New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-31
OUR SAN ANTONIO LETTER.

General Ord Goes to the Rfo Grandc-
Burglars and Incendfaries in Sal
AntoniO-The Murder of Mexfcal
Trader - Probable Conflict Betweel
Democrats and Republicans nS Sc,
guis.
SAN ANTONIO. July q. 1875.
| EDITOR REPUBLICANS:
Since the srres, Of General Cortins tht
frontier seems to enjoy season Of refresh
ing peace and quiet. Even the Indians
have been less demonstrative during the
last full moon than usual, although there i.
band of them stealing horses IN the vi
cinity of Cvalde, and on the Nueces rive,
about 100 miles from here. General Ord
the department commander. left here day
before yesterday for Fort Brown via Bra
shear.
General Ord does 40: believe that the
absence of 'Cortins from the lower Rio
Grande is any way likely to cause . perma-
nent cessation of cattle lifting, and conse-
| quently he goes to the lower Rio Grande to
personally superintend the Inauguration OF
his policy, which will DO that of increased
vigilance. The Mexican population, ON
both sideA of the river, issmads up to an
astonishing extent of professional stock
thieves, who have never followed any other
| avocation. As soon as the stolen cattle or
| horses are safe on the Mexican side of the
river. there is a constant demand for them
| at far prices. There is a constant demand
| for them, too, on this side OF the river, but
| it is rarely gratified. There is 40 good rea-
! son TO believe that they will be miracu.
lousl ~ transformed into honest men by the
! arrest, or even the execution, of their lord
| and master Cortina. There may be less
| bOldness and system in the raids here
after, but that the raids should cease en-
| tirely just now when the cattle are fat. is
| really expecting too much from Cortina's
muchachos. But the lower Rio Grande is
not such difficult stream to guard, COM
paratively speaking. The banks On this
side of the river are high. and the fords
tew and far between. The line OF the Rio
Grand is infinitely easier to guard than
would be the Sierra Madra mountains, the
boundary line, which is so frequently men
toned by those who know nothing about
it, as the proper one. In order, however, to
make the lower Rio Grande absolutely
"greaser- proof" if may coin a term. it
would require larger forcs than has here.
tofore been stationed there.
General Ord will see to this matter in
person. and do the very best he can, under
the circumstances, with the forces at his
disposal.
The Galveston, Harrisburg and San Anto-
MO railroad is now in running order to Kings.
bury station, Or within eight hours staging
Of this city, and some of the natural conse-
quences of the proximity of railroads are
beginning to attracu the attention of our
citizens, and of the police, already. do
not refer to variety shows, concert saloons
and keno players, for those advance
guards of American civilization began their
missionary labors among the unsophisticated
youth of this city more than year ago, and
are now regarded as legally established in
stitutlons. No, the very latest indication
that San Antonio has ceased to be
frontier Mexican settlement is to be
found in the fact that we have
in our midst select band of
burglars-none Of your bunglers of
Texas burglars, but genuine artists
from the large cities of the Union
(trom New Orleans, probably)-men who
have studied their profession. About three
weeks ago new era dawned in the history |
of our ancient city. Never before had We |
the honor of claiming burglar who under |
stood Low to blow open safe with gun
powder. The old Spaniards never could do /
it, and the American method, heretofore,
has been to take the safe out into the |
prairie and work on it with an ak. But |
now, thanks to our railroad facilities, it 10 |
getting to be q very common occurrence to
have safe blown open with gunpowder
or gun cotton. No less than $1,000 in gold |
rewar ded the skill and industry of the |
stranger who blew open the safe Of two
honest millers few nights ago. It is but |
proper to mention that was all the safe con- |
tanned.
At the risk Of having your readers believe
San Antonio is abs ,lutely puied up with
pride. and is putting on the airs Of large
,ity, wo have to mention that an accom-.
plished incendiary recently produced
BIZ 900 pyrotechnic display. So you see
our town is not ~ duh as one might sup
pose at a distance.
Since my last writing there have been
quite large number of acts OF violence
,om mitted in this section. In tho first
,lace, i: is reported, and believed
,ere, that about a week ago six horse
hieves we've caught and hung near the line
# Hays and Ccmal counties, about forty
niles from here, but will not absolutely
ouch for the correctness of this affair.
Last Sunday eight prisoners in the county
ail fell upon tho iaiiers, disarE,ed them,
ut one of them badly about the head with
lis own bowie knife, and came very near
making their escape. A third jailor, With
fowling piece. prevented the exit Of ths
risoners until assistance could be pro-
ured. The man who operated on the jail
RS scalp with the knife has been sentenced
D seven years in the Penitentiary for his
hare of the fun.
Among the prisoners in Jail is Dan Gal
lgher, noted character, who has killed
Nv men now and then. A number of his
lends, heavily armed, made demonstra-
ons on the jail, and consequently the
lamo Rifles, Q local militia company, had
, guard the jail for several nights. The (,
visible in this letter is prob +!