San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-28
BELIEVE NEFF
TOO SANE To
SEND MILITIA
Think Barton's Statement
Martial Law Needed Here
Is Unfounded.
AN OLD RUMOR
Threat of State Armed
Guard Heard Ever Since
Rangers Came.

Governor Pat NJ. Neff, although it is
generally conceded in San Antonio
that he ordered the state rangers here,
will not be so foolish as to go to the
extremity of placing this city under
martial law. This is the consensus of
opinion in court house circles, follow
ing the published declaration of State
Adjutant General Barton at Austin
Saturday that in his opinion martial
law is what San Antonio needs. Gen
eral Barton previously had expressed
the opinion that San Antonio is the
second "wickedest" city in the state.
General Barton is reported 10 have
stated Saturday, following a confer
ence with Governor Neff that he
knew of no plan TO declare martial
law at San Antonio, adding, however,
that he believed that was what was
needed.
1t has been rumored in many
quarters in San Antonio for several
weeks that General Barton was in
favor of placing the city under martial
law. 1t was first reported when he
made his first raid on the Pastime
Club and arrested some &c men. These
men were taken to Jail and an attempt
made to hold them but they were re-
leased late at night by one of the as
trict judges, following habeas corpus
proceedings.
Would Build a Stockade.
Then the rumor re-appeared when
Justice of the Peace r. Neil Camp
bell quashed liquor complaints in the
justice court OH the ground that the
search warrants were obtained il
legally. The adjutant general was
very much 6spleased. it was rumored
at the time, over the reserses with
which he was meeting and some of his
men are reported to have said that
if martial law was declared a stockade
could be built where prisoners would
be immune from the writ of habeas
corpus.
Then came the postponement Of gam
ing cases and later the acquittal of a
man against whom the rangers had
brought charges of gaming. The last
straw is understood TO have been the
returning by the Ninety fourth dis
trict court grand jury Friday of two
indictments against Ranger Capt.
r. c. Baldwin, charging him with
illegally disposing of seized liquor and
failure to make proper report of seized
liquor. General Barton is understood
TO have been greatly displeased over
the indictment of his captain and in
a public statement challenged the right
Of the grand jury to return the in
dictments.
Say No Emergency Exists.
Martial law, it is pointed out. Is
declared only in cases of extreme
emergency. No such condition exists
in San Antonio. Those who have
studied the situation point out and
say hat not only is martial law not
needed. but they question whether
the presence of the rangers is re-
quired. With the exception of the
arrest Of few alleged gamblers and
some minor raids on bootleggers. they
point out. the rangers have achieved
no marked success in their "clean up"
campaign. N the face of this fact.
to establish martial lay. they assert,
would be little less than ridiculous.
General Barton was quoted in an
Austin dispatch Saturday MS saying
that there are no prospects of an early
withdrawal of rangers from the city.
This created no surprise as it has been