Pancho Villa Treasure

[Old Bookaroo]

There are obviously good odds that the collection was lost, but depending on where the library was located and who had access to it, maybe not 100%. The fire burned for days, and if the collection was considered important enough to save, possibly someone did.

By the way, have you checked this:
https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&ref=bf_s2_a1_t1_1&qi=GMV.P9bpOB5zbyXnDRTgYaT7.Io_1692988962_1:1:1&bq=author=john%20chetwood%20%281904&title=our%20search%20for%20the%20missing%20millions%20of%20cocos%20island

View attachment 2101315

Sarge - Your point is well taken. The fire took out the City's commercial district (and South of the Slot went up in flames due to the "Ham and Eggs Fire"), where the library was very likely to have been located. Thank you for the lead on the reprint. Many moons ago I was in a little bookstore near City Hall and saw a book with "Our Search for the Missing Millions" on the spine. I pulled it out, thinking it was about WW II. Turned out to be the Cocos Island treasure gem! I paid $2.75 for it (signed by the author, inscribed to a relatively famous California writer). So, some things did survive the fire! I've seen one copy for sale in the fifty years since. Perhaps you're familiar with the excellent Voyage of the Herman about this same expedition. It's a shame the author of that fine book wasn't aware of "Wood's" narrative.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

 

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[Crow]

Ironic is it not Some times the most famous person outshines those around him and treasure stories become directly attributed to them either if they have only indirect involvement.
For example there is treasure caches attributed to Villa in Mexico that had most likely nothing to do with him? But are of the same era.

When Emil Lewis Holmdahl went to Merxco in 1920. Pancho Villa was still alive? By 1920 most of Civil war was over. Most of the main players was either dead, exiled or retired. Villa had out lived many of adversaries.

Pancho Villa to some was seen as liberator? but reality as Emil Lewis Holmdahl spend time with him said of him nothing more than a bandit.

Here is a newspaper story. exaggeration aside it does show the level of involvement Emil Lewis Holmdahl had with the revolutionaries.

And explains what Emil Lewis Holmdahl was actually after money or gold concealed by Tomás Urbina Reyes.

Here is a picture of Tomas on the left and villa cent and Zapata to the right below..

Crow

 

[Crow]

Here is an article in more detail below.

Here is an explanation of what happened to this alleged treasure.

Here is picture of Al Jennings.

But was that story true?

To be continued

Crow

 

[Crow]

Al Jennings was bit shyster and liked to self promote himself. His Biography is below.

Folk Figure. Al Jennings wore many hats during his long and colorful life: cowboy, lawyer, gunslinger, train robber, jailbird, evangelist, politician, author, and finally Hollywood-hyphenate. But he was most successful at creating his own myth. "The fastest gun on the range", as he often proclaimed himself, was an even faster talker.

He boasted that he killed 18 men, "and I always shot 'em in the throat so they couldn't talk back". Historians say there is no record that Jennings killed anyone. He also claimed that he bested Jesse James in a shooting match, which would have been easy since James happened to be dead at the time Jennings said the contest took place. Real desperadoes like Fred Dalton of the Dalton Gang scoffed at Jennings as "the guy who held the horses" during bank robberies, and his outlaw exploits were marked by such ineptitude that comic moments from films like "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid" were based on them.

Jennings may have been small fry in the western badlands, but as a teller of tall tales he was World Class. This pint-sized cowpoke (he stood only 5'1" with his boots on) was born Alfonso Jackson Jennings in Tazewell County, Virginia. He ran away from home at 11 and made his way to Indian Territory, where he worked as a ranch hand and learned to sling a gun while supposedly encountering such legendary figures as Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp.

"When I was 14, I was standing around Dodge City with Bat Masterson and the boys", a typical Jennings anecdote began. "An actor wearing a stovepipe hat got off the train. Bat pulled his gun and said, 'I'll plug that hat'. He fired and the man fell dead. 'Guess I shot too low', said Bat". Although he felt drawn to outlaw types, Jennings was also fascinated with the legal system.

He moved to Kansas, where he studied law and was admitted to the Comanche County bar at age 21. In 1892 he was elected District Attorney in El Reno, Oklahoma. And that's where his days as a badman began---if his memoirs are to be believed.

It seems that Jennings had a brother named Ed who was also a lawyer. One day Ed was shot in the back by three men who were angry over his victory in a trial. Swearing vengeance, Jennings claimed he tracked down the killers to a frontier general store, where he filled 'em full of lead. Then, as an afterthought, he robbed the store. "That was my first act of banditry", he crowed. It left him with a $5000 bounty on his head.

Falling in with a band of outlaws, Jennings took to stealing cattle and horses, then graduated to robbing trains. By his own estimate he robbed between 15 and 20 trains in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and Arkansas. He wasn't very good at it, though. During one attempted holdup, Jennings stood menacingly on the tracks, guns drawn, attempting to flag the train down. The engineer ignored him and nearly ran him over.

Another exploit was recorded by author Louis L'Amour: "The gang boarded a train and a conductor with a deep, booming bass voice yelled from another car, 'What's going on up there?' At that the gang jumped off the train and walked miles back to their horses". Jennings' biggest single haul netted him $27 and a jug of whiskey. "There wasn't a lot of money on those trains", he recalled, "so we had to take up a collection from the passengers, just like in church". In 1895 the law finally caught up with Jennings when, with typical bumbling, he blew up a train's U. S. Mail car while trying to open the safe. He was captured without a shot being fired, tried and sentenced to life in prison.

But he still had influential friends in legal circles, and in 1904 Jennings was pardoned by President Theodore Roosevelt. Two years later he married a lady named Maude who had taken to visiting him in prison. Although she stood half-a-foot taller than he was, he always referred to her as "The Little Woman". Restless as ever, Jennings dabbled in evangelism, did the lecture circuit, and resumed his law practice.

In 1914 he ran for Governor of Oklahoma on the platform, "If elected I promise to be honest for a year, if I can hold out for that long". He lost, and the experience caused him to grumble, "There's more honesty among train robbers than among some public officials". Then Hollywood beckoned. Jennings had written a book, "Beating Back" (1914), based on his criminal activities, and an enterprising movie producer offered to film it with the author starring as himself.

Jennings found himself at home in this new land of fool's gold, where show business folks were charmed to be in the presence of a "real-life outlaw". He stayed to work as a technical consultant, screenwriter, and character actor in over 100 silent and early talkie westerns, including such oater epics as "Hands Up!" (1917), "The Ridin' Rascal" (1926), and "Loco Luck" (1927). He even played a pirate in an early version of "The Sea Hawk" (1924).

His autobiography, "Al Jennings of Oklahoma", was filmed in 1951 with Dan Duryea in the title role. Jennings used his Hollywood gains to buy a modest ranch in Tarzana, in the western end of the San Fernando Valley. There he raised chickens and sat on his front porch reminiscing about the bad old days. But he still had plenty of gumption left.

In 1945 he sued the producers of the "Lone Ranger" radio serial for defamation of character, claiming the show's writers had belittled his prowess as a gunman. "They had this Lone Ranger shooting a gun out of my hand, and me an expert", he griped in court. The jury was entertained by Jennings' stories, but he still lost the case.

In his nineties Jennings resumed having run-ins with the law, who were frequently called to investigate reports of gunfire at his home. One night he chased a chicken thief off his property and ended up blasting one of his own roosters. On another occasion he accidentally shot a neighbor in the elbow while cleaning his old Colt six-shooter. He had neglected to remove the bullets.

In November of 1961 Jennings' beloved wife Maude passed on. The heartbroken 98 year-old bandit took to his bed and died a month later, having earned at least an amusing footnote in the history of the Wild West.

Bio by: Bobb Edwards
find a grave.com

It should be noted in there is no evidence he ever left the United States on both claimed occasions. There is no record crossing the borders nor returning as Border crossing and shipping etc.

To be continued.

Crow

 

[dougachim]

There are also strong allegations that Villa (born Jose Arambula), along with Emil Holmdahl and possibly others, either stashed or recovered gold in southern New Mexico. Some say this took place in the Caballos and was somehow associated with a map. Others claim the site is Tres Hermanas. All pretty sketchy, but then, all treasure tales are pretty sketchy.

I have looked for panchos stash since I could walk.

 

[sdcfia]

... Here is a newspaper story. exaggeration aside it does show the level of involvement Emil Lewis Holmdahl had with the revolutionaries. ...
Crow

The first time I read that news story, I wondered if Holmdahl, the "rogue" mercenary, had ever crossed paths with the "virtuous" mercenary General Smedley D. Butler, who was a contemporary. Holmdahl the realist was cynical about his activities. Butler finally came clean about his when he wrote War Is A Racket in 1935, one of my red pills in the 60s.

 

[sdcfia]

I have looked for panchos stash since I could walk.

Was that in MX? My old pal, now deceased, did a lot of looking around Durango when he was working down there in the 70s. As he said, "Every Mexican he knew had a Villa treasure story, and they all swore theirs was true."

 

[artslinger]

To me, the greatest treasure is finding his decapitated head. It was rumored that the scum that took it were part of a secret society from an ivy league school! Suppossedly, they collected the skulls of society figures! It must to be found and taken back to Mexico!

 

[Crow]

In 1920 there a record Emil Holmdahl went to Mexico of behalf of American mining companies looking to reopen mines they had before the Mexican Civil. Emil Holmdahl was the right person to send down there as knew the language the people and had many contacts down there.

During the Mexican Civil war many American and British mine owners shut up shop because it became too dangerous to mine there because of the civil war.

The following newspaper in 1920 reported the following.

Crow

 

[Crow]

In 1927 came this newspapers report was a report of one of Emil Holmdahl's expeditions reopen mines.

interesting to note Emil Holmdahl had left military service for good in 1920. and in effect he was employed by various ming companies to prospect and assist in reopening American owned gold and silver mines shut down because of the Mexican Civil war.

In the 1920 census he is listed as prospector. In the 1930 he is listed as a miner in the 1940 and a mine supervisor in 1950 census.

Crow

 

[Crow]

It shooed be noted Emil Holmdahl's denied publicly that he had anything to do with stealing Villas head. And it was political wrangling.

Here is a 1933 newspaper story. As we can see Emil Holmdahl's many business interests in Mexico.

Crow

 

[Crow]

In a 1967 newspaper Emil Holmdahl's now dead printed that he denied any connection to stealing Villas head. Yet the legend of allegations of him stealing lived on.

Crow

 

[Crow]

Here is a 1926 newspaper story about Emil Holmdahl's being held under suspicion of stealing Villas skull.

Was it true or just an act of convenience from the Mexican government at the time.

Crow

 

[Crow]

The Riverside Daily Press, Volume XXXI, NUMBER 88, 12 APRIL 1916 Newspaper had been missed by most. Which reported the following.

$5,000,000 ME FIND Carranzistas Recover Valuable Loot Gathered by General Urbina, Villa Officer FOUND IN DURANGO STATE Included Many Altar Ornaments and Bars of Gold —Villa Had Killed Urbina

[By United Press Leased wire]

EL PASO, April 12,—Five million dollars in loot, gathered during years of campaigning by General Tomas Urbina, a trusted Villa lieutenant, has been recovered by Carranzistas, Consul Garcia announced today.

The treasure was buried on Las Nievas ranch in the state of Durango. Among other articles found were 23 chests of gold coins, much jewelry, 20 bars of gold bullion and considerable silver bullion. Included in the find were many golden altar ornaments, stolen from churches, and $BOO,OOO in bank notes. Carranzistas, under General Francisco Murgia, have been searching for months for the cache.

When Villa needed funds to finance his revolution he demanded that Urbina give him half the buried loot, Urbina refused. Villa thereupon killed him, but he was unable to find the treasure.

Crow

 

[Crow]

Ironic 4 years later newspapers was still claiming that Urbina was still be found. The Norwood post, Volume VII, NUMBER 41, February 13, 1920 reported Urbina treasure was to be found. The fact remains it was found in 1916.

That is why most likely Villa never bothered to search for it after the war. But the locals and no so locals still beloved it was still out there?

So you legends of treasure will just not die even when they are found? But what happened to loot after Carranzistas, under General Francisco Murgia got their greedy little hands on it?

Crow

​

 

[Crow]

General Francisco Murgia only got to live to 1922

.The son of Jose Maria Murguia and Emeteria Lopez de Lara, Francisco Murguia grew up in poverty. As an adult, he joined the maderismo and took up arms in accordance with the Plan of San Luis de Potosi, which paved the way for the Mexican Revolution. After years of fighting (and imprisonment in Santiago Tlaltelocolco) General Murguia agreed to head the revolutionary movement.

After escaping a devastating defeat in late October, 1922 at Piedritas, Durango (caused, in large part, by the failure of promised military support to materialize), the General was able escape, seeking shelter in a church in Tepehuanes, Durango.

He sent out messages, hoping to make arrangements for surrender, but was instead captured by soldiers storming the church during mass. He did not resist. By 2 a.m. November 1, 1922, a military tribunal had been set up at the Tepehuanes Theater for the purpose of trying General Murguia, who argued that the Constitution did not allow an insurrectionist leader the authority to try him.

The tribunal ruled that he should be killed, and he was at once taken to the Tepehuanes Cemetery and executed. His last words were "I have been granted the honor of directing my own execution, and I have sufficient fortitude to command it, but I shall not do it because I do not wish to commit suicide.

For--and hear me well--they are not executing me; they are assassinating me. Viva Carranza!"

Crow

 

[Crow]

José Venustiano Carranza de la Garza was president from 1914 to 1920 when he was assassinated. The question remains what happened to all that treasure. It appeared it never ended up in state coffers.

As a sitting governor when Madero was overthrown, Carranza held legitimate power and he became the leader of the northern coalition opposed to Huerta. The Constitutionalist faction was victorious and Huerta ousted in July 1914. Carranza did not assume the title of provisional president of Mexico, as called for in his Plan of Guadalupe, since it would have prevented his running for constitutional president once elections were held. His government in this period was in a preconstitutional, extralegal state, to which both his best generals, Pancho Villa and Alvaro Obregon. objected.

Carranza consolidated enough power in the capital that he called a constitutional convention in 1916 to revise the 1857 liberal constitution. The Constitutionalist faction had fought to defend it and return Mexico to constitutional rule. With the promulgation of a new revolutionary Mexican constitution of 1917 he was elected president, serving from 1917 to 1920.

n the 1920 election, in which he could not succeed himself, Carranza attempted to impose a virtually unknown, civilian politician, Ignacico Bonillas , as president of Mexico. Sonoran revolutionary generals Alvaro Obregon Plutacrco Elias Calles and Adoifo de la Huerta, who held real power, rose up against Carranza.

Carranza fled Mexico City, along with thousands of his supporters and with gold of the Mexican treasury, aiming to set up his government in Veracruz. Instead he died in an attack by rebels.

Ironic to think everyone who ended up with this treasure ended up dead.

Crow

 

[Gulf Coast Pirate]

Really interesting info you've dug up Crow! Thanks!

 

[Crow]

This is where Adoifo de la Huerta gabbed power made peace with Villa and most likely had villa assassinated in 1923. It was said Villa wanted to go into politics in the 1924 election. When Avaro Obregon was declared the victor of the 1920 presidential election, De la Huerta stepped down to head the Government. Avaro Obregon is pictured below.

However De la Huerta could not help himself. De la Huerta started a failed but significant revolt in 1923 against his fellow Sonoran, President Obregón, whom he denounced as corrupt Obregón was able to crush the rebellion and send de la Huerta into exile.

On 7 March 1924, de la Huerta fled to Los Angeles and Obregón ordered the execution of every rebel officer with a rank higher than major.

Each president was as ruthless as the last.

You could say this looted treasure by Villa had many bloody hands on it. And perhaps it is true the old saying? Where there is treasure evil is never far away.

Crow

 

[Crow]

Obregón's election as president essentially signaled the end of the violence of the Mexican Revolution. The death of Lucio Blanco in 1922 and the assassination of Pancho Villa in 1923 would eliminate the last remaining obvious challenges to Obregón's regime. He pursued what seemed to be contradictory policies during his administration.

In 1923, Obregón endorsed Plutarco Elias Calles for president in the 1924 election in which Obregón was not eligible to run. Finance Minister Adolfo de la Huerta, who had served as interim president in 1920 before he stepped down after the election of Obregón, joined a rebellion against Obregón and his chosen successor, Calles.

De la Huerta believed Obregón was repeating Carranza's mistake of imposing his own candidate on the country. De la Huerta accepted the nomination of the Cooperativist Party to be its candidate in the presidential elections. De la Huerta then joined and gave his name to a major military uprising against Obregón. Over half of the army joined De la Huerta's rebellion, with many of Obregón's former comrades in arms now turning on him.

Rebel forces massed in Veracruz and Jalisco. In a decisive battle at Ocotlan Jailisco, Obregón's forces crushed the rebel forces. Diplomatic recognition by the United States following the signing of the 1923 Bucareli treaty was significant in Obregón's victory over rebels.

The U.S. supplied Obregón arms and also sent 17 U.S. planes, which bombed rebels in Jalisco. Obregón hunted down many of his former comrades in arms, including Gen. Salvador Alvardo and Fortunato Maycotte and had them executed.

De la Huerta was among those who went into exile. Following the crushing of the rebellion, Calles was elected president, and Obregón stepped down from office.

Perhaps as with Porfirio Díaz, Obregón saw himself as indispensable to the nation and had the Constitution of 1917 amended so that he could run again for the presidency in Mexico. This bent and, in many people's minds, violated the revolutionary rule "no re-election" that had been enshrined in the constitution.

His assassination in 1928 before he could take the presidential office created a major political crisis in Mexico, which was solved by the creation of the National Revolutionary Party by his fellow Sonoran, General and former President Plutarco Elias Calles.

As you can see Mexico was very unstable in the time in the 1920 still with rolling revolution rebellion and counter revolution. You can see now why Emil Holmdahl was an excellent choice for American mine owners to pay him to go down and reopen mines they had before the Mexican civil war?

Crow