Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1925-08-25

'Sayas was held for the Staying, il pre-
cedes still more mysterious Staying.
A short time later the body of Gull
lermo Sayas. brother Of Ricardo, who
mysteriously disappeared from Browns
vile, was found on the bank Of the Rio
Grande about Is miles down from
Brownsville. 1t had been disemboweled
in order that it would not folat, but the
murderers made the mistake Of dropping
the body in the shallow water, the
river went down and exposed it.
Three Brothers Held
Higinio, Manuel and Jose Mercado
were arrested in connection with the
shooting. By a chain Of circumstantial
evidence starting with the three bro
theirs being seen with Sayas, and in
cluding some broken glass from the
windshield Of the automobile in which
the killing took place, a pistol borrowed
from the slain man a week before the
killing, and boot prints in the sand near
the scene Of the murder, Higinio and
Manuel Mercado were convicted and
sentenced.
Manuel was given life term; Higinio
was sentenced to 10 years. The SEN
tences were reversed in appeals court.
On the second trial Manuel was given
20 years; Higinio was found not guilty
The mystery murders ceased for some
time. Manuel Mercado went to the
penitentiary where he still is; Higinio
went to the interior of Mexico where he
remained for some time, returning to
the border about six months ago, as a
special agent Of the governor Of Nuevo
Leon, Mexico.
Several weeks ago Trinidad Guajar-
do, former chief of police in Mata-
moros and known as "El Minute" was
shot to death. "El Minute" was sit
ting in front of store talking to the
owner. An automobile drove up and
man walked across the street, passed
Guajardo and into the store. AS this
man walked back toward the car, he
turned around and shot the former to
death.
'El Minute Staying Unsolved
"Ei Minute" was one of the we'll
known characters along the border. He
was very small man, measuring less
than five feet, nattily dressed, suggest
ing the eliminate type. However, he
was feared by his enemies.
This murder remains a mystery.
A still more mysterious Staying oc-
Cured shortly after when Rosa Cava-
zos, 10 years old, who lived with her
husband near Villanueva, was shot to
death from ambush on the old military
road, IL miles out from here. AS the
automobile in which the woman and
her husband were riding came to halt
at bridge where a board had been re-
moved, the slayers opened fire from
several bullets entering the wo-
mans head, killing her instantly. Her
husband was wounded.
A few days after this killing, Manuel
Martinez, who lives near the same
place, was mysteriously shot at from
Less than a week had passed
until he was shot at again, this time
being wounded in the leg by one of
two men who came from across the Rio
Grande, and returned Immediately after
the shooting.
Mercado Fearless
The series Of shootings is brought up
to date with the killing of Higinio Mer-
cado Sunday Mercado was known
along both sides of the Rio Grande as
a fearless man.
He was a tall man of rather thin
build, with thin, hooked nose; eagle
eyes set close together, and heavy black
hair which set off rather light COM
plexion. A ragged knife scar all the
way down the side of his face was
of fight in which his head
had been nearly split by blow from
machete, some years ago.
The stoicism Of the man was shown
in his trial in court here, when prison
terms appeared to mean nothing to
him, although the verdict Of lie term
unnerved his. brother.
Higinio met his death myste1ioGsly,
as did those during the past few years,
for the two men who shot HIM 20
death here Sunday escaped across the
river, and no witnesses have been found
who know either of them.