El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-03-19
4 TYPICAL RAID
BY BANDIT BAND
American Writes of Visit
of Villistas To Zaca-
tecaS Town.

J6CdS LUWu.
A letter TO Mrs. :. E. Garvey. OF
s14 wyoming street. from a friend re-
siding in Sombrerete. Zacatecas. Mex
relates the details Of a raid by bandits
upon that town, in quite a spirited
realistic manner. The raid is typical
of others which various Mexican
towns and settlements are experience
ing The letter follows. in part
We had another shakeuD on tho
18th about o. m. We only have about
. 10 men under arms and as they all
I belong here and live at home they
could not get together very promptly
and the town was filled with Villistas
before we knew IT, 7 think was the
{ first victim they caught. they came
knocking on the door and marched me
Z off under guard TO the Soledad church.
went with me. 7 could not get her 20
go back W hen we arrived there. Gen.
Angel MendeZ Informed us that II we
did not get $4,000 Z would be killed
We tried TO explain TO him that we
had no money, and 7 did not take 30
very seriously at the time. as 7 knew
the men knew me very wei and knew
that 7 had no money. and 7 told him
that money was out OF the question.
NV wife then went and looked up the
priest, who came at once. and after
lot Of raIking. he got the ransom
down 20 $4,000.
One Victim Murdered.
In the meantime they had brought
MP several more persons. among them
Don Ramiro 1Ier. Don Antonio
Luchint and some Messengers. fnclud-
ing the traiumen- During all this time
the bandits were sacking the stores
and houses-they got four blankets
out OF our house
About this time some OF the home
guards got together and commenced
firing on the bandits We were told
TO 'vamos-' made move at the first
order. but the rest tried TO argue fur
Their with them. The general took a
shot at the bunch and killed Don
Ramiro Mier. Poor fellow. he was hit
in the lungs with a soft pointed bull
let ard was dead when he hit the
ground. In the confusion Of the shoot
ing Of Don Ramiro and the priest
throwing himself I'm front OF gFeudez.
they all made a break and ran. 7 was
then marched off, my wife following
part Of the way, as far as Fl Cristo.
there would not allow her TO 90 any
further.
NV wife then went back 70 town
and looked M r. C. Dufourcu. who
take 1000 pesos and a mozo and try
and catch the Villistas The timekeeD-
er and mozo could not travel fast
enough for my wife, so she took the
money, and with her brother came
on She soon gave out however. so
then nv brotherinlav took the money
and with the mozo made good time
getting back to town.
Kept Moving, n Prisoner.
During all this time was kept
moving. We arrived on top OF the
mesa and I was all in 7 told the
guard that 7 would not walk any fur
Their. and he told me that n 7 did not
move on he would shoot me; I told
MIN he could do so just as soon as
he liked He then put away his gun
and ordered one Of his men TO unload
a mule that was lightly packed. and
they divided the pack W among the
rest Of them 7 tell you 7 was pretty
glad TO crawl mp on that old mule I
IOunu the saddle very easy one BY
the time we reached the La Jolla mine I
the home guard had caught the rear 7
guard Of the Nillistas and they sent
a shower OF bullets after us About Z
this time the packs commenced TO Z
work loose. and such swearing 7 never /
heard in all my life 7 was keot busy
lodging the trees. as my mule in ]
listed on running under all OF them: .
suppose his Intentions were to (
brush me off How my guard did lay I
Z into that mule Those OF the
Jacks stayed behind TO fieht Off the .
lone guards while the pack train got I
Tut Of the way
BY this time my brotherinlaw had !
'aught US. He came right through all ]
he firing The home guard tried 70
al him back. but he kent on com
ne, saying that the Vfllistas would
lot pay any attention to him. 7 was .
lretty glad TO see him. He told me
nat everything had been arranged.
tut my guard would not let me 20
Until he had seen the general The
lone guard did not follow us very Z,
ar. as the guard from Chalchihuites
Iad been fighting and was played ont
nd they could not 90 very far. We
hen crossed the La NOria road at San /.
iarfin. and followed the trail to Ia
alma, after passing San Arustfn
bout mile further on. we caught
ZEN Mendez, Gen Felix Diaz ard
zen Carton. I was told that I could
20. Gen Mendez told me that 7 would
ememoer the revolution a long time
nd told him that 7 had many other
ccasiOns for remembering IT,
VIII the Mines Reopenf
MY brotherinlaw and 7 started 10
-alk hack y miles. 7 had made up
~ mind TO walk slowly and not stop
nd get cold after my experience.
men we had gone about two miles
~ Drotherlnlaw complained OF a
eadache and cramps in his stomach.
.e lay down under a tree. and 7 told
I'm would push on and send a coach
ack Tor him Two miles further on z
came across three men, who told
he that Mr. DufourcQ had sent them
ut TO look for me. I then told them
D. 20 back as fast as they could and
end a coach for my br0therinlaw-
II got home about 1 o'clock that
vening- I then learned that lIr. Heidi
ad just craWled out Of his hole II
as probably a good thing the
illistas did not get him. or he micht
ave Jared worse than 7 did. 7 might
Iention here that Mr.. Dufourcq came
ere from New York TO see about
.arting up the mines 7 don't know
hat his report win be