Arms Merchants
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Part of the reason for the success of the insurrectionists was the recognition by American businessment that a reshuffling of the wealth of Mexico could mean healthy profits for them. One such enterprising entrpreneur was John Kleinmann (second from the left in the photo), a Jewish arms merchant who set up shop in Presidio, Texas, across the Rio Grande from Ojinaga, and began nogotiating deals with Francisco I. Madero's agents: principally Abraham Gonzales and Toribio Ortega (third from the right). The plan was that Kleinmann would sell arms and ammunition, uniforms, and other supplies, to the Mexicans on credit, which they would pay off by selling cattle in Presidio, Texas, converting the wealth of the vanquished hacienda owners into gold. The other Americans in the picture are the cattle ranchers and bankers from Marfa and Shafter, Texas, who were underwriting the deal and preparing to receive, at a later date, the cattle that Ortega's men would be delivering to them.
The man who was responsible for much of Kleinmann's success was Miguel Nieto, who made trips into Mexico to collect payments in gold from Villa and other clients. Kleinmann and Nieto sold to rebels and federales alike. Their only concern was whether they thought their clients' credit was any good or if they actually had the cash in hand. They accepted payments in gold only. Good intelligence was paramount to success. It is reported that Nieto decided, based on a tip, not to take a certain train from Juarez to Chihuahua City on a trip to collect a payment. The train was blown up en route.
John Reed, in "Insurgent Mexico", reported on the fact of Kleinmann's store being the principal center of interest in Presidio, Texas. He also mentions Kleinmann's three daughters whom he kept locked up upstairs in his house, to keep them out reach of all of the men in the town, as they were reported to have been beautiful. Actually, only two of these girls were Kleinmann's daughters. The other women was Miguel Nieto's betrothed (left in photo).
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