Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-26
ANARCHY'S HEAVEN
LIFE OF THE RUSTLERS ALONG THE RIG
GRANDE BORDER.
The Law an Unknown Quantity IN the Locality
Officers Entrapped and MuTdered-Smugimg,
Robbery and Murder-Bloody
FaetiOnal FeadS

hlO uhANDk SlIl LEA, NONculDcI -
Along the Rio Grande, between Browns
Vile and Laredo, is the natural home Of
anarchy on the continent. Two Govern
ments meet in the middle of a good-sized
stream, and neither makes serious effort
to enforce its authority in its own terri
tory. The result is the concentration
along the river of As picturesque set OF
desperadoes as cen he found in the world
Smuggling is the avowed occupation of
these people, but the theft Of cattle and
horses is really their most lucurative in
dustry.
The country at both sides Of the river is
sparsely settled. In Texas the Rio Grande
counties are as large as Eastern States. OF
course there is a nice tax-eating establish
ment at each county seat, but except in
rare cases the execution of law outside tbs
towns is unknowe. Occasionally squad
of Texas Rangers marches down the river
from Laredo, but at some times the greater
portion, if not all, the male population has
pressing business on the Mexican side Of
the river. Occasionally, too, a company
of Mexican troops or a band of Custom
House guards lounge along the river from
Nuevo Laredo to Camargo or from
Brownsville to Camargo, and then the
Mexican cdbeiItrOS of the border became
the guests of their Texas COmpdnerOS on
the American side of the river. For be il
known that, although race bitterness,
national hatreds and professional jeal
ousies exist between the tribes divided 10y
the Rio Grande, often to u sanguinary de-
gree, when the natural enemy, the law
officers of either Government, make their
appearance, the iueds are stopped and all
unite to resist, deceive, niSlead or, if nee
essay, murder the intfuders.
FIERCE FIGHTS
between the rustlers are frequent. 1t
seems to be an understood canon of their
creed that pillage by one, or by any fac
ton, is the booty OF all. This, however,
is qualified. If four or five men engage in
II dangerous pthlIlOh SuNNNtu, thN
communistic theory will not he enforced,
but the successful spoilsmen must con-
tribute tax to their less fortunate fell
lows. 1t is understood that when Ameri
can robbers raid into Mexico they must
pay duty to their MiXican brethren
before being granted peaceful passage
across the Rio Grande on the home
ward trip. This rule also works on this
side of the river. If Mexican robbers make
rush on an American ranch in Xapata,
Frio, Cameron, Hidalgo or Starr counties,
they are expected to "divy" with the
American gentlemen engaged in the same
line of business before being permitted to
cross the river peacefully. OF course all
the "swag" no matter how it may be di-
vided, is taken out OF the country from
which it was stolen. This for reasons
that will suggest themselves, and hence
the necessity for having good under
standing between the rustlcrs on both
sides.
1t is the frequent disputes over the
DIVISION OF PLUMBER
that keeps the desperate population on
the Rio Grande thinned down to wieldy
extent. Partners will fight and kill each
other over the disposition of pony Fac
tions will fight over the price received for
q cargo of hides in Brownsville or Laredo.
Then, again, q couple OF men frequently
try TO do little jobs on their own hook and
keep knowledge of their operations from
the gang. These things engender dis
putes, and disputes mean shooting and
killing. The mere stamping out OF a
human life is thought no more of by these
people than the killing of IA steer or the
shooting of a rabbit. They are always
suspicious of each other, and never trust
to events to prove their forebodings.
Both the United States and Mexico en-
ploy number of Custom House guards to
watch the smugglers, but it would take
80, OOOmen to patrol the river banks Sc
curely from Laredo to Brownsville. The
smuggers frequently camp back in the
country from twenty to fifty miles from
the river, and have system of scouts and
signals to warn them when TO approach.
1t is seldom that smugglers attempt to
pass without paying tribute to the inter
national outlaws, az such efforts have in
variably ended abortiyely. Nothing but
a system of forts or military camps from
twenty to thirty miles apart along the
river can prevent smuggling, or break up
the bands of outlaws that now inieSt the
hnrder