El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-02-14
RANGERS CLAIM
They WERE FAIR
Captains Give Testimony,
Explaining Incidents of
Alleged Brutality.

Austin. Tex, Feb. 1f.-Ranger cap
tain J. J. Sanders from the witness
stand Of the ranger Investigation COM
mittee, yesterday, testified in regard
to the three charges that have been
made against him His first testimony
concerned the case OF policeman Rod
.riguez in Brownsville
Captain Sanders said that Rodri-
guez. with others. fired upon party
Of deputy sheriffs and rangers. They
returned the fire and wounded him
The policeman escaped TO his home
and the same party went FOR him A
woman told them that Rodriguez was
badly wounded. Captain Sanders said
that he did not examine the man but
assisted in taking him 10 jail.
About a block from Rodriguez's
house, a shot was fired from behind.
Captain Sanders did not think Il
struck bis prisoner. as be was holding
in placing The man ia jail and had
nothing more to do with the matter.
Sent For a Deserter.
Captain Sanders then said be was
sent by a draft board 10 apprehend F.
Garcia. a deserter. He found Garcia
in an automobile. and ont OF respect
to his mother. who was in the car de-
cided 10 let him ride 10 town In the
automobile instead OF the one the
rangers were in. 1Irs. Virginia Teager
was in the car with the deserter. and
after the start the rangers chased the
front car three or four miles before
they could overhaul It No pistols
were drawn. he said.
At the time OF the san Diego plan
Ia nj 4
the country, said Sanders. v. H Hook
was writing articles in the local pa
pers in which he accused rangers and
local officers Of being brutal 10 Next
cans Captain Sanders said Hook also
sent petitions TO the president aud the
governor. Captain Sanders met Hook
IN the court house at Falfurrias. ac-
cording TO the testimony, asked him Il
he was the author OF the articles and
petitions and being informed by Hook
that he was. used profane language
and struck Hook twice with a pistol
ADologized Later.
Captain Sanders said that he was
acting as a citizen and not an officer
and when Hook told him that he was
unarmed an apology was offered and
the violence ceased
C S. stephens testified that be had
been a ranger captain In the lower
Rio Grande valley since November,
1872. He said mar his men naQ NOM
ing TO DO with the taking from Donna
jail and shooting OF 4 Carols. and
that Garcia told him that the act was
committed By deputy sheriffs. He said
that rangers arrested the deputy
sheriffs and they were placed under
5000 bond in connection With the
charge
Captain Stephens said that Ed Ed
wards. county commissioner OF Cam
eron county. who was arrested on
charge OF boOlegging the day be-
fore the election and carried into an
other county. was held to prevent him
from making trouble b. giving away
whisky on election day. He said the
commissioner was taken from Cam
eron county because prisoners put IN
the jail at Brownsville were turned
out and when rangers carried COW
thieves from Mercedes 10 BroWnsviile
Jail. often the cow thieves beat them
back 10 Mercedes
Had Trouble With Officials
Captain Stephens said that he had
trouble IN Cameron county because be
would not take orders from J. p.
Wells. and because sheriff Vann
would not do the right thing. He said
that the disagreement between him
and Judge Wells was over the disarm-
ing Of Mexicans by rangers. The Wit
ness testified that his men went into
a number OF private homes and took
arms and that these arms were turned
over 10 his successor In the district,
captain ". " Taylor.