Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-06
ALL COMMITTEE
LEARN FACTS Of
RAIDS ACROSS
TEXAS BORDER
Carranza Captain Killed
While He and Men Were
Attacking Bright Ranch
Near the Rio Grande.
MURDERS COMMON AS
ARE CATTLE R0BBERIES
Rangers, Customs InspeC-
tors and Business Men
Testify; Marauders Are
Not Now Being Pursued.

Icy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wiRel
El Paso, Tex, Feb. 5.-United
States customs inspectors, Texas
rangers and civilian residents of
the Big Bend district told the SEM
ate subcommittee investigating the
Mexican situation today conditions
along that stretch OF the Rio
Grande were such that il must, in
the end. be abandoned by Ameri-
cans unless more adequate protec-
tion is afforded. Until year ago,
they agreed, Mexicans who crossed
the river on raids might be reason
ably certain they were going to be
pursued by American cavalry. but
since then for no reason any wit
ness could give, the attempted run
ming down of the invaders had
ceased.
The latest clash with MeXicans
was described by Sergeant II. A.
King, of the ranger service, sta
toned at Maria. That was on Jan
uary 81. A Mexican appeared in
front of store at Preside, owned
by d, T. Baldwin, after an alter
cation over the purchase of some
tobacco, and demanded that the
storekeeper come out and be
"kiIled." The arrival OF two
rangers interfered with his plan.
but as they were leading him away
q force of MeXicans crossed the
river and started in their pursuit
IN the running fight that took
place, the rangers lost their prs-
oner who afterwards was located
on the Mexican side of the river.
Had to Abandon Ranch.
J. f. Tigner, formerly ranch
owner, said he had been forced to
dispose of his property because of
the repeated depredations, ranging
from ordinary cattle stealing 10
raids involving the killing of his
employees. c. ID. wood formerly a
wax manufacturer of Alpine, Tex,
gave similar testimony adding 1t
was ''pretty dangerous there with
out soldiers
Greed Taylor, customs inspector
at Maria, Grover Webb, mounted
customs inspector at Preside, and
r, NJ Wadsworth, another customs
inspector of that district, told OF
the different raids of which they
had personal knowledge. Their tes-
timony charged that Chico Cano,
whose name has been repeatedly
connected with border out|awly, is
now an officer in the CarranZa
amy. Webb testified that Cano had
been seen at Ojinaga, the north
ern military headquarters of the
Mexican army, two weeks ago,
where he had gone to collect his
pay as a scout leader. There also
is in possession of the committee
an official American army report
to the war department, in which 1t
is stated that Cano now has thir-
ty-five men under his command as
scouts in the service of Carranza.
The official army reports have
named him as one implicated in
the capture of the American avia-
tors, Lieutenants Petersen and Da-
Wis.
Raid on Bright Ranch.
S. H. Neill, now in the ranger
service but who has been an Off
Ger either in that service or in the
customs service since 1878, gave
the committee the details of the
raid on the Bright ranch on Christ
mas morning, 1917. He was one of
the two men who stood off the
band of forty.
According to Neill's testimony
and that of every other witness, it
has been impossible 10 secure any
cooperation from the Mexican au-
thorities in the maintenance of or
der, and the stories of all agreed
that In a majority of cases the evil
dence indicated clearly that Car
rama army officers instigated the
raids and frequently participated
in them.
Taylor and Webb told of cattle
that had been driven from the
American ranches and then their
return made the subject of nego-
tiation between Mexican army Of
ficials. In some instances Ameri-
cans had paid for their return, but
in most cases the price demanded
was regarded too high. Taylor re-