The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-03-25
THE TEXAS RANGERS
HOW FIFTEEN MEN GUARD 500
MILES OF BORDER.
they keep down crime

1eCuSS hoSh A1o0S NhS"iNoA Iva
der Than Regiment Of Troops
Western Bad Man Has Been Revis-
ed as Natural Result Of Conditions.
The entire force Of Texas rangers,
totaling at present fifteen mounted
men, has been assigned to duty on
the 500 miles of Texas-Mexican bor-
der in response to an appeal from
ffty-three persons there for protec-
ton against cattle thieves and marau-
ders.
Along with news Of the rangers
disposition, Gov. o. B. Colquitt made
public lengthy list Of the Texas bor-
der troubles, OF which his appeals
for more power to protect the boun-
dary have been based, and which ex-
plains the nature Of the rangers &C
tivities.
These incidents show the rangers
as peace officers, not as an armed
power, which might cause the United
States government embarrassment.
Many Of these incidents are compara-
lively petty crimes, not included
within the scope Of neutrality laws
and outside the police paths Of Unit
ed States troops on border patrol
duty. The records indicate that the
rangers sometimes stop crimes before
it has proceeded to the stage Of inter-
national complications.
The timely arrest Of a cattle or
horse thief before he has had time
to escape into Mexico has wardeo on
more serious consequences, such as
the killing of Clemente Vergara, the
American, which grew out Of horse
stealing. The records also indicate
that, while many of the law-breakers
have come across the international
line in raids from Mexico, some mis-
chief-makers have been residents OF
American territory in sections where
the Mexican populations is large, and
have used Mexico as refuge.
One source OF extreme vexation
has been inability during the past
three years to secure extradition OF
any Of these marauders, whether
originally from Texas or Mexico.
Gov. Colquitt estimated that in this
period there have been 200 to 900
such cases, in which the state has
made some sort Of attempt to get the
accused back to Texas without sue
cess in single instance.
The sending Of rangers to Ray
mondsyille was based on petition
asserting that "for the past few
months cattle thieves have been
depredating, and several murders
have been committed" With this
petition, another signed by twenty
eight persons and making the same
CHARGES was made public from Sebas-
tian, Texas. Ranger Captain J. R.
Hughes, who brought these petitions
to Austin three days ago after per-
sonal investigation, said that one
American named Rowell had been
killed, and that several Mexicans,
names unknown, were reported slain;
that the killings were alleged to
have grown out Of depredations by
persons who took refuge in Mexico,
and that the petitioners believe more
police protection would allay the
trouble. Raymondsville and Sebas-
tan are in the Brownsville section
near Lyford, Tex, where rangers
were sent March 3 in response to an
appeal signed by forty-seven persons.
Each petition made the charge OF sew
eral killings, and each IS believed to
cover the same incidents.
How fifteen rangers can furnish
any real protection along a border
500 miles long was explained In a
statement by Captain Hughes. In
some places one ranger is assigned to
patrol duty to 100 miles or border,
he said. These rangers, clothed with
all the police powers Of both state
and county officers, are feared by the
troubie-makers, who know that the
ranger can arrest them even on suspi-
cion.
"The rangers" said Captain
Hughes, "who are mounted and
equipped like cavalrymen, can cover
territory which few cavalrymen could
penetrate, single-handed and without
assistance because rangers are tidinE
horses which never have been
stabbed
These horses, it was explained, are
native to the Rio Grande country and
capable Of subsisting Indefinitely
without regular feed on the various
prickly growths which are nearly the
only vegetation. The bad men be-
Heve, and with good reason. based on
experience. that their arrest is GER
tain once a ranger overtakes them.
Student Falls From Window.