El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-04-08

THE way department should put enough troops the Big
Bend district to prevent Mexican bandit raids on Ame-
can ranches Or else the state should furnish the protee
rive itself. That gangs Of worthless brgands
should Be allowed to terr0rize American citizens and
vert stp Of the state Of Texas south OF the C. d. & ) A.
railroad into part Of Mexico so lar as living CONDITIONS
and security Of lie and property are concerned IS out
1ageous
The foregoing does constitute contradiction Of any
thing that has said heretofore praise Of the work
Of Col George T. Langhorne and his regiment the Eighth
United States cavalry in combating the Mexican ma
raudeTs. Col Langhorne and his men, By Their ski and
daring, by their hard riding and quick Snoogs Dy tneL
willingness follow hot trail lar as the equator II
need Be to uc punishment have proved the best protec
tors this border country has had They have inflicted
hasv -i-E,erf On the bandits AFTER the raids into
Texas have occurred and AFTER American citizens have
been killed and their property destroyed stolen Unless
every single Of the bandits could have been killed
could have done any better than the Eighth cavalry has
done.
The point TO be emphasized is that their work has been
nitive after the act. What is needed work Of pre-
ution protection to avoid the act 1t that mat
many bandits killed there always more to
the places Of the dead and carry their crimes with
cruelty undated.
With 1900 1000 square miles Of territory in the Big
Bend district single regiment cannot patrol 1t effectively,
furnish guard for every ranch That is what IS
needed guard for every ranch within IS miles Of the border
patrols riding north bank Of the river the look
bandit movements in the vicinity Of the line. Ban
dit bands might lie IN conceaent avoid contact with
patrol only crossing the river after the patrol had passed
but soon the patrol would return and observe the tran ana
notify those ranches lying ia the direction taken by the
bandits SO that the msTy guards could be on watch ana
greet then wa the eaden rain they have learned to
dread. II that way lives Of ranch and their en-
p0yes could be savedsan their property preserved.
As conditions are the bandits able BY watching
their chance take the rauchen BY SURPRISE surround
ing their houses IN number overwhelming TO the defenders
and pouring III stream Of bullets which quickly kills any
who may be inside the premises. Fortunate indeed
any who, BY fortunate Circumstances manage to effect their
escape Then they rob the ranch house and outbudngs
drive off horses cattle both, and perhaps escape
The Ro Gaude before word be sent 10 Colonel Lang
hornss soldiers After that Boots and Saddles for
troop two, brsskneck ride into Mexico short, hot
eHgageeu and the burial Of al but the few bandits who
manage to escape The troopers return TO American terri
tory there quiet until another band Of hungry cut
threats rides cut Of Mexico another called invasion Of
the United States Actually that IS what they consider it.
Foremost in their minds Of course Is the thought Of food
clothing ammunition and beef in contrast to the starvation
conditions Of their land but they keep up the pretense
Of waging warfare for the recovery Of Texas for Mexico
AND THEY ARE GETTING AWAY WITH IT to the ez-
tent that they rendering life unsafe American terri
tory They killing and pluuderng There salts
faction killing them afterward, but death Of half hun
dred OF the worthless bruts doe not compensate for the
murder Of single American who trying TO live like
other Americans live American territory, peace and
security under the constitutional guarantees Of life and lib
crty
Tie Brite ranch raid bad and after few minor
raids following the Nev ranch raid fully aroused the
Big Bend people to their danger There talk that every