New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-07-21
Three OF SLAYERS,
OF VILLA CAPTURED
Other Four in Assassination Plot
Being Pursued by Mexican Troops
BODY NOW LIES IN STATE
Ex-Bandit Leader Killed From Am
bush, His Secretary Meeting Death
March to City Hall to View Remains

In Same F1lsillade Thousands
March to City Hall to View Remains
BY The Associated Press.
Parral, Chihuahua, Mex, July III
The body of Francisco "Pancho" Vii
la, Robin Hood of Mexico, the most
interesting character of contempor-
ary Mexican history, a strange COM
bination of horse sense and fiery i'm
pulse. lies in the city hall here, with
thousands of persons flocking to view
1t.
Heavily guarded as always part OF
his military strategy learned in d
hard school of experience, Villa met
death yesterday on the outskirts of
Parral between Longs House and the
Guna Juanto bridge when seven un-
identified assassins from ambush sent
16 bullets into the body and head.
Others Also Slain
Col. Miguel Trillo. Villas secretary;
Rosalio Morales, one bodyguard, and
one bystander. whose name has not
been learned, also were killed. One
Villa guard was wounded.
The attacking band totalled seven.
the bandits unlucky number. The
assailants were on foot, while Pan
cho's men were mounted. leaving
Parral on a happy-go-lucky journey
to his ranch at Canutillo, Durango.
The assassins fed on horses which
the bridge.
Three Are Captured
General e. Martinez, commanding a
detachment of 100 federal soldiers,
however captured three of the at
lacking seven late yesterday near
here. Gen. Martinez, who hurried
here from Chihuahua City for per-
sonal investigation, is holding the
men under orders from President
Obregon. Military detachments have
left Jiminez and Vale de Allende to
trail the murderers.
Federal troops have gone to Canu-
tillo in anticipation of possible dis
orders at the Villa ranch. = Affairs
affecting Villas estate admittedly are
mixed, and some opinion is openly
stated here that the ranch may re-
vert to the state,
Troops from the command of Gen.
Jose G.. Escobar are bound here from
Torreon to help in the pursuit of the
assassins.
Two Motives Advanced.
Two theories are advanced by in
officers. One Is that de-
serters from Villas guard committed
the killings. The other is that of
revenge.
Villa, the mountain man, with
ability to ride, shoot and swear with
a peculiar complex, the great weak
ness of which was ans uncomfortable
temper, had many enemies--probably
hundreds of men had sworn to take
his life-and. according to his friends,
he had no other enemy so bitter as
Francisco Herrera. Villa is claimed
to have eXterminated the
Herrera family, prominent in Mexico,
Francisco being the only male men,
Der of the family left. He 81 a gov
ernment official at Gomez Palicco
Durango. near here.
Had Terrible Temper
To his fiery temper Is attributed
his downfall and the boy of the Sierra
Madres of western Chihuahua who
grew to be the most notorious figure
In all Mexico often admitted his weak
ness From a sane man laughing,
Joking with his friends his eyes would
become bloodshot he would pitch his
voice several tones higher and pull
his pistol and fire at the slightest
provocation.
So, in death Pancho Villa once more
has become a front page story, which
position he had often emphatically
declined. He also said he never !
wanted his picture shown before an
american audience.
No Military Honors.
BY The Associated Press
Mexico City, July 21.-President |
Obregon's plan to accord full military
honors to the funeral of Francisco
Villa, former rebel chieftain who was
1illed yesterday. will not be carried
out it is announced at the war de-
oartment, because Villa was not car
led upon the official military rolls of
he government.