The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-04-09
"a MEXICAN AID NTURE,.


|. The facility afforded highway rob
bers to escape by the close proximity
OF the Texan border to Mexico, has
made it highly dangerous to travel
through the Rio Grande Valley.
I The Mexicans consider that Texas
was unfairly wrested from them, and
they rarely lose an opportunity OF
revenging themselves on Americans.
Blessed, as they are, with an extreme.
ly fertile soil, they do not care to cul-
tivate it, not comprehending the dig
nifty OF labor, They spend their days
in smoking, lounging, plotting and
their nights in stealing, or in strum-
ming on the guitar, and singing round
elays to some real OF imaginary Dull
cinea.
During the War OF the Rebellion,
Brownsville was occupied by General
Bee, who had company ofMexicans,
under Adrian Vidal's command.
These fellows, about two hundred in
number, deserted from Bee, and prowl-
ed about, with impunity, as the Fed
eral troops were on the point OF oc-
cupying Brownsville.
At that time, Pierce Randolph, a
native OF Ohio, and his lovely young
wife had to pass from Brownsville to
Nueces County to dispose OF some
stock and other property which he
owned there. 1".E
They proceeded on their journey,
without having encountered anything
to disturb their felicity, until they ar
rived at Rancho Santa Rita, where,
finding no inmates, they continued
on their way for about two leagues,
when they heard the stifed sobs OF a
child and the wailing of an infant.
Alighting from the abulance, they
penetrated through the chaparral, and
were astonished to behold lady, with
three children; crouching in terror I'M
der the bushes. It was Mrs. Barlow,
a German lady, of the Jewish faith.
and who was well known to the tray
elers. She was waiting there for a
ferry-boat, as it was near the river,
and was utterly FRUSTRATED.
Her husband, jeff Barlow, had been
sheriff of Brownsville, but espousing
the Federal cause, he left the city, and
returned to his ranch at Santa Rita.
Mrs. Barlow's story was truly heart
rending; she stated that early in the
morning, Adrian Vidal, the Mexican
captain, took a COW belonging to some
of her laborers, and, with daring i'm
punity, was in the act of killing it be-
fore the house. Mr.. Barlow, who was
on terms of intimacy with Vidal and
his family, stepped out to demonstrate
with him.
Vidal shook hands warmly with
Barlow, and drew him away some
short distance from the ranch; then
making a sign to his men, Barlow was
roughly surrounded, had his hands
tied, and was dragged into the wood.
4 I'D In the meantime four of the ruff ans
entered the house Of Mrs. Barlow,
who was entirely unconscious of her
husbands danger. They ransacked
the house, demanded money and
arms, and took a saddle belonging to
her son a lad of ten years. The poor
boy cried bitterly at this mean, COW
ardly act, and a neighbor named An
tonic Cruz, who was his godfather,
came in and asked the marauders to
leave the poor little fellows saddle,
AS 1T was too small for them. They
answered him by presenting a long
dagger to his heart and tying his
hands, then turned him towards the
wood where Barlow had been driven.
Mrs. Barlow counted the moments
until her husband should return, and
was on the point of going out to look
for him when a little Mexican boy
whom she had often served, ran
breathlessly up to her, crying:
"Fly, madam, with your children
at once! Vidal has murdered your
husband and Antonio Cruz, and will
soon be here to kill you too! Make for
the ferry and cross to the other side
l. will go before you to secure boat !"
SCRATCHING her baby in her arms, with
the other children clinging to her side
she ran, In the burning hot sun, until
she arrived near the ferry, where she
awaited the appearance Of the boat
The little boy, who had saved her,
then appearing, Mrs. Barlow implored
OF him to tell her the PARTICULARS of her
unfortunate husbands death.
Barlow and Cruz had every insulting
epethet showered on them by Vidal
and his gang.
"You are an American" they said
TO Barlow, ''and brought to Justice
some of our friends many years ago.
You must hang like dog; and you,
Cruz, are his companion. You shall
share his fate II"
They then chased poor Barlow up
and down the wood, inhictlng upon
him the most cruel blows with their
swords, and after having satisfied
their vengeance in this way, they pre-
pared the rope to hang him.
'"Iake off my hat,'' said he II am
a Christian. Let me pray to God for
my poor wife and little ones.''
ooh, we will take care Of her. 1t IS
our intention to hang her with her
young cubs!'
They had little lifenow to take from