Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1920-02-12
MURDER CASE TO
TRIAL TODAY in
DISTRICT COURT
Pedro Paz is Charged With
Killing Toribio Rodriguez
in January, Last Year

The case Of the State Of Texas vs.
Pedro Paz, charged with murder, was
called in the district court this morn
ing, the first of several murder cases
expected to come up for trial during
the present term Of court.
A special venire of 1853 men hao
been summoned for the Paz case. anc
when the first recess was taken, al
IL O'Clock this morning, nineteen We
niremen had been examined and five
jurors selected, A. r. Wilhite. George
Axtell, Victor Schrieber, W. w. An.
drews and G. +. Dodd
Six veniremen were excused fol
caus, the principal reasons being pre-
viOus knowledge Of the case and con
scientious scruples against the inflic
tion Of the death penalty. One pros
pective juror was excused because o.
defective hearing. and one because
of imperfect knowledge Of the Eng
lish language. Seven Of the venrc-
men were peremptorily challenged By
counsel for the defense
Paz is under indictment for the
murder of Torihio Rodriguez at the
CalabaSa ranch. fourteen miles up the
river from Brownsville, on January
10. 1919. 1t was alleged that he and
Juan Rocha. indicted with him, cross
cd the Rio Grandc from the Mexican
side and attacked Rodriguez. a gun
battle ensuing in which Rodriguez
was shot to death after he fled from
house in which he bad taken refuge.
Rodriguez's alleged assailants cross
ed the Rio Grande back to Mexico.
Paz and Rocha were arrested by Mex
lean authorities. and Sheriff w. T.
Vann negotiated with the Mexicans
for the delivery Of the two men 10
the American officers. This delivery
was To be made at Reynosa. Mexico.
opposite Hidalgo, Texas, where the
sheriff crossed Paz was taken. but
Rocha attempted To escape and was
shot TO death by members Of the gar
rison.
The court recently appointed Del
S. Perkins, j. H. Wells and A. NJ.
Kent to defend Paz, who was unable
to employ counsel.
Selection of the jury was complet-
ed just at IL o'clock. and the follow
ing men were sworn:
A. r. white, George EXtell, w.
w. Andrews, 6. +. Dodd, A. A. Lin
dahl, John T. Lomax, g. T. Brandt,
X. Bathews, ID. X. Patton. J. w. Rey-
nols, A. l.. Stanford.
Judge Davenport announced at
noon that he desired to proceed as
expeditiously as possible with the case
on hand in order that the veniremen
in attendance on the court in other
cases might not be inconvenienced
longer than necessary. The taking
of testimony commenced at 2 o'clock
this afternoon.
Before the taking Of testimony was
commenced, PaZ announced that he
desired TO change his plea Of not
guilty 10 guilty, and maintained this
plea even after the court, as required
by law. had told him of the possible
consequence Of his action.
To determine the punishment to be
fixed by the jury, the state commenc-
ed the introduction Of witnesses. Dis
trict Attorney Kleiber first placed on
the stand Guadalupe BennavideS and
Lorenzo Garcia, eye-witnesSes 10 the
shooting. Both men testified that
they saw Paz and Antonio Rocha fire
at Torbio Rodriguez as he was riding
down the road. and that Rocha fol
lowed Rodriguez into house wherc
he had sought refuge, and that Paz
waited for him at fence in front of
the house. They stated that, as the
men were leaving. they stopped IL
front Of them and that Paz covered
them with a pistol while Rocha
cursed them. calling them "Ameri-
CaniZed -