The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-31

the children or the town made DIE lusS to the governor about moving his head quarters away
 It may be remarked of Captain Me- Donald himself that a few years ago he shot and killed four Mexicans who were firing upon him from ambush in an iso- lated spot in the lower Rio Grande bor- der. and the next Sunday-=he was back in Brownsville and occupied a front seat in one of the churches at morning and evening service.
 War On Cattle Raiders The condition existing along the Texas frontier at the time the rangers were organized. in 1S76 wer~ a source of much concern to this government. The cat tic raids from the state of Tamauiipas' Mexico. into Texas. commenced with what is known as the "Cortina war, m 1859 and 1S6o This was a most remark able occurrence-one without parallel In our history. A single lawless rancher with band of friends captured a town l of nearly 5000 inha tahts, and not only defied but defeated the forces of the state of Texas. and carried on war against the combined forces of the state of Texas and the United States, maintaining hlm- self for upwards of five months on Amer | ican soil with the Mexican flag flying 1 over his camp, and finally retreating across the Rio Grande, ready to renew 1 the fight
 l Such was the beginning of the border I troubles on the Rio Grande, one well calculated to inspire the lawless element l in Mexico with defiant pride, and to I teach the American people the extent Of the danger to which they were exposed. and their dependence on the strong arm of the government. These feelings were i confirmed and increased when the bold robher and outlaw, who was under nu- merous indictments in Texas for previous | killings and robberies and who had left the American territory defying the Uni ted States, was deliberately sent by the I Mexican government. clothed with the 1 high office of general of the army and 1 governor, back to the very scene of his l outrages, and the United States quietly submitted to the insult.
 | The whole country from Brownsville to | Rio Grande city, 120 miles, and back to 1 the Arroyo Colorado, was laid waste. l There was not an American nor any l property belonging to an American that was not destroyed, in this large tract of country. Their horses and cattle were driven across into Mexico and there sold.
 Deeds of Valor
 Although cattle stealing was the origf- 1 nal object of the raids, the lawless bands engaged in them were necessarily led to | the perpetration of other and greater | crimes The Iawless spirit, engendered
 
 cause them to kill travellers who hap pened to meet them on their raids, and 1 those whom they thought might inform against them. In fact, these raids were l soon turned into general robbery and i slaughter
 1 These conditions on the lower Rio Grande began to improve, however, as soon as Capt. l.. H. McNally and his | company of rangers were sent down there | to run down the outlaws. No quarter was asked or given. It was a fight to | the death when he and his men got with l in shooting distance of the Mexican | thieves International law had no mean ing for them at such times. On one oc- | casion they chased a band of about 50 cattle thieves across the river into Mex 1 ico, killing 29 of them without losing a man.
 name which for many years struck l terror into the heart of border criminals was that of Capt Lee Hall. Captain | Hal who is now more than 60 years old. was at the head of company of rangers which covered a territory as large as two or three ordinary states. They were l a flying squadron that rode fearlessly | into any kind of trouble where duty | called them, and their battles with the l Indians, the lawless white men and Mex jeans were so numerous that they were l in almost constant active service for l tDTee or TOUT years. cIO lnucn was cap 1 tain Hall feared by those who had req son to dread the rangers that numerous 1 attempts were made to assassinate him. l The room in which he slept was fired into | several times at night.
 Chase Train Robbers
 One summer day about 15 years ago Captain Hall and his men were taking 1 a short rest in their camp in the Big | Bend country, wild and isolated re- zion bordering the upper Rio Grande, and much frequented as a rendezvous by mur- derers, robbers, smugglers and a great variety of other criminals, when a mes
 senger rode in with the news that a | Southern Pacific train mad been held up and robbed near Dryden, 150 miles away. l The word to be up and off was immedi- | ately given, and as the rangers have neither tents nor chuck wagon to hinder | their movements but only a blanket un- der which to sleep and small sack or ! two in which to carry commssary sup plies, it was only a few minutes before | they were headed across trailless coun- | try for the scene of the robbery By day l light next morning they had covered 60 | miles of the journey. Leaving their tired
 horses at ranch house, they snatched an hours sleep. roped Tresh horses from
 the corral, saddled them and were off <, again.
 1 The trail of the robbers was picked up about 20 miles from Dryden, and it was | discovered that they were headed north with posse of United States deputy marshals already in the chase. By malS-