Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-10-20
CUPIO|TY OF A
BANDIT SAVED
LAWYERS LIFE
DISTRICT ATTORNEY WAS MADE TO
UNLACE HIS NEW TAN SHOES
AND HAND THEM TO BANDIT.
he PURPOSELY FOUND TANcLES IN
THE STRINGS, SEEING LEADER
WAS IMPATIENT.

Inc rrpidltN ot Mexican bandit. IN
love for a bright new pair of tan shoes
coupled with hi~ fear for hi~ leader. Dis.
trict Attorney John T. kleiber Of Browns.
Vile l. convinced saved his life when :
passenger on the i'll fated passenger train
l0l Monday night Mr. kleiber was re.
turning from Corpus Christi where he ha,
been attending court.
The district attorney kept his wits about
HIM through the whole proceeding. In
~tructed by the bandit To unlace his owr
shoes a. he lay on the floor in the blood
of wounded American soldier Mr.. klei
her slowly began doing a instructed. No
ticlng that the bandits companion was i'm
patient to quit the train and cursiny the
fellow with the love for bright tan shoes
Tor ms delay. the district attorney pur-
posely found tangles in his strings. Al
last the man who issued orders had reach
ed the point where he would wait no longer
MIR. kleiber. ~centing the au~piciouS mo
ment. ierked the shoes from his feet. the
Glstnt"u tfItli tfiu UU~lllN utDHfItU
One moments time for the bandit and Mr.
kleiber believes that he would have a bull
let or two in his body.
Mr. kleiber talks Spanish fluentIv. which
Mexican had il not been for his very light
auburn hair and florid complexion lie did
the next best thing, and that was to fall Il
the floor and pretend if dead. In ear
rving out this delu~inn he was aided
through the fact that the bandit had shot
Private G.. II. I.avmon of the United States
cavalry Just before he reached KlAber
The blood Of the unfortunate soldier flowed
across the floor To where Mr. Kleiber lax
and half his linen suit became saturated
In turning over 10 give the bandit hi~ purse
from hiS pocket the blood was spread.
Telling of his experience, Mr.. Kleibel
said:
II was seated on the west side of the
partition dividing the compartments fol
white and colored. Three American sol
dier~. one Of them dressed in civilian.
clothes. and who afterwards learned wa.
the audacious John w. Sword Of Pikesville
Ky. were seated diagonaly across tn,
aisle. 4 fourth soldier was seated directl,
across the aisle from where | sat. Tw,
young travelling men. r. W. Sauer OF Sar
Antonio and r. Wright of Houston. wer,
seated facing me. with their backs To tn,
partition.
''The first intimation we had that trouble
was approaching occurred with the bump
ing and jolting Of the train a. the forwar,
end passed over the ties. | was thrown
partly ont of my seat. as were the tw,
young travelling men. | immediately real
lied that we were IN for IT, Being familia
with the Mexicans and knowing how tn
troubles along the border have occurred.
knew that the bandits were responsible
Knowing that knew also that firing woul,
begin from the outside of the train. am
then ! called 70 my fellow passengers 4
fall to the floor and get under their seats
We had no more than done 80 when tn
bullets began whistline through the cal
coming from the west side Of the track.
After considerable volley firing. follow
ed by scattering of shots heard shout
and loud cheering. Viva Luis de Ia Ross
Viva Carranza' Then number Of me
mounted the coaches and those who enter
ed our car. coming from the rear. ~houte
repeatedly 'MexicanoS no-no ma
eringos. meaning Mexican passengers wei
safe. but death IL the Americans. At th
moment saw the most tragic sight Of m
liie. The soldier seated directly across N
aisle TO my left was kneeling on the floo
facing the rear of the coach. He had n
hands raised in front Of his face i'm an a
; tide of supplication. In his eyes there Wa
a dazed sort Of expression, it seemed /
if he saw deash approaching. then hear
footsteps approaching toward him from II
rear Of the ear. ! saw the muzzle of
rifle pointed directly nj him, and then Il
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