Fort Mill times. (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, June 24, 1920, Image 3
WHY VILLA TURNED BANDIT
Many stories of the origin of Francisco
Villa have been told, writes
Herbert Corey. Each has offered an
explanation for his taking up the life
of a bandit and outlaw. They have
ranged from a statement ihut his
sister was offered violence by a
young caballero of Chihuahua, which
is Villa's native State, to the more
prosaic suggestion that he was a natural
born tough. But I believe that
the story which here follows is the
only accurate one. It has never before
been published
"I knew Pablo Villa 12 or 14 years
ago," said one of the largest mine
owners in Mexico. "He worked for
inc. At flint tlmn T
this gentleman'** name for reasons of
my own. I can say, however, that
he is ot foreign birth und is of deservedly
high standing in the foreign
colony here. He has not seen Villa
since the latter became a bandit, but
he is certain that the robber of today
end the guide and horseman of If
years ago are the same. A number
ot minor details have convinced him.
"1 had a great deal of traveling to do
in the bock blocks," said he. "I frequently
employed a man named Pablo
or Francisco Villa as a guide and
assistant He was not only the most
intelligent Mexican I have ever
known, but he was absolutely honest.
I have trusted him time after time
with considerable sums of money. 1
liked him. but I wan puzzled by the
hatred he showed for all wealthy
men.
"Villa's great-grandfather settled
on a hacienda in the State of Chihuahua,"
said he. "It remained in
the possession of the Villa family
until after Francisco was a young
man. The Villa family enjoyed n
considerable measure of prosperity."
At the time the French Invaded
Mexico President Ornnt intervened.
In the end he notified the intruders
to leave, threatening to send the
American army against them if they
--? ? did not. They had already found
A their position untenable and agreed
1 to go. Those in the State of Ohi/
huahua began the slow march toward
j the sea.
"Then," according to Villa's story,
S "Luis Terrain, who is still living in
California, at the age of 90-odd and
who in the head or the immensely
wealthy Terraaa family of Chihuahua,
picked up a Kuerllln force and
began to harry the retreating French.
~ Kvery straggler was cut off and
killed. The people of the countrj
joined Terraaa and by the time the
French reached a place of omparatlve
safety he had ahout 2,000 under
his nominal command. At no time
did he give battle to the French, but
contented himself with cutting off the
small bodies left behind as u rear
guard. Some years Inter, however,
after the country had reached a condition
of comparative peace, he
claimed a reward from the republic
of Mexico, contending tlint he had
driven the French/from Chihuahua.
This was not true? He had merely
hung upon their flanks with his irregulars
after they obeyed the behest
of President Grnnt."
Porfirlo Dlast was then president
of Mexico. He granted L.uis Terraaa
an Immense quantity of land?the
Terraaa family now has title to 32.000,000
acres in Chlhuahuu. although
they have not been able to
cupy it lately?and at Terraza's reCfuest
permitted him to select the
blocks he desired. Terrazn knew the
State like a book and took the best.
At that time land was of no real
value in Mexico. One of the blocks
that Terraaa selected contained in Its
center the modest haciendn of the
Villa family. Terrazu set up his
monuments and filed his deeds, but
did not make this action public. The
Villas did not know that their possession
of the home they had held
for three generations was Imperiled.
""'After my father's death," said
/ Villa to the gentleman quoted, "Terrats,
claimed the block in which our
/? ~ property
was located and drove ??
off. I appealed to President Diaz,
but he replied to 'me that unless f
could produce deeds to our estate lie
could do nothing to help me. I had
never aeen any d$eds. 1 did not even
know that deeds existed, but I returned
to Chihuahua and went to
'the captial to search for them among
the records. By one of the odd coincidences
that sometimes favored
Don Luis Terraaa the hall containing
the records was burned before
I reached the Btate. By another odd
L coincidence Terraaa had withdrawn
hit deeds and they were safe In the
V possession of his lawyer. I went back
gi^fo Dlaa, this time taking with me
men of the country, who knew
of our possession of our land through
t three?now four?generations.
UW " *1 can do nothing for you unless
you show up the deeds,' said Diaz."
Villa returned to his State, and his
friends then suggested to him that he
drive his own cattle off the range ho
had lost. "I had not even thought of
the cattle," said Villa, "In my grief
at losing my home." He hired 20
men and rounded up the cattle. But
at the edge of the Terraza grant he
El was met by a force of fturales and a
body of Terraza's armed peons. The
cattle were seised and Villa was arteated
on the charge that he had
stolen Terrsaa's stock. The 20 men
he had hired were let go, for Villa
J
assumed the whole responsibility.
"They knew nothing." said he. "I
hired them."
Villa was sentenced to seven years
in prison. In those days criminals
might obtain a reduction of half
their terms in prison oy Joining the
three and one-haif years. during
threre and one-half years. during
which he had certain privileges as a
soldier, such as being out of barracks
for two nights a week and a certain
liberty during the day. He thoroughly
learned the trade of soldier, as the
Tcrra.su familv wn? to ionm i<it?r
"I swore," said he, "that Don L.uts
Terrain should work for his t.read as
I did."
When the unsettlement of political
conditions due to such treatment of
the peons as Villa alleges the Terrazq
family had Riven hini made it
possible Villa raised an outlaw band
and began to harass Chihuahua land
owners. He joined the Madero revolution
and his subsequent career is
fairly well known. He drove the Terrains
away from their 32,000,000
acres of land, and even todny no
Terrasa dare show his face in Chihuahua
on pain of death, although
the family has regained possession of
some of their city properties. He
held one son of the Terrain family
I
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for a huge ransom and the father
paid It because he Knew hts eon
would be killed If the money were
not produced. The death of at least
one of the Terraza sons Is attribute,
ble to Villa. His ability to hide In
the State of Chihuahua today Is
largely due to the sympathy the
| peons have for him, as a victim of
| the hated Terrazas.
CARD OF THANKS.
We beg to thank our neighbors and
other friends for their many acts of
kindness during the recent illness and
at the funeral of our brother, J. Ilarvtv
irtmhroll n... V. - .L-?
v... vu? nu|>f IS IIIUI I lie
same Heavenly Father who guided
his footsteps aright will bless them
through life.
J. 8. KIMBRRLL,
W. D. KIMBREL,!,.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR
DISCHARGE
Notice Is hereby given that C. H.
Ruiles has tiled In this court his final
return as guardian of Mrs. Sadie L.
Bailes Wilson and has applied for a
linal discharge of his said duties toward
her. this June 7, 1920.
Charlotte, N. C.
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