The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-05-21
ON THE TEXAS BORDER.

ON THE TEXAS BORDER.
DepIorabIe Picture of the Situation
The matamOras Cut Throat, COrti-
mas, at the Bottom of All the Trouble
His Early Downfall Probable.
Mr.. Samuel Brantom, a gentleman
who has resided west of the Nueces,
river, Texas, for seven years, much of
that time near the Rio Grande, passed
TO OHIO. In a conversation with a re-
porter of the Republican, Mr.. Brantom
drew a deplorable picture of the situa-
ton along the border. He says that
the outlaws of both Mexico and the
United States are engaged in the
marauding raids and murderous at
tacks on the rancherOs. Desperadoes
fleeing from Justice, in Arkansas, Texas,
Missouri, and states further to the east
escape to the border, where they come
in contact and act IL collision with the
bandits under the protection of Cor
tinas, the rObber mayor of MatamOFas.
There is no doubt, according to his
belief, that the raids which have cost
the people of Western Texas so much
loss have been organized, or if not, at
least encouraged by this scOundrel Cor
tinas, who has usurped the chief au-
thority In the state Of Tamaulipas
Gov. Canales, Mr.. BrantOm says, is
utterly powerless to do anything and
cannot assist in bringing the thieves to
Justice, which he seems very willing to
do if it were not for the superior in
fluence of COrtinas. There are a good
many Mexican troops stationed along
the Rio Grande, and Gen. EscobedO,
has his headquarters at SaltillO. There
are two regiments OF cavalry disposed
along the river between Matamoras and
Luredo. Recently the soldiers have
assisted Texans In making some arrests
of cattle thieves who have escaped
across the river. But it has been of
little avail, as, under the laws of Mex
leo, they could not be held by the
military or tried by cOurtmartial while
the civil courts are open, and Cortinas
has managed to have them ali turned
over to his creatures, who are alcades,
and they have been turned loose again.
Meanwhile the stolen property of Amer
lean citizens at last finds its way into
the possession of the bandit chieftain
who rules in Matamoras. Mr.. BrantOm
expresses a hope that the treacherOus,
rascally career of Cortinas is about to
be brought to a close by the action Of
the Mexican government. Gen. Ca
males who has been virtually super
seeded in the exercise of the func ions
of his Office as governor of the state of
TamauIpas, by the audacity of Cor
tinas, has long entertained towards the
MatamOras bandit a bitter animosIty,
has been using all his influence and
power to effect the downfall of that
thieving scoundrel. Canales once re-
moved COrtinas from the Office of Mayor
l,E T,to u
nicality he regained his place and has
| since been more audacious than before,
actually assuming the government of
/ of the state. In this usurpaiion he is
supported by all the thi yes, vagabonds
and desperadOes on the border.
! At the time Mr.. Brautom left Browns
| vile, little more than week ago, it
was rumOred that Gov. Canales, who
has the active sympathy of all the bet
| ter classes of society and the MOI al
support of Gen. EscObedO, backed by
the army, has secured ample evidence
of the completely of COrtinas with the
raiders into Texas, and that meas
ures are beilg taken to a rest him on
a charge of conspiracy to make war on
a friendly government, contrary to
treaty stipulation entered into by the
! government of the republic, and also
under the charge OF highway robbery
| and other crimes.
Mr.. Brantom says the Mexican mill
tary forces in Tamaulipas, Nueva Leon
and COahuila are sufficiently strong to
execute any order against COrtInas
which the federal authorities may Issue,
and Gen. EseObedo only waits the sum
mons for assistance from toe supreme
civil authority to act, with decision and
energy, against the rO0ber.
1t is the opinion all along the border
that if COrtinas was once removed
hanged, as he richly deserves-there
would be no further trouble from Mexi-
can raids on the Rio Grande frontier.
Mr.. Brantom thinks it impossible to
estimate the actual losses sustained by
the rancheros between the Nue. ces and
the Rio Grande, by the depredatiOns Of
the raiders. He thinks more than 6
hundred and fifty lives have been lost
and az lea t 100, 600 head of cattle, be
sides heavy losses in merchandise anG
household goods.-S. Louis Repllb
/ EcNH-