Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-05
LAwLEssNEss ONTHE RIO GRANDE
The Raids of Mexican Bandits on tho
Soil Of Texas-They Rob and Murder
at Will-The strong Arm Of Govern
ment Invoked for the Protection of
the Texans.
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS, April q

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS, April p, 1873.
Editor StGr: Since writing my last letter /
have been compelled to remain at this place,
owing to the dangerous surroundings in jour-
ewing in this state. The people of Washing
ton have no idea and 1 believe the administra-
trati0n has never been correctly informed, of
the lawless state of affairs which has been ex-
istng in this state for years, and now lncreas d
by Mexican violence tenfold. III some proper
rel resentation was laid before the public,
feel convinced you as well as others would
say that the legitimate arm of law must be
used by the government, b. Il by the bayonet
or civil service, to protect the scit and cti-
Zens OF this country, who IRE 'C~1--d here in
aC cOrdance to law, and look with earnest ewes
to The government for the word sO-called pro-
lection.
The following is statement of a mail carrier
between this place and Laredo, on the Rio
Grande AT the present time there are two
bands OF men, numbering about 30 Mexicans
each-one is led by Atalano Alverado, the other
by Alberto GarZa-whO are devastating this
section of the state from Mier across to Texas,
into the interior, thence to Laredo, having
headquarters at Guerrero, Mexico, easily ac
cessible when hard pushed by the uprising of
indignant rancherOs, who have been plundered.
These bands are now trespassing upon the
soil OF Texas, principally in Nueces county.
within sixty miles OF Corpus Christi. These
elegant, gentlemanly cut-throats, horse and
cattle thieves of foreign distinction make this
occupation trade, successfully, too, defyiny
the civil authority; and when they cannot run
the cattle into Mexico they kill them on the
spot, and compel some poor devil of ranchero
10 buy the hides, under the penalty of his life.
Stores are sacked, and travel on the high
way by Americans is attended with robbery: a
rope or pistol shot, whichever may be taken as
the part of the joke of the captors.
Thos. kearney, eX-cOllector of customs of this
district, while returning home from Laredo to
Corpus Christi, on the 18th inst, where he had
been called to collect government funds, barely
escaped both bands, about sixty miles from La
redo, on the Corpus Christi road. Had he been
caught, the entire party would have suffered
the penalty of death, from the fact that they
were "Gringos," name they have given to
the Americans since the Mexican war, me an
ing "greenhorns."
Mr.. Kearney gives his statement thus: al re-
celved information in camp that night (I5th
instantly from the mail rider on his way to La
redo, at O'Clock, of the fact that he had just
been relee sed by these bands, who had held lin
prisoner the previous day to determine what
they should do with him and the mail. They
concluded to release him, as he was a Merisdn,
although citizen of the United States. Tn
bands lat the time of his arrival in Kearney's
c"mp) were then about twelve miles away,
composed of the worst desperadoes from Mex
leo. who stated that they did not wish to hurt
Mexicans, but only Americans and American
property. AS Is customary, the farmers must,
when these raids are made, leave their work
and shoulder their muskets to protect their
homes, although they have no right to do SO i'm
accordance with the now existing law, but are
compelled to it from the want of troops to
protect them. They, like men, on Sunday last
gathered together some fifteen determined per-
sons from the surroundings of Banquette, and
pursued the robbers. They discovered in one
chapparel the evidence that 125 cattle had been
stripped of their hides; in another 80; and in
another Co. and, overtaking the gang, a running
fight ensued, and they were SO fortunate as to
return home with seven captured horses, the
saddles being empty"
The above is but an every day occurrence.
You cannot tell where next the fiends in
carnate Will strike. This statement of affairs
retards immigration, ruins the rancho
rOs, reducing them from a competency to
poverty, and makes all kinds of trade stag
nant. Can 1t be just that such a state of affairs
should continue, because this kind of warfare
has existed since the defeat Of Santa Anna by
the American, whom the Mexicans hates with
hellish vindictiveness? W. w w