The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-03-09
Responsibility for Recovery
Of Vergara's Remains
Is Not Placed
GOV. COLQUITT SAYS
IT'S A MYSTERY
Party of Nine Men Crossed
the Border into Mexico
Sunday Morning

Austin. Texas, March 9.-Official in
terest here to-day in the recovery OF the
body of Clements Vergara, the Texas
ranchman, centered in the expected re.
port Of Captain J. j. Sanders command
ing the Texas Rangers at Laredo, one
of the men to whom the body was given
in charge.
Captain Sanders troop of rangers
was first reported to have crossed into
Mexico and recovered the body from a
cemetery in Hidalgo, but after conversa-
tion with Captain Sanders over the tele-
phone at midnight Governor Colquitt
corrected this and said the men respon-
sible for the recovery are unknown.
Laredo, Texas. March "a party OF
men who secretly crossed into Mexico
Sunday morning brought to the Ameri-
can side the multilsted body of Glenn
ente Nergara, Texas ranchman, and es-
tablshed the fact of his execution after
be was seized by Mexican federals.
The party were not opposed, accom-
plishing their search without the slight
est violence, taking the body from a
grave in Hidalgo cemetery almost with
in sight of the Texas border. The seiz-
ure wa4 divested of possibly grave as
poets in international complications by
reason of the fact that the men were
virtually making use of the permission
granted officially by Mexican federal au-
thorities several days ago for recovery
of the body. This permission had been
given to United States Consul Alonzo
Garrett at Nuevo Laredo but he did not
get the body because of what he report
ed as dangers attending search for it in
the immediate vicinity of Hidalgo.
Vergara was shot twice through the
head and once through the neck, his skull
was crushed as by blow from rife
butt and the charred fingers of the left
hand indicated that he had been tortured
before being put to death.
Identification wos made by Fergaras 3
son and by numerous friends, many of
whom were in the party of nine which
made the grim journey to the Hidalgo
cemetery during the early morning hours
of Sunday. The body was not badly
decomposed. In addition to recognizing
the features, young Vergara took bit
of cloth from the trousers on the body
and matched it with the coat which his
father wore the day he crossed the Rio
Grande.
The body was brought into the United
States at point 45 miles northwest of
Laredo, opposite Hidalgo, and near the
Vergara ranch. Pending the arrival of
the undertaken from Laredo, an armed
force stood guard over the body.
A secret investigation, in which many
Mexicans had been questioned, is under
stood to have preceded the trip into Mex
leo. Leading the force was man who
claimed to have been witness to both
the execution and burial of Vergara.
The force gathered near the Vergara
ranch not far from the spot where Ver-
CARA crossed the river to meet the Mexi-
can federals who had promised him
remuneration for stolen horses. Moving
silently, they began the overland march
to Hidalgo, distance of about five
miles. They avoided the town, it is said,
and under cover of the night met no
body to question the purpose of their
journey.
Location of the grave proved an easy
task, for it has been center of specu-
lation and wonder since it appeared
after a swinging body had been cut
down from the place of execution, when
the hue and cry over Vergara's disap-
pearance started an investigation. The |
body had been rudely inferred, with lit
tie effort to protect it from the soil.
With their burden on a stretcher. car
ried by six of Yergara's friends, the sol |
emn procession started unchallenged on |
the return journey which brought Glenn |
ente Vergara home again to the United
States.
Disappearance of vergara.
Vergara left his ranch, near Palafox, |
Tex, Friday, February l3, and crossed |
the river into Mexico in answer to a |
message from three federal soldiers that !
Captain Apolinio Rodriguez, of the Hi |
dalgo garrison, wished to settle for II |
horses taken from Vergara's island pas |
ture in the Rio Grande. Mrs. Vergara |
pleaded with her husband not to risk |
seizure by the Mexicans, but, disregard |
ing her prophetic warning, he crossed |
the river with his young nephew.
Mrs. Nergara has since told how she |
saw her husband assaulted by the wait |
ing soldiers and, after being Knocked un- /
conscious, carried off. Vergara's nephew |
escaped and hid in the brush until he
could recross the river.
On the following day Mrs. vergara
went in search of her husband and found
him in the Hidalgo Jail. SO far as
known there was no charge against him.
He had been cruelty beaten, according
to the wife.
She dressed the wounds on his head
she said, and remained with him until /
forced to leave. That was the last time
she ever saw him alive, for early next
morning he was taken from the iaiI.
supposedly to be transferred to Piedras
Negras, and disappeared.
When search was begun for the miss.
ing American, it was learned that a
man had been shot and his body hanged |
10 a tree outside of Hidalgo early Sun
day morning, February l5, and that the
body had been left hanging for several /
days. Soon after Consul Garrett at |
Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, started his in
quiries this body was removed and a
fresh grave was noticed in the old Hi
dslgo cemetery.
Mexicans who had known the ranch