Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1925-04-05
OFFICER Still
near POINT OF
DEATH, REPORT
immigration Chief Will
Take Up Shooting
With Mexico Officials;
Expect Cooperation

Physicians late Saturday were unable
to state whether James P. Cottinghant,
Jr., wounded in gun battle with
smugglers on the Rio Grande near Mis-
sion. would recover, according to Cap
tain VIM. NJ Hanson. immigration chief
Of the San Antonio district. who re-
turned to Brownsville last night from
Mission The wounded smuggler is ex-
pecteG to live.
Captain Hanson announced last night
that he will report the shooting from
the Mexican side Of the river to Mex
lean officials, and that he Is sure they
will give it their immediate attentions.
as Eve are working in very close CO.
operation, and thev no doubt will work
with US and cooperate as before. The
shooting was done. no doubt, by a group
of border bandits, of which the two
men in the shooting we're probably
members"
Two bullets were cut out of Cot
tingham's body Saturday by physicians,
Captain Hanson said, and, although one
Of the bullets struck him in the right
side and passed on around his body.
evidently not entering the cavity. it is
feared the other bullet. which went
through the left arm and into the body,
and was taken out from his back. where
| it lodged near the skin, pierced the
! left lung.
The inspector regained consciousness
Saturday after physicians had given up
hope of his recovering, and later In the
dav revived somewhat. His condition
| will remain critical for several days
| yet, in case he lives that long, physi-
| clans said.
Smuggler Will Live
| Andres Garza, the smuggler who was
| killed in the gun battle, and who wound
| ed Cottingham. was about 30 years old,
/ and was known along the border by Of
| ficers He had close to 100 rounds OF
extra ammunition on his person when
he was killed. Francisco Hernandez.
who was wounded in the battle, is ex-
pected to live He was shot through
the side with rifle bullet, the bullet
spreading as it came out, and seriously
cutting up his side, although his back
was not broken, as at first believed. He
had % extra rounds Of ammunition on
his person when arrested.
Charges of violation of the U. S. I'M
migration laws, and of assaulting Y.
S. officer with intent to. kill were filed
against Hernandez Saturday. Captain
Hanson said, and his bond fixed at
| $4,000, which he had not made at
/ O'Clock Saturday afternoon when the
| immigration chief left for Brownsville.
+ Captain Hanson left Fridby night
when q report was received here Of tho
shooting. He was accompanied By D.
w. Brewster. immigration inspector lu
charge of the Brownsville district, and
immigration Inspector Jack Smith. They
returned to Brownsville Saturday after
noon.
The belief was expressed last night
by the immigration chief that the med
on the other side Of the river were
merely additional smugglers. friends o.
the men who came across, and opened
fire when the shooting started on TINS
side.
"I do not attach any more Importance
to the firing across the river from the
other side in this instance than the
many other instances it has happened IN
the case Of border bandits" Captain
Hanson said.
Watch for Aliens
"We had information that there was
party Of 80 or 40 European aliens
scattered along on the Mexican bordef
with the intention of entering the
United States illegally. OF this number
few days ago nine were captured by
immigration officers. The immlgratioit
and patrol inspectors who were guard
ing the river were not there especially
looking for ~muGgled liquor, but trying
to prevent the entity of European aliens
into the United States.
"It is a well known fact that me
smugglers Of liquor also smuggle alien
when the occasion arises. and therefore
Continued on Page Two)