The San Francisco call., 1910-11-06
Bv William A. Du Puv


20 man IN the wrong can stand up against the
fellow thar's in tie right and keeps on a.
comm Rangers Greed.
QUANAH. Texas. October IS, 1910.
THERE is a little band OF IS men
in Texas today who throw down
the gauntlet 10 all the world. past
and present. I'm the matter Of pulling
OF stunts that are gloriously venture
some, that daily with death. that scorn
ODDS that are a hundred TO one. that
know no force that IS sufficient TO turn
them aside from a thing that they
have set out TO accomplish These men
make up the rank and file Of Texas
rangers. a force that is more feared
by miscreants than any other body OF
men that civilization has ever organ
ized
They carry law and order to the re-
mote regions along the Rio Grande.
where outlaws Of two nations take
refuge. They carry il into the back
WOODS where feuds rage constantly be-
side which those OF Kentucky's noun
tsins sink into insigniicance. They
carry e into such pOpulous cities as
San Antonio, where local political infiu-
ence prevents local enforcement OF the
liquor laws. They carry II into every
nook and corner Of that great state OF
Texas. the extent OF which IS such
that there are problems to face such
ss other states dream not OF.
Rangers Carnes, Lawrence, West and
Craighead recently rode into q jungle
that skirts the Rio Grande near It's
mouth. Mexican renegades were hid
den In the thickets and the rangers
knew the deadly peril into which they
rode Engineer Darwin OF an irriEa-
tfon project in the neighborhood had, a
short time previously, thrashed in
good stvle 2 Mexican with whom he
& Mexican outlaw, who had killed an
American 10 years before and had since
hidden IN the brush and vacilla1ed be-
tween the Mexican and American sides
OF the line, was cousin Of the man
who was whipped Pedro Estrada
also had q Texas ranchman 10 his
credit and Joined Trevino in hiding.
They had gathered a party OF kindred
spirits about them.
Despite the disadvantsge &c under which
they worked the rangers rode into the
thicket. They could die but once and
their business was TO court death. A
road had been cut through the jungle
and, following this. the rangers were
ambushed. The outlaws opened on them
at close range with shotguns and every
man went down. Carnes and Lawrence
were killed and Craighead and West
were wounded. Pablo Trevino was so
fn6iscreet as 10 peep for a moment from
the thfcket and Ranger Carnes. whose
right arm was broken and who was
near death shifted his six shooter TO his
left hand and got his man, then died
This. the most recent OF the ranger
fights. is one OF the greatest tragedies
IN its history. with every man dead
or disabled, the Mexicans were able to
make their escape in the brush, and
&c recent Is the battle that the force
has not succeeded IN taking vengeance.
But the rangers rarely meet even
time this fighting was going on in the
southwest five rangers were at work on
different sort Of case in east Texas.
Near Palestine a race war had broken
out. the farmers scenting q real or
fancied plot OF an uprising on the part
Of the negroes. As result OF the war
e score Of negroes had been killed.
company OF militia had been hurried to
the scene to maintain law and order. A
renewal OF the war was momentarily
expected The FIVE rangers were sub
stituted for the militia company. They
brought order out Of chaos, arrested 15
white men suspected Of having taken
part IN the killing OF the negroes, and
all these are now awaiting trial
BY going back a little further a bet
ter example OF the unquestioned dare
devil spirit OF the ranger is to be
soldiers shooting at Brownsville is well
known After that incident all was
chaos for weeks. and the red tape Of
q confusion OF national and local au-
thorities prevented anything like an
efficient investigation OF the affair. Cap
tain "BilP Mcdonald was commander
81 the little ranger company for this
section OF the state, but was in Dallas
at the time BE expected orders from
the ao5utant general, who was his supe-
rior officer, TO go to Brownsville and
Investigate. But the adjutant general
held that the national government was
responsible for the action Of its troops.
Captain Bill differed from this view.
He went TO Brownsville. He said that
murder had been committed In Texas
and be was going to find out about It.
He found the town and the post In a
practical condition OF blockade against
each other. He was told he could not
enter the post without an order from
its commanding ofacer, but he did not
even ask for permission. Murder had
been committed in Texas Ranger Nc
Cauley accompanied him, both armed
with automatic shotguns ready for use.
At the gate OF the post he found q file
OF 20 negro soldiers. the very men who
were under suspicion These men or
cered him 70 halt and brought their
guns into position ready 60 nre- The
rangers continued to advance with
their automatic guns in readiness
Then Captain Bill called the troops
''niggers" and murderers and told them
TO put UP their guns and take him to
their commander, or he would perfo-
rate them collectively and individually.
he walked into tho very muzzles of
tkeir rifles and to K command By no