The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1883-11-08
THE TEXAN RANGERS.
How They Clean Out Desperadoes In
the Lone Star State.

How They Clean Out Despcradoes In
the Lone Star State.
A correspondent Of the st. Louis
Gzobe-Democrat, writing from Sierra
Blanca, Texas, says: The average St
Louisan has but an Opaque knowledge
of what thorough bred Texan vanger
is, or what he looks like, and so 1 ap-
piled the syphon to Captain McMurray,
and learned the following facts: Adju-
tant General Kings of the United States
army, whose headquarters are at Aus
tin, is the commander-in-chief, and has
for subordinates six captains, who are
appointed by the governor. The cap
tains of rangers are paid 800 per
month, and are furnished by the state,
which yearly appropriates $4,000 for
the service. They appoint and enlist
their own men for term of one year,
ending September l, each company
comprising twenty-five men. The pri'
Yates are paid $50, corporals s95, SER
geants, $50, and ieutenants sos per
month. No uniform is worn, and the
men look like cattlemen, as they spend
most of their time on the plains or In
camp. They are accomplished and dar-
ing riders, intrepid and dauntless In
action, and are armed with Winchester
carbines and Colts improved forty-two
being experts in the use of these arms
The duties of the rangers are to pro-
tect frontiersmen and cattlemen from
the raids of horse-thieves, cattle-f hieVes
and border ruffians, but they do not in
terfere with smuggling unless called
upon by the United States authorities
They are for the most part in the sad
die, except such as board the trains
running from St. Louis to Deming, in
which they ride between Fort Worth
and Colorado City, armed to the teeth
and prepared to resist all efforts O.
train robbers or hilarious cowboys.
The United States does not own land
in the state of Texas, and one of the
best known tracts of prairie land is the
"Llano Estacada," or staked plain,
which is 120 miles wide and extends
from the northern boundary Of Texas
to the tracks of the Texas and Pacific
railway, all guarded by rangers. While
asheriff may only make an arrest In bis
own county; The tEhhee-Fanger may appse
hend a person in any part of the state,
and swear in any number of citizens as
specials to aid him in refractory cases.
One of the most interesting fights was
that at Ranger station with gang OF
train robbers, who are now serving
terms in the state prison. The cap
tains make their regular monthly re-
ports to General King, giving the num-
ber of miles covered by their compan-
les, the number and character of the
arrests effected, and general resume
of the work done. Captain McMurray
is one of the most popular men in
Texas, and his powerful form is well
known to the patrons Of the Texas and
Pacific railroad, which his men patrol
day and night to guard against train
wreckers. He was born in Franklin,
Tenn, and was a confederate captain
under General Walker, after WHICH he
became deputy sheriff of Sherman, and
later joined the rangers, under Lee
Hall, as lieutenant, being shortly pro-
NOTED to captaincy. During the con-
struction of the Texas and Pacific rail-
road Captain McMurray was in com
mand of the rangers and a body of
armed men in thu employ of the rail-
road, who protected the engineer corps
from Indians, Mexicans and disaffected
persons, ,aDd he was also one of the party
who killed that desperate and train
wrecker, Sam Bass, at Denton,in 1878.