Wenceslao Moguel
Wenceslao Moguel Herrera (c. 1890 – 29 July 1976), known in the press as El Fusilado (Spanish: "The Shot One"[lower-alpha 1]), was a Mexican soldier under Pancho Villa who was captured on March 18, 1915 during the Mexican Revolution, and survived execution by firing squad.[1][2][3]
Wenceslao Moguel | |
|---|---|
 Moguel circa 1940 | |
| Born | Wenceslao Moguel Herrera c. 1890 Mexico |
| Died | 29 July 1976 (aged c. 86) Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico |
| Other names | El Fusilado |
| Occupation | Handyman |
| Known for | Surviving execution by firing squad |
He was sentenced to death without a trial, and was shot 8–9 times in the body. He received the coup de grâce, or one final shot to the head at point-blank range to ensure death, yet managed to survive, though he was permanently scarred and disfigured by the event.[3][1]
Stories differ as to how he survived. Some sources suggest that he was rescued:
The next day Moguel was found unconscious among the dead bodies of his comrades. He was given medical attention and recovered.[1]
Others state that he escaped on his own and received care afterwards:
[Moguel] crawled away to the church of St. James Apostle three blocks away where a church member found him and took him home until he recuperated.[3]
Moguel appeared on the Ripley's Believe it or Not radio show on July 16, 1937.[4]
Notes
- Ripley's Believe it or Not! incorrectly translated "El Fusilado" as "The Executed One"
References
- "The Evening Independent". June 28, 1935. p. 10.
- Pacheco, Edgar A. Santiago (2020-11-04). "Los libros del fusilado de Halachó". Informe Fracto (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 2021-03-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - mexicomystic (21 August 2014). "The Firing Squad". Mexico Mystic's Blog – Expat In Tlaxcala. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
- "The Free Lance-Star". July 16, 1937. p. 5.
Bibliography
- Wenceslao Moguel. El milagro del Santo de Halachó, o Historia de un Fusilado. – Merida, 1967. – 186 pp.