Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-09
Denied They Invaded Mexico
for Recovery of CIemente
vergara's Remains. =
TELEGRAM FROM LAREDO
FOUND TO BE MISLEADING
Gov. Colquitt Is Informed That
Corpse of American Rancher Was
Delivered to Unidentified Parties

AUSTIN. Tex. March 9.-Texas rang
ers did not cross the Mexican border
nor participate in the expedition by
which Clemente Nergara's body was
secretly exhumed from Hidalgo. Mex
leo, cemetery and deposited by persons
as yet unidentified on the Texas side OF
the Rio Grande before daylight ycster-
day morning. according to the official
version of the Vergara incident from
state capitol sources today 1t /.
claimed that this version was borne
out by dispatches from Laredo. Tex.
the nearest point to Hidalgo where in
vestigation could be made and trans
mitted by wire.
Last nights statement that rangers
recovered the body was based on the
following telegram from Ranger Capt.
J. ]. Sanders:
Il proceeded to HidaIgo. Mexico OBJ
tanned body of Fcrgara- Have it here
Rumor Based on Telegram.
The telegram was dated Laredo. but
the word here" as was explained to-
day. referred 10 the point above Laredo
where Vergara made his home. State
officials accepted the telegram as mean
Mexico. Gov Colquitt wired Sanders
for details early today. and after talk
ing to the ranger captain over tn.
long distance telephone gave out the
following statement:
Capt. Sanders. commanding Company
OF the Texas Rangers at Loredo, az
vised me by telegraph that he had re-
covered the body OF Nergara ! Ni;eu
him for full particulars. He advises me
that he did not go into Mexico at ala.
In l1f inf sl..ah hs,sig~ of
CARA would be delivered on the Texas
side of the river at a particular place
named at :;:30 o'clock Sunday morning
where he went and found ii. AS to who
brought it across the river he does not
know. He had no assistance in this
transaction except from the family ana
relatives of Nergara. who fully identified
the body.
May Await Additional Facts.
The governor said he did not know
whether he would have a further state.
ment TO make until he could get addi-
tionai facts. He declared last night that
he had not issued specific instructions
for rangers to cross the border
The persons who eXhumed the booy
from its Mexican grave have so far in.
dicated that they intended to keep their
identity secret. II any ranger or rangers.
acting as individuals. participated In this
gara's former acquaintances, the state
did not authorize il and has at present no
official confirmation to indicate that its
rangers crossed the International line
even i'll such capacity.
Explaining Sanders First Telegram.
The words OF Capt; Sanders first teie
gram Il proceeded to Hidalgo." i'll the
light OF his later report to the governor.
rdct=e lie
stationed at Laredo. forty-five miles from
the point where the body was brought
across the river near HidalGo.
To get the body Sanders and American
Consul A. B. Garrett at Nuevo Lared"
had to make the fortN-iive-milc trap from
Laredo Hidalgo being one of the few
places in that section large enough 10
nave a name designating its location,
Sanders telegram has been interprcted
as using the words Ito Tidalco'' simply
to Indicate a section OF the border.
Hidalso is on the Mexican side OF the
river close to the American side
Party Is Unidentified.
LAREDO, Tex. March "a shovel
sticking in the soft earth OF the open
grave and around the handle of the iin-
plcnent a card with the word ''recuerdos
Crcmcnbran was the single trace TO-
day of the mysterious night visit of
PARTY OF unidentified men 10 the lIidaisu.
Mexico. cemetery who disintcrrcd the
bodv OF tle.ncntc NcIgaTa and returned
it to Texas for burial by his family
Nergaras body was secretly placed al
a lonely spot on the Rio Grande. fort
i've miles above Laredo, IN III" ear
dawn yesterday morning. 10 be found b.
a United States official. state officer ai4'
a county deputy sheriff. but who was fo-
sponsible for its removal from MeAic"
vas a question still unanswerabl Bile. Ilr
body was here TO-DAY awaiting an eAanii-
nation which state authorities hope rnaH
disclose something TO aid them III pIac.
ing blame for the ranchmans violent
death after he was taken prisoner py
Mexican fedcrals.
disclosed two gunshot wounds in the
head one in the neck. a blow as II from
. rifle butt. which crushed the skull, ain.
the rlutilated left hand, twisted anu
charred by fire. suggested that tortuis
had been inflicted before vergara was
executed.
Rangers Not Responsible.
Texas rangers of the troop Of Capt. J.
j. Sanders. were first declared responsible
for the return of Nergaras body from
NJ Me.>ico. but later this vas denied. Capt.
Sanders was one OF the men who were
informed that the body could he founu
at a designated place. The other Two
were American Consul Garrett of Nuevo
Laredo Mexico. and Deputy Sheriff Pet
ty. They went to the scene ostensi5lH-to
obtain further information tho fer-
CARA case but admitted later that they
had been told that the body had been
turned. Who were their informants was
one OF numerous questions each of The
officials in turn, refused to answer The,
did say. however, that neither United
States nor state officials had any part in
the actual trip into Mexico.
Later rumors said former employees
of the Vergara ranch. chafing at delay
in obtaining the body for proper "A
terment by the family. had taken mat
ter RS into their own hands
SurTnises that Mexican authorities
might have taken this method of re
turning Vergara's body to the Unitel
states were forestalled by a remark o.
Consul Garrett who expressed the be-
lief late last night that they did not
vet know of the body's removal
Led to Spot by Mexican.
Despite the mystery as to who was
for the return of the body
here seemed little doubt as to the ac-
ual facts of the recovery of the body.
There We're onl. nine men in the party