Wenceslao Moguel – who cheated death (8 photos)

The biting and precise phrase that there are no two deaths, but one cannot be avoided, is attributed to Suvorov. This is true. But there are also surprising, albeit very rare, exceptions in life.





Wenceslao Moguel is one of the few people who deceived the bony one. He was tried and sentenced to death, accused of being a rebel during the Mexican Revolution.



There was no official trial. Therefore, he could not appeal the verdict and would have been among the millions of people who died through no fault of their own. However, luck smiled on the guy. Despite being shot at least 8 times, Wenceslao survived. Moreover, he lived another whole life after that - 61 years. His story definitely makes us think about the existence of miracles in our lives.

Mexican Revolution





Porfirio Diaz

The Mexican Revolution was a long armed conflict in Mexico from 1910 to 1920. It is called one of the most significant events in the modern history of the country. As a result of the conflict, the Mexican federal army was destroyed, and it was replaced by a revolutionary one.

At first, the conflict was in the nature of a civil war, but soon other countries began to show economic and strategic interests in relation to Mexico.

The Mexican Revolution began as a middle-class protest movement against the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz. Diaz was a professional military man who staged a successful coup to take power.

However, he managed to create a stable political system. This system was fueled by new money that flowed into the economy through trade and investment. In Mexico, railroads, mines appeared, and agriculture began to develop.

New revenues strengthened the country's government. In the 1890s, the budget was stabilized and Mexico became the envy of all Latin America. By 1910, Díaz hosted representatives from countries around the world on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Mexico's independence, demonstrating a peaceful country. However, this was not destined to last long.

In the winter of 1910-11, local armed gangs began to appear in northern and then central Mexico. Diaz wasn't ready. He went too far, and the military system was not able to contain the spread of guerrilla warfare throughout the country.



Pancho Villa

The government insisted that Diaz should resign in order to retain some control over the situation before things went too far. A new president was elected in free elections.

The following years were almost complete chaos. By 1913, the new regime had lost its leader, and a new military coup took place in the country. Years of war and violence have caused enormous damage to the country.

Wenceslao and the revolution



In 1915, revolutionary Pancho Villa was defeated by the constitutionalists known as the Federales. They hunted down anyone they considered to be Pancho's supporters, pursuing them throughout the country and summarily executing them.

Wenceslao Moguel Herrera was a 25-year-old from Yucatan, but he was accused of being one of Pancho Villa's loyal followers. On March 18, 1915, government troops caught and arrested Wenceslao.

On the same day, the government ordered his execution without trial, since it considered all those captured in this way to be rebels. Herrera was not given the opportunity to defend himself or give his version of events. The soldiers lined up the rebels and allowed them to smoke their last cigarette before being shot.



After the cigarette was finished, Moguel was blindfolded. Eight shots rang out. The last one was a control from Colonel Oritsa - a shot in the head.

Despite the excruciating pain he experienced, Wenceslao survived. He hid, overcoming suffering, and waited for the executioners to leave. Naturally, they decided that the rebel was dead. But they were cruelly mistaken.

Despite being seriously wounded and having many bullets in his body, Moguel managed to crawl to the Church of St. James, located about three blocks from the scene of the execution. One of the church parishioners noticed him and led him inside. This is one version.

The second says that he was discovered by revolutionaries the next day among the corpses. They provided him with medical assistance, and the man was able to survive.



It is not known exactly how he managed to survive or escape. But it is clear that someone or some group helped him overcome his severe wounds. It is not surprising that Moguel preferred to remain in the shadows throughout the war, and in 1930 he moved to the United States.

There, his story caught the attention of Robert Ripley, a cartoonist and presenter. On July 16, 1937, the lucky man told the whole country his story about how he escaped from the clutches of death.



Wenceslao became famous in the USA and Mexico, they began to call him “El Fusilado” (“the executed one”). His fame even inspired the 90s and 2000s English rock band Chumbawamba to write a song about his brush with death and miraculous escape.

The man who was supposed to die in 1915 fought against death himself to live another sixty-one years. He returned to Mexico and died in 1976 at the ripe old age of 85.

This man's story is definitely instructive. And, perhaps, higher powers allowed it to happen precisely so that people would understand what a great gift life is. And how important it is to appreciate it.