Fighting in Mexico

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 214, 10 March 1914, Page 5

Fighting in Mexico

REPORTED ROUT 01' REBELS. FOUR HCN'i' ;K!) KILLED. NEED FOR INTERVENTION. By Cable —Press Association—Copyright Mexico City, March 8. H is reported that the Toneon rebels have been completely routed in a big battle, leaving four hundred dead on the field. VILLA'S VILLAINY. PRISONERS TORTURED FOR RANSOM. Mexico City, March 8. General Villa ordered a noose to Iw placed round the neck of Tcrranzas, the millionaire, and hoisted him from his feet several times until lie signalled that he would pay a ransom of £130,000. The money was paid, but Terrauzas is still kept a prisoner. BRITISH SUBJECT EXPELLED. Washington, March 8. Sir 0. A. Spring-Rice, British Ambas sadof, complained that rebels in Chihuahua Province had driven out an Englishman named Sydnam, and attempted to destroy his property. Mr. Bryan immediately telegraphed to the American Consul to make a pre teßt to General Carranza. BACK TO AMERICA* SOIL. Received 0, !).40 |i.m. New York. M:ir.-h 9. A i.i.'.iiher of T.can fr.;m Austin cro.wd {'•.• bounds: rv :;nl disinterred :!'.•> imdy ni Verger, a Texan r.nci-fr. who h».l I*vb lured to Mexico by \ie::icau federal soldieis. They brou;.:!:i the body to American soil. BANDIT ALL lIIS LIFE. GENERAL VILLA. A RELENTLESS FOE. The capture of Ojinaga, the little town near the United States border, and the dispersal of the Federal Army which has been defending it, are blows not only for President Iluerta, but for the chief of the revolution, General Carranza (writes a special correspondent of the Times). They establish more firmly than ever the position of General Francisco Villa as by far the most prominent soldier on the rebel side. More than ever, too, must President Huerta regret that when he had Villa in his power he did not have the order for his execution carried out at once. This was in 1912. "Pancho"' Villa was then, for the moment, a Federal, attached with the rtink of colonel to Huerta's command. This was a decided rise in the world for one who had been a bandit all his life, At the age of eighteen he became an outlaw iifi:! lived By robbery until Madero gave him a commission. The story goes that he was obliged to become a brigand because he killed a wealthy man who had betrayed his sister, and that henceforth he vowed vengeance upon society, especially upon the rich. That is probably a sentimentalism, though it is true that in Dick Turpin fashion he has sometimes distributed goods from well-to-do people among the poor. His record docs not become clear until we find him enrolled in Madcro's army. He then attracted notice by reason of the charges made against him. These were (1) insubordination, (2) burglary, (3) Highway robbery, and (4) rape, ypon these grounds Huerta sentenced "him to death, but Madero would not have him executed. He was saved to become Huerta's most relentless and most dangerous foe. TRIUMPH TO TRIUMPH. Soon after Carranza's rebellion broke out in February, 1913, Villa raised a* force to support him. He had a stronger idea of discipline than most Mexicans, and he organised his troops well. H« always kept in the rear a body of men whom he could trust. If, when ordered to take a position by Btorm or to advance under lire, the first ranks tried to turn back, they had to face the determined fellows in the rear. This plan succeeded admirably. Villa went on from triumph to triumph. All the autumn he harried the Federals in Chihuahua State, cutting up small bodies and capturing their guns, rifles and ammunition. Then by a clever strategy he took Torreon, the first of a series of crushing defeats which he lias inflicted on the President's forces. He kept good order in the city, closed the drink shops, and prevented looting by shooting thieves, but forced the banks aifd business houses to pav him a ransom of £300,000. Next he set about investing Chihuahua City. At first he was beaten oil', and the garrison was reinforced by troops from Juarez. Villa knew of this —he is one of the very few leaders 011 either side who keep up anything in the nature of an intelligence service—and he took advantage of it. He captured a coal train, filled it with soldiers, had it announced by the railway telegraphists as a coal train, and sent it into Juarez goods yard. There the soldiers turned out and took the town without trouble; the Federals lied. Soon after this he captured-Chihuahua also; it is tile remnant of the nrniy which ran away from him there that iie has com--1 pletely defeated now.