Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-03-08
RATHER A COSTLY JOKE.
A SCARE THAT WAS CAUSED BY
AN UNSIGNED BOGUS DISPATCH.


Mystery of the Rio Grande Indian Excite
ment in 1858 Cleared Up-"Judge' Bean
and His Joyial Companions Play Prac-
teal Joke.
There are probably rot half dozen people
living who are aware that the terrible Indian
raid in southwestern Texas, along the Rio
Grande, in the spring of 1888, was bogus
affair. Fewer yet know the origin of the
farce, which arose simply from drunken
spree, cost the national government and the
Southern Pacific Railroad company thou
sands of dollars and caused the people along
that road such fright as they will not soon
forget.
The facts in the case are given as follows
by writer in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
On JAN 10, 1883, connection was made be-
tween the "Sunset," or G. I'll. and S. A. rail
road, running west from San Antonio, Tex,
end the Southern Pacific, running east from
San Francisco, Cal Both roads had been in
course Of construction for several years, lead
ing through wild, desolate and uninhabited
region of country. The counties through
which the roads were built, in the Pecos and
Devils River countries, were unorganized,
and since the labor employed along the line
consisted of probably as rough an element Of
civilization as the world ever saw, there was
very little semblance of law or order among
the thousands and thousands of men in the
grading camps strung along the line. The
principle of existence was every man for him
self, etc.
REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER
Finally murders, highway robberies and
other crimes became so frequent that the con
tractors and the railroad company united in
petition to the governor of the state TO ap-
point justice of the peace, clothed with the
additional functions and authority of coro-
ner, with jurisdiction over this entire terri
tory. The petition was granted, and the man
appointed at the request of the petitioners to
fill this important position was Roy Bean.
"Judge" Bean, as he was called, was
short, stocky man Of about five feet eight
inches in height, about CO years Of age, ilit-
crate, stern, pompous and courageous.
His honor, as he frequently asserted, was
the law, the judge, the jury, attorneys and,
if need be, witness on both sides. He swore in
the Renaissance style, and his decisions were
brilliantly bespangled with salient and pro
nomced forms of ancient and Modern impre-
cation.
But after exercising such arbitrary author
ity over territory larger than several east
ern states thrown together, as soon as the
connection was made, the camps deserted
and the men scattered, Othello's occupation
was gone, and the judge had to HE him to
pastures new. He went westward on the line
and opened out the Eagles Nest" a saloon
at Langtry, which station was inhabited by
the operator and the tankman until Judge
Beams arrival
But to our episode. During the warm sum
mer months of 1888 the writer happened to
be in the little border town of Del Rio one
day about noon The village was wild with
excitement over a dispatch coming from the
west worded: ''The Indians are upon us!"
The operator did not sign his station, and
what its locality might be or where the In
dams might be was left to conjecture. The
supposition was that the poor fellow had
either fed for his life or had been scalped.
The kilograms kept flying, and anxious inqui-
ries were made of each passing train, but moth
ing could be learned. Finally the excite
ment grew SO intense that Superintendent
Van Week, in San Antonio, was literally
showed in with kilograms beseeching: For
Gods sake, send US trains to take US to place
of safety" Trains were made up taking the
employees and their families to either Del Rio
or Sanderon.
In the meantime there was a company Of
United States cavalry at the post Of Del Rio,
commanded by Capt Randlett. As soon as
there seemed to be good grounds for action
the captain wired Gen. Stanley at San An
tonic, commandment of the southwestern mill
tary system, asking what he should do in the
premises. The general teiegraphed at once
to the secretary of war at Washington ask
ing instructions, and was ordered to have
Capt Randlett's company to go to the scene
of action at once. At o'clock the morning
after the alarm the cavalry were aboard the
cars and whirling along TO the fray. They
were gone week or ten days, callarruping
around over the prairies in search of the
bloody hostiles and returned with the report
that no one had been killed and not a living
soul could be found who had seen or definitely
heard of an Indian. The fears Of the people
gradually subsided and the incident became
a thing Of the past.
THE MYSTERY CLEARED UP.
During that summer the writer had occa-
sion to go to Langtry, where Judge Bean was
conducting his establishment for the dispen
sation of liquids Incidentally the judge de
tailed the facts, with much glee, about the