The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-13

through field glass. Another, with an
eight-stringed Mexican guitar across his
long legs, would strum the accompani-
ment to some ditty of doubtful morality
heard In the cafe chantants Of Paris. Still
another would discourse to companions of
the delights Of Long Branch in season or
New York city after midnight. These
were the men who rode hard and long in
the bitter norther or under the broillng
sun, whose bloodhound pursuit ended only
when the hunted desperate turned at bay
in the tearing chaparral and the blue
smoke Of the Winchester drifted on the
morning air,
From far above Ell Paso to Brownsville
on the gulf they pacifed and held still
through fear a frontier of more than a
thousand miles in extent, along which liv-
ed two populations most turbulent 1t was
wonderful, but 1t cost blood. When Coke
was governor Sergt. Parrot of company
f, then stationed at Brownsville, rode up
the river on a lonely errand. He was a
photographer in a way and took with him
an outfit competent to produce "tintypes."
This he had in a light wagon along with
small tent and cooking utensils The in
habitants of that wild region had never
before seen an artist" They flocked to
Parrot when he pitched his tent. To
them his name was Wilson and he came
from Eastern Texas Always, when his
sitter was male, he took two copies. One
he kept and marked with the name. He
made quite a collection, as well as tidy
sum of money which went subsequently
for aguardiente and accessories in CAV
Matamoras. When PARROT returned de-
tachment of men went out from camp I'M
der sealed orders from the executive.
They were commanded by Lieut.. Arm
strong. The achives of Texas once held
the records OF that wild journey, but they
were destroyed in the burning of the old
capitol. To this day the people along the
Rio Grande call it 1.-The red ride"
Their instructions were to STAY and
spare not. When one of their victims was
met he was asked his name and promptly
lied. Parrot was called to the front with
his case Of "tintypes." He showed the
portrait with the names written across
the back. The corpse was left upon the
prairie. Maybe some of its relatives came
along and buried it, and maybe they did
not. The yellow-trimed Mexican vultures
are plentiful. 1t is estimated that between
Brownsville and Iona Vista, where the
ride ended, not less than one hundred des-
peradoes were removed" After it
purse hung up by the roadside would have
remained untouched for a year. The les
son was fearful, but effective. The last
killing" was made on the banks of Es-
pentosa lake. Camped there was John
Martin and with him were five compan-
ions. The rangers rode upon them at 10
o'clock at night and opened fire. Martin
and his men rose from their blankets, six
shooters in hand, and answered with hope
less gallantry. They all went down.
One Of them, McAllister by name, fur
nished remarkable example of the te-
nacity of human life. AS the troops rode
away he stirred family and asked for
water. One of the men dismounted, went
to the edge of the lake, filed his hat and
gave him to drink When they had gone
a half-mile Mexican ranger named Vic
tor concluded that the McAllister job was
a bad job. Speaking softly to a compan-
ion, they dropped behind The compan-
ion shot McAllister through the body, and
Victor shot him through the head. They
turned back his eyelids, and knew that
he was dead. When last saw him he
was teaching school at Fiotown, and
pieces of bone were then exfollating from
his jaw, just below the ear