The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1914-03-13
BODY Of vERGARA
IS BROUGHT us.
MYSTERY SURROUNDS SECURING
or TEXAS RANcHMAN's
REMAINS.
CORPSE INDICATES TORTURE
Fingers Of Left Hand charred and
Skull Crushed as Though BY Rifle
Butt-Rangers Didn't Re-
turn Body.

Laredo, Tex, March 1O.-The mutt.
lated body of Clemente Vergara, the
Texas ranchman lured into Mexico
by Mexican federal soldiers, was Sc
cretly brought to the American side
of the Rio Grande river early Sunday
by a mysterious party of men.
No Trace Of identity.
Departing as silently as they had
crossed the river, the men who disin-
tered the body from the Hidalgo.
Mex, cemetery and bore it five miles
over a rough trail to American ter
ritory. left no trace of their identity.
Their act definitely established that
Vergara was executed after his cap
ture. He had been shot twice through
the head and once through the neck.
His skull was crushed as though by
a rifle butt. and the fingers of his
left hand were charred.
This last circumstance is taken to
indicate that the rancher was tortured
before he was killed.
But Two Notified.
American Consul Garrett of Nuevo
Laredo, Mex, and Captain J. J. Saun-
ders of the Texas rangers, were the
only persons on the American side
who were told of the intended delivery
OF the body at the border. They went
to the scene, As miles up the river
from Laredo, found the body as they
had been told they would. and had it
brought back to Laredo. pending an
examination the state will have made.
None of the officials would make a
statement except to set at rest earlier
reports that Texas rangers and friends
Of Vergara had acted together in
crossing into Mexico and obtaining
the body for burial by the family.
Rumors had it that former employees
OF the Vergara ranch were response.
BILE for the recovery of the body.
cousul Makes Statement.
Consul Garrett also forestalled sur
misses that the Mexican authorities
might have taken this means to re-
turn the body by saying that he did
not believe they knew the body had
been removed. He had never asked
nor received any authority from them
to return the body to Texas. he said.
Apparently the only clew to the
identity of the men was a shovel left
in the open grave in the Hidalgo GEM
etery. To it vas attached a card in
scribed: "Recuerdos" "Remem
brances."
Location of the grave proved an
easy task, for it has been a center OF
speculation since it appeared after a
swinging body had been cut down
from the place of execution. when the
hue and cry of Vergara's disappear
anc started an investigation. The
body had been rudely inferred with
little effort to protect it from the
earth.
History Of Case.
Vergara left his ranch. near Hala-
fox. Texas. Friday. Feb. Is. and cross.
ed the river into Mexico on a message
from three Federal soldiers that Cap
tain Apolino Rodriguez of the Hidalgo
garrison wished to settle for II horses
taken from Vergara's island pasture
in the Rio Grande.
Mrs. Vergara pleaded with her hus.
band not to risk seizure by the Mexi-
cans. but disregarded her warnings.
He crossed the river in company with
his young nephew. Mrs. Vergara
since has told how she saw her hus-
band assaulted by the waiting soldiers
and, after being knocked unconscious.
carried on.
Not Rangers, Says Governor.
Austin, Texas.-After q long dis
lance telephone conversation with
Captain J. J.. Sanders of the Texas
rangers. Governor Colquitt of Texas
declared the actual recovery OF the
body of Clemente Vergara, American
ranchman. was not made by Texas
rangers. but that the body was tax
en- from the Hildago. Mex, cemetery
and brought to the border by other
persons. Who these persons we're it
was said. the ranger captain did not
know.
This statement injected an element
Of mystery in the affair in view OF
the statement credited to Sanders
earlier In the night that he had PRO
ceeded to Hidalgo and secured Yer.
gara's body"