The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1916-05-11
FEW SIDE LIGHTS ON THE
GREATEST PIRATE OR PATRIOT OF
MODERN DAYS P0NCHA VILLA


good for an army or necessary for the
comforts of king were bought.
Villa grew rapidly modern in his
ideas. He wanted the best that
money could buy, always had the
money to pay with, and never kicked
on bill.
Collecting taxes and providing a
war fund was a simple matter
in those days. A city was captured
Like Mayo Brothers, Villa had ad-
vance information as to the financial
resources of the patients about to be
operated on. He had the merchants
and bankers brought before him. He
assessed the town and the merchants
kept six or eight leading men under
guard while the others were sent
back to raise the money. If the money
wasn't forthcoming the men under
guard were taken out and shot.
The Spanish Suffered Most.
Spanish merchants and the leading
families belonging to the former Diaz
regime suffered most. All their port.
able property was confiscated and the
people started for the border with
orders to hike, which they we're
very glad to do-under those parti-
cular circumstances. Some who had
been especially offensive were shot
Villa at this time never bothered
Americans, or foreigners except the
Spanish.
Stores of Spaniards We're sealed
up and the owners shot or run out
of the country. At their convenience
Villas men had big cash raising
sale or went OFF, leaving merchant
in charge to close out the stock al
best advantage and forward the
funds
Bankers contributed literally to
the Villa campaign fund. AS the army
approached a town the bankers usual
ly had time to get away with most OF
the paper and gold money. But Mexi-
can banks carry much silver. This is
hard to carry. 1t was often hidden
in safes, under floors, large pillars
were bored out and filed with silver
dollars. But Villa had two safe-1ocI
experts and an old Chicago safe crack
er along. My equipment friend had
thoughtfully provided these. II
the safe experts could open the
safes they did the work. If it couldn't
be done quickly the former Chicago
burglar had quicker way. Floors
were torn up, pillars and walks bored
into and when this band of experts
got through with any bank it would
hardly pay to assay that bank for
silver.
A great deal of money was raised
by collecting cattle which were
driven across the border and sold
Canon City folks familiar with the
cattle business remember how cheap.
ly cattle could be bought along the
border about that time.
Rich Mems Sons Meant Money
Another profitable tax raising
scheme was to take rich mans son,
throw him into Jail and with constant
threats of execution keep the old man
regularly contributing to the govern
ment." AS l write now in the hotel
lobby old Don Luis Tarrazas sits al
most at my elbow. / hear his gentle
purring Spanish conversation. He
is fine looking old citizen. You
have mn doubt rood of bnu, XriiIa ba 4
this mans son in his tolls for more
than year. Whenever he needed
money he sent to Don Tarrazas and
Don Luis usually came across. The
sums this old gentleman contributed
to Villas war fund" are yariously
estimated at from 100000 to 81 ,0O0,-
900.
Don Luis Tarrazas, by the way, is,
or was, one of the richest men in
Mexico. He owns, or did own, much
of the state of Chihuahua-an estate
said to consist of 100000 acres Of
land with many cattle and poems. The
son finally got away, while Villa was
at some distance, and some others
are supposed to have profited from the
Tarrazas' millions. This family with
many others, find the climate of the
United States very desirable.
Thus Villa built up a war fund, and
for time his credit was good deal
better than Mexico's is today. lie had
financial agents in Ell Paso and New
York. He shipped the principal funds
to a New York bank, keeping an ac-
count here also. for local supplies. 1t
Is supposed that he had millions OF
dollars in New York at one time.
What became Of all this money?