The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-03-11
vERGARA'S BODY RETURNED.
RETURNED TO AMERICAN SIDE
OF RIVER BY FEDERALS.

''N"S H"nCfiIiNtn was Executed by
f'cdcrals-Kcmains show Muiila-
ton. identified by Son and Friends
Recovered by Consul and Officer
OF Rangers.
Laredo. Texas, March S.-The mu-
tilated body OF Clemcnte Vcrgara
Texas ranchman, WAS secretly brought
TO the American side of the Rio
Grande in the early hours OF Sun
day morning. establishing the fact Of
his execution after he was seized by
Mexican federals.
Departing as silently as they had
crossed the river, the men who dis
Inferred the body from the Hidalgo,
Mexico. cemetery and bore it five
miles over rough trail 10 American
territory, left no tace Of their iden-
tity. American Consul Garrett of
Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. and Capt. j.
j. Sanders Of the Texas Rangers
were the only persons ON the Amerl-
can side who were told what had been
done. They we're not informed. they
said, until after the body had been
brought across the river. Told of the
intended delivery of the body, they
went to the scene, 40 miles up the
river from Laredo, found the body
as they had been told they would,
and tonight had it brought to Laredo
pending an examination which the
State will have made.
None OF the officials would make q
statement tonight except to set at rest
earlier reports that Texas Rangers
and friends of Vergara had acted to-
gethCr in crossing into Mexico and
securing the body for burial by the
Rumors had it that former en-
ployes of the Vergara ranch were re-
sponsible for the recovery Of the
body.
Consul Garrett also forestalled sur
mises that the Mexican authorities
might have taken this means to re-
turn the body by expressing the opin-
ion that he did not believe they knew
the body had been removed. lie had
never expected nor received any au-
thority TO return the body TO Texas.
he said.
Apparently the only clew to the
identity OF the men tonight was a
shovel left in the open grave In the
cemetery. To it was attached
n card inscribed "Recuredos"-''re-
Vcrgara was shot twice through the
head and once through the neck
His skull was crushed as by q blow
from rifle butt and the charred
fingers of the left hand indicated that
he had been tortured before being
put to death.
Identification was made by the
dead mans son and by numerous
friends, some OF whom were in the
party of nine, led by the state bor-
der patrol. which made the grim
journey to Iiidalgo cemetery during
the early morning hours today. The
body was not badly decomposed.
despite its three weeks burial. and
in addition to recognizing the
features. young Vcrgara took q bit
of cloth from the trousers which
Enclosed the body and matched it to
the coat which his father had on the
day he crossed tho river.
Ncrgara left his ranch near Pala-
fox. Texas. Friday. February 13, and
crossed the river into Mexico on Il
message from three federal soldiers
that Capt. Apo!onio Rodriguez of the
garrison wished to settle for
Ii horses taken from NcrGara's island
pasture in the Rio Grande. Mrs. Ver-
CARA pleaded with her husband not to
risk seizure of the McXicans. but
diSregarding ncr warnings, he crossed
the river i'm company with his young
nephew. Mrs. Norgara has since told
how she saw her husband assaulted
by the waiting soldiers. ana afte he
ing Knocked unconscious carried off,
Vergara's nephew at the time of the
attack on his uncle escaped to safety
and hid in tho brush until he could
rcCToss the river.
ON the following day Mrs. Vcrgara
went i'm search of her husband ana
found him in the HidalgO Jail. SO far
as known there was no charge against
him He had been cruelty beaten, ac-
cordinE to the woman. She dressed
the wounds on his head, she said, and
remained with him until forced to
leave. That was the last she ever
saw Of him alive. for early next
morning hc was jakcn out supposedly
4. "a,