Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1923-03-09
Criminal District Court
Established New Record
In Convictions Secured

that special session will be called
March 26. and four weeks will Be devot-
ed to clearing the docket
Twenty-Five cases were tried. twelve
convictions were secured. four others
plead guilty. three verd.cts or not guilty
were returned. five cases were dismissed
because of lack of evidence to convict,
and the defendant in one murder case
died the day before his case was to be
brought to trial
Out Of the sixteen cases in which ver-
diets or guilty were returned. penitentia-
~ sentences were imposed In fourteen
ard one year i'm jail In another. In the
other case. in which three boys were in
volved. suspended sentences were given
BY the court
'Find- the Dean Law.
The first liquor cases ever tried In
the criminal district court resulted i'm
five convictions under the Dean Law and
In all five cases the offenders received
penitentiary sentences. Pancho Rocha
and Emilio Jaso. who plead guilty to
selling Intoxicating liquors. we're SEN
fenced to one year: Juan Gonzales re-
ceived u one year sentence. Jesus Covos
was given two years and Perfecto Galar-
ga an old offender who had been fined
four times in federal court received .
three year sentence. the most severe
sentence ever imposed ty Texas court
upon a similar charge Several liquor
eases still remain upon the docket xzd
will be tried az the special term.
The effect of the severe sentences
meted out under the Dean law Is more
evident in Mstsmofos than on the Amer
lean side Of the Rio Grande. as there has
been q general exodus OF the bootlevging
and liquor smuggling fraternity to the
other side Of the river. Arrests upon IL
quor charges have shown . noticeable
falling off. and IN bootleggers are oper-
ating i'm Cameron county they are far
more wary than formerly. In the past
two weeks onlv one or two arrests have
been made though the officers or the
shcriffs department AZ well as well ~
the feder raj. officers have been unusually
active.
A large number or hcotleggers who
had been fined In federal court. and who
are we'll known to border officers ~
protest. icnals" are now making Mata-
moros their place of residence. and sell
dom. " ever. attempt to cross the inter-
national bridge. A federal officer. who
has arrested scores OF LIQUOR smurglers
and bootleggers. stated that he saw at
least twenty well Known bootleRgers
during recent visit 70 Matamcros. and
was informed by one Of the old offend
ers that he expected 20 transfer his op-
erat;ons 20 some other point up the riv-
er where the penifertiary sentences vera
not imposed for liquor vending.
Two Get Twenty Years
Two sentences az twenty years each
IN the penitentiary were imposed dur
| ing the term. Sam Jackson. . negro who
assaulted and robbed yonne man at
Harlingen. was the first or the two to
draw twenty years. The neEroV had been
told BY a young Aglne tender Of the
Gulf Coast Lines to come into the en-.
gine cab and get warm. a short time
lster the young man fell asleep. and tbs
negro attacked him With bar aud then
robbed him. Cecil Garrison. convicted Of
! rape also received 4 twenty year SEN
tencc.
Other penitentiary sentences imposed
were: valentin Torres. theft. two years;
J. K. Briggs. forgery. two years: Andres
Luna assault 10 murUtF i've years. SUaIs
Van Hatten. burrlarizing O private resi-
dence. five year: Guadalupe Ramirez.
aggravated assault one year; Victor Na-
ranjo. rape eight years; Jack Carlisle
and John Davis. robbery with violence
and fire arms. five years each
Mercado Case q Special Term
The trial Of the three Mercado broth
ers who are indicted for the murder of
Guillermo Sayas. vas called for trial
three times during the regular term. but
owing to the absence Of witnesses. the
case was each time postponed. and will
be tried ut the special term. This was
one Of the most atrccious murders in
border history. Sayas having been shot
w his rssailsnts and the body then dis
emhoweled and thrown into the Rio
Grande. The murder occurred about l8
miles below Brownsville. and the next
day Sayas' automobile vas found near
San Benito. forty miles from the scene
Of the murder. with blood on the seat
cnshion and a bullet hole through the
dash. The disembowpled bodv or the mar
dercd man was found on river bar rwo
davs after the finding OF the automobile.
Two other murder cases are on the
docket for The special term snd several
liquor cases. which viii be tried under
the Dean law. are also on the list OF
eases which wall he brought on for