Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-08-19
MANY BUILD RATS AND FLOAT
THEIR HOUSEHOLD GOODS
ACROSS RIO GRANDE TO
LAND OF SAFETY"
MATAMOROS PAPER PUBLISHES
AMUSING STORY TELLING OF
CAPTURE OF MERCEDES BY
MEXICAN REBELS.

That a revolution l. in full progress m
Texas and that Mexico Is safer than Texas
at present is the belief of Mexlcans resld-
ing along the Rio Grande, according 70 let
Iers received in Brownsville. These Mexi-
cans are fleeing from the state INTO Mex
leo. and in the absence Of boats To carry
their household effects across the river
into Mexico they are building RATS and
floating them across. This condition was
particularly noticeable AT points along the
border where American soldiers have been
doing guard duty OF hate. Among officers II
j. believed that the Mexlcans have been
miSlead as 10 the actual cause Of the
trouble.
At a conference held between Colonel
Procopio Elizondo, the Matamoros military
commander, and an American official IN
the headquarters in Matamoros, the colonel
announced that he has despatched force
Of soldiers along the river from Matamoros
westward and from Reynosa eastward
These forces. he said are under nStruc
tions to shoot and kill every Mexican found
armed on the Mexican side who did not
belong there or was not a member oi the
Carranza army. American citizens, he
said will he arrested by the troops and
brought 10 Matamoros and tried, after
which they are to be turned over Ia the
American authorities in Brownsville.
With the exception of occasional sniplng
since Yesterday the United States army
border patrol headquarters at Fort Brown
has had no reports OF further disorders
along the Rio Grande between Brownsville
and Rio Grande City. Texas ranger cap
tains are still on the hunt through Cameron
and Hidalgo counties for members of the
band which recently terrorzed sections Of
the two counties. but 80 far a known only
an occasional suspect l. now being caught.
Two alleged members Of the gang I'M
phcated in the Austin killings at Sebastian.
who were arrested several days ago and
held in city Jail IN Cameron county
town were taken out during few minutes
absence by the guards and were later found
dead. The two bodies were seen alongside
the railroad Yesterday. and were being
burned. Confirmation has been received
of the summary execution OF lour aie2eu
bandits in the neighborhood of Mercedes.
This occurred the Halter part Of last week.
FL Democratic. Matamoros paper. IN
its issue Of today, publishes story To
the effect that il heard rumors that Mer-
eedes was captured by the ''rebels in Tex
a." The story was the cause Of much
amusement among officials and citizens n
Brownsville today. and evidently was m
duced by the reports in American papers
concerning the fight near Mercedes when
a band of go men were reported marching
against Mercedes FL Democratic said q
Every bloody conflict was fought for two
hours beginning yesterday "Wednesday
morning nj Q o'clock" after which the
"rebels" took the town but later were
forced to abandon it. The paper said the
fighting was witnessed by large number
of innocent spectators who later joined the
ranks of the rebels swelling the organlza-
,on Ia 800 men well armed and equipped