The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-06-27
A MEXICAN DESPERADO.
Tas Bloody H,ro Of tho Fres zou. on the
M.x'caa Border

Life and Adventures Of the Infamous Juan
Nepucemo cortiaa, q Born Danii. and
Murdersr-His Wholesale Robbery and
Slaughter Of American citissns.
Texas has Ion, been noted rs land
OF terrors. and. to own the truth. the
title is not altogether unjust says IL
Fort Davis letter 10 the New York
Times. Due allowance should be
made, however. for nor vast extent OF
territory, her mountain Businesses and
bottoms Of chaparral and mesquite
(some OF the latter nearly as thick
and impenetrable as an East Indian
jansle). aud especially should Texas
be commiserated because she is the
unfortunate neigh5or by some hum
dreds Of miles OF boundary to the very
worst country on the face OF the earth
for outlaws. renegades. and hard
characters generally.
Railroad trains plunging along
through wild, unsettled tracts offer
special inducements to road agents"
aud highwaymen. who are almost cer-
tain of immunity from capture Then.
again, the Rio Grande pronounced
REQ Grandee) in u dry. sandy trough
eleven months out OF twelve. and
rascals committing dcprelations on
this side can easily skip across into
what is known as the '.Xonu Libre,"
or Free Zone. id be safe from both
governments.
This little belt OF non,lesc ript soil,
stretching along the Rio Gunle on the
Mexican side for sixty miles or more.
is and has been for years the safe
refuge or retreat for all the cutthroats
and outlaws OF the southwest. Steal IL
horse. murder man. rob a train or
commit some other dcviltry. and ull
they had to do to be safe was simply
to cross the Rio Grand dry-shod aud
hide themselves amid the mountainous
rocks OF "Zona I.ibre."
10 give an idea OF what man can
do in this country and escape hanging
1t is only necessary to recite IL few en-
periences of Juan Nepucemo Cortina,
who is now alive, prospering under
the care ot the Mexican government
This Old rascal gray aud aged in crime
now. is born bandit and murderer.
and the catalogue OF black crimes
charged against him would alone be
sufficient to fill good sized volume.
lie always had an iEherant hatred for
citizens Of the United States. aud es-
pccially Texans No red-han,led
Apache or any other savage or Indian
mas ever caused to our countrymen
one-tenth OF the sorrow and misery
this villain has. In his face may yet
be discovered the avariclous. malis-
ntnt, cruel sneer which has been IL
true exponent Of his living character
Or all the years of his life.
When the war with Mexico broke
out, Cortina WAS stalwart young fell
low. who took possession OF nearly all
OF the lower Rio Granle country and
carried on deadly guerrilla warfare
against our people. He was, l believe,
really commissioned by the Mexican
government as u spy and assassin.
When the Mexican wur closed the
guerrilla settled down. nominallv to
ranching and farming. bat his trlc oc-
cupi,ion was horse stealing and the
running off Of stock. When he stole
from Americ ms. u market was found
FOR his p.undcr on the opp ,site side of
the Rio Grande ut Matamorns Ciulal
Victoria and other towns of the Mexi-
can state of Tamaulipls. When he
dcSpoilcd his own coun.rymen. the
animals were crossed over and driven
lar inland into Texas. principally to
Goliad, which was then IL l.ourishng
frontier settlement on the lower San
Antonio river. His skill ut ropins
was remarkable and his horscmanship
superb None Of that day could equal
him in either OF these accomplish
ments. An old Texan ranger. who is
himself pretty well along in years, thus
speaks of Cortina in his palmy days:
"l knew the fellow we'll lie could
handle the lariat better than any cow-
hoy the northwest or southwest has
ever produced, ard as to his nerve,
why with all his wicliedness must
say that ne was the nerviest and quick.
est man with Il shooter l ever saw.
One day in Brownsville (oid Brown
was II tough town then) Cortina was
standing in the door of saloon smok-
ing cigar and apparently looking ut
.,othins. yet his eagle eye covered
everything and everybody in sight.
His waist was Il perfect arsenal OF fire.
arms. and among others I noticed Il
large. double -barrclled. old-tushoncd
hor>c-pistol. which was stuck convcn-
icntly in front and within easy reach
Tor quick use.
"A row sprans up at the other end
Of the town which created some en-
element. a Mexican came running
down the street, and at his heels the
city marshal with pistol cooked. who
called to the fugitive TO halt. The
pursuer stopped, lcveled his big pistol.
and fired. The Mexican fell. winged.
but not very badly hurt. Cortina
stood quietly looking on and made no
move to interfere until the Mexican
tunbicd heels over head in the dust.
Then he threw away tho cigar he had
been smoking. walked over to the
marshal, cursed him in Spanish. drew
his pistol like flash. and shot the
officer in the face. Then leaping on
the nearest horse Gt was not his OWN.
with revolver in hand. he rode out OF
town yelling defiance at all Americans.
but especially at Texans.
"ln the night he collected thirty
desperadoes from somewhere. armed
10 the teeth. and dashing back into the
town at daylight rode TO the Browns
vile Jail. determined to libcrate every
criminal and horsethief therein con-
fined. OF johnson, the jailer, they
demanded tho keys.