El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-12-20
MAYOR
Of MINACA, DIES
End Comes to Explorer, Vic
tim of Villistas, Guide
to Gen. Pershing.

II By L. @. TAYLOR
I Camp Cody. Deming. y. NJ, Dec. 90.
Joseph H Locke. the little. quiet.
j energetic. unobtrusive man, bravest
OF the brave. Familiarity known as the
mayor of DIinaca" to every American
I who has known Chihuahua and to
thousands Of Americans in the south
I west for nearly a quarter of a cen
fury. is dead. He succumbed at the
new base hospital to insidious pneu-
monia after about a weeks illness.
. His body lies on a slab in J. II. Ma
I honey's mOrgue in Deming. after so
I eventful years. in which this silent.
/ retlrlng, almost eccentric little man
/ has passed through many thrilling
and blood curdling dangers. from a
I narrow escape in a fierce Montana
/ blizzard. facing and coming out best
] with a Texas gun man. after running
/ the gauntlet Of PanchO Villas tigers
fresh from the taste Of American
Z blood at Columbus. y. NJ. and riding
tearlessly. silently at the head Of Gen.
= J. Pershing's punitive expedition as
guide for several months in the pur-
suit Of that blOOdthirsty Mexican.
Hoped TO Go to France.
only a Few days ago Locke was
quietly. unobtrusively as he had al
ways lived, looking after the upkeep
Of the streets in Camp Cody for the
quartermaster's department. He was
doing his Bit" but he said TO the
writer Il want to get to go TO France
there VIII at least be roads to build
over there"
Perhaps only the writer and half a
dozen other Chihuahuans out OF near
" $4,000 people in Camp Cody and
Deming would have known this little
understood man, with stubby. sandy
mustache and quiet voice directing
teamsters and shOvelers on road re-
pair work, was a man with a diploma
from the university of his state Of
Minnesota, a man who had been
sought by Lieut.. SchWatha TO accom-
pany him in exploring interior Alaska. /
a man who had, although direct from
lar Minnesota and uuacquaiuted with
Mexico, taken charge Of the expedi- [
ton Of the noted ethuOlogist. Dr. Carl
Lumholtz. on the latter's first trip
into the Tarahumarc Indian country
in the heart Of the Sierra Madres Of /
chihuahua and Sonora. which is de- I
scribed in Lumholtz's book, I'm |
known Mexico"
Work Of - Years Lost.
This trip into Mexico with DR.. Lum-
hOltz was in 1891. and % years later.
almost to day, he rode out at Co l
lumbus, y. NJ. with Pershing's troops,
leaving behind him at Minaca all mis- 4
property, the work Of a quarter Of a {
century, TO the destructive propensi- J
ties Of vandal Mexicans- About a /
month ago. on returning from Ell I
Paso. he said. I had Lieut.. Henry O. /
FIpper make out my claim against I
the Mexican government for $1,000 for /
my property destroyed during the last
seven years Of revolution"
Last Sunday. in Ell Paso. D. r. Era-
mer, a former close neighbor Of /
30"
Tell Locke there is not roof left on /
his hotel. livery stable and many
houses in Mfnaca"
A Native of Minnesota.
Yet not a bitter word escaped the I
little road master. He said repeated
ly:
IT must get a few days off and get
around and meet some Of those Min
nesOta officers here. Maybe they
would help me TO get 10 France with
them in some capacity. I was born I
and educated in that state St. Cloud
was my home and I was a reporter on
the St Paul Pioneer Press when
Joined Dr. Carl Lumholts TO go to
Mexico"
The writer, having known Lock in
-imately for years in Mexico and both
having been newspaper men. the lat
ter. usually very reticent, told Of his
escape from Villa and his tigers at
--IA OH -AAAdE1 aAAEI the lnlAlu Dus
raid. when Herman Blankenburg, a
German. and David Bruce Cor David
an American. who would
not take the chance TO get out and
" ere cruelty murdered. how one night
he and his companions. two Kramer
boys. were shot at as they sat around
heir campfire and one of them Bart
Kramer. was killed; Yet he always got
'ack 10 Ninaca TO look after his prop
srty until Gen Pershiug's army ar
lived and he Joined il as guide.
Danger Always With Him.
Il should think you would have had
.nough Of the dangers OF life without
going 10 France" queried the writer.
7 haven't thought Of that" Locke re-
died. as though surprised n the idea :
You know me well" he continued I
and that 7 never seek trouble nor ,
wen adventure as such. but somehow
III Of my 50 years I have just fallen /
utO danger. When these things have
lappened something. maybe IL is my
angel, OF my time hasn't
ONE, seems to take possession Of me
nd carry me safely through"
Joseph II. Locke was a single man.
ever having been married. His I
earest relative. according 10 the :
rmy records here. is a brother, VIII /
lam Locke. of PitchfOrk, Wyo. :