Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-03-10
RANGERS RE: !. ?.
COVER BODY
OF VERcARA
Texas Soldiers Secretly Cross Bor-
der and Exhume Re-
mains.
HE HAD BEEN TORTURED
Friends and State Troops Make
Journey to Hidalgo-Son
Identifies Body.
HE HAD BEEN TORTURED

Laredo, Tex, March 9.-Texa'
rangers, who secretly crossed int
Mexico Saturday night, yesterda,
brought to the American side thu
mutilated body of Clemente Vergara
Texas rancher, and established thu
fact of his execution, after he was
seized by Mexican federals.
The rangers were not opposed, &C
complishing their search without
the slightest opposition, taking the
body from the grave in the Hidalgt
cemetery almost within sight of the
Texas border. The seizure was di
vested of possible grave aspects ir
international complications by rea
son of the fact that the rangers
were virtually making use of per.
mission granted officially by Mexi.
can federal authorities several days
ago for recovery of the body. This
permission had been given to United
States Consul Alonzo Garrett al
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 Hi
dalgo.
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 be-
ing put to death.
Identification was made by Ver-
gara's son and by numerous friends,
many of whom were in the party of
ninety, led by the state border pa
troll which made the grim journey
to the Hidalgo cemetery during the
early morning hours yesterday.
The body was not badly decom-
posed, despite it's three weeks bur-
ial. In addition to recognizing the
features, young Vergara took a bit
OF cloth from the trousers on the
body and matched it to the coat his
father wore the day he crossed the
Rio Grande. The body was brought
into the United States at point
forty-five miles north of Laredo, OPP
posite Hidalgo, and near the YER
CARA ranch. American Consul Gar
ret of Nuevo Laredo, deputy sher-
IFS and other authorities were wait
ing to receive it and pending the ar
rival of an undertaken from Laredo,
and armed force stood guard over
the body.
Recovery of the body was made
by a force of Texans, largely friends
of Vergara, acting with troop of
Texas rangers under Captain Saun-
ders, who have been investigating
for Governor Colquitt the circum-
stances of Vergara's seizure by fed
erals.
A secret investigation, in which
many Mexicans had been questioned,
is understood to have preceded the
trip into Mexico. Leading the force
was a man who claimed to haveI
been a witness to both the execu-
lion and burial of Vergara.
The force gathered near the YER
CARA ranch, not far from the spot
where Vergara crossed the river to
meet the Mexican federals, who
promised remuneration for stolen
,orses. Moving silently they began
he overland march of about five
niles to Hidalgo. They avoided the
own, it was said, under the cover
VI night and met no one to question
heir journey.
Location of the grave proved an
asy task, for it has been a center
# speculation and wonder since it
after swinging body had
een cut down from the place of ex-
cution when the hue and cry of
Tergara's disappearance started an
The body had been
udely inferred, with little effort to
rotect it from the earth. With their
urden fixed on stretcher, carried :
y six of Vergara's friends, the pro-
ession started unchallenged on the
eturn journey which brought {
lemente Vergara. home again to .
lie United States.
1t is understood a thorough exam
lation of the body has been order
by state authorities. i
Vergara left his ranch, near Bala- II
x, Tex, Friday, Feb. 10, and cross t