witness to my
charmed life.
II had on two crossed belts of
cartridges and a bullet hit one of
them. glancing of. The force Of 1t
knocked me down and as was sit
ting on, the ground another bullet
went through both my legs. from
left 80 right; still another broke the
loading lever of my rifle.
81 thought 1t was time to go. A
stray horse. also wounded, was
standttg by and l crawled to 1t and
dragged myself onto 1t. Having lots
of clips for my automatic, l kept
emptying my pistol to protect my re-
treat My comrades were riding
southwark. too.
II progressed several leagues be-
fore | could get someone to help me
dismount and bind my wounds. |