Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-01-19
WITNESS SAYS HE
PAID $3.50 FOR
$4,000 ROUNDS
Av0WED AGENT FOR COMMANDER
or GARRISON IN MATAMOROS
ON STAND AGAIN TODAY.
DECLARES HE WAS NOT AWARE
OF DETAILS OF TRANSACTION
SAYS STUFF NOT DELIVERED.

Ammunition for secret export TO Mex
co at Brownsville commanded a market
price OF $40 per 1000 rounds of 5000
cartridges during last December, accord
Ing TO the testimony Of Gutierrez, before
Justice Of the Peace Kirk this morning.
Gutierrez ! The principal prosecuting uit-
ness in Il c laint against Rafael Cowcn
IN which tuEcn H. charged with having
lraudulcntly accepted 500 from Gu
%tierrez in part payment for $4,000 rounds
of ammunition at the above mentioned
price.
Gutierrez said that he never saw the
ammunition, was not aware Of the details
ri the transaction and that the ammnnl-
non was never delivered. lie concluded
hi> testimony nj noon today. Among the
striking features 81 hi~ testimony this
morning was the statement that IL had
voluntarily signed the check VI Mr. Cowen
as 4 loan for the purpose WI eXpediting
the delivery al the ammunition.
He denied, III answer IN direct questions
put hy the counsel for the defense. that
he had given Cowen 4 receipt showing that
the amount had been returned % him.
That the defense sill put no witnesses
on th stand nj the examining trial was
ann ced "a noon when the court took
rr until , o'clock. This afternoon
mn and Iui, Garcia, witnesses for the
pa .%cution. were called.
/ Details Of z mysterious series of trans
ac' ar, Che one salient positive feature
,s ul.eh seemed To- BE- that he had paid
haiad Cowen of this city an aggregate
sum Of about $3.50. United t>ate- eur
rcncy, III the expectation that Mr.. Cowen
would deliver about fifty eases III 1880
rifle cartridges M military authorities al
Matamoros, was the theme Of q story told
in Justice Of Peace III. \. Kinks court
at the Cameron county court house by
Juan Gutierrez Of Matamoro4, an en-
ployc 81 the MEXICAN consulate in this
city and an avowed agent II Colonel Treio
Gonzales. commander II the Matamoros
military garrison.
Yesterday afternoons session IF the
examining trial Of Mr. Cowen. charged
with having fraudulently received Y check
for 500 from Mr.. Gutierrez. brought Mr..
Gutierrcz' story IN the point whore Nv
claims that VA December 22. VI last wear.
Nv made ont 4 check to Mr.. Cowen for
500 and the latter ca~hed IN. Guticrrcz
stated that the money was in the nature
"a p loan % Cowcn in the expectation that
II would bc returned after certain ammu-
milton had been delivered 10 the Mexican
military authorities. His motive in max
ing the loan, mC stated, was based upon
Mr.. Governs alleged assertion that that
amount, IN addition 10 money alrcady
paid. would ~ needed 10 complete Y trans
action already hc-@a between Gutierrez
and Cowen. Guticrrcz stated that ~ had
been Informed NV Cuwcn that the owner
of the ammunition had refused To release
IL until that further bonus was paid 10
the entire cost.
Mr.. Cowen, he said, promised that iii
the 500 were paid the ammunition would
be- placed IN MatamoroS that night. IIe
described further DEMONSTRATIONS In The
alleged promised delivery ii the ummu-
milton, carrying the transactions down to
the early days Of this month, when ~
paid, he said, an additional $3.50 w Mr.
Cowen To detray some costs that IN nm
dCrstood was necessary to the final trans
fer of the goods To Mexico.
Upon Gutierrez insistcnce that IN w
furnished proofs that the ammunition cx-
isted, he said, Cowen took him one day
10 the outskirts of Brownsville and pointed
10 a clump of large trees, stating that
the ammunition was hidden beneath those
trees.