Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1925-07-07

I'm OUR
| VALLEY
THE death of Paul McAllister at
= Corpus Christi, in a pistol affray,


is chockful Of "reminiscences of the days
Of 1912 and 1913 in Brownsville.
And the news set "old timers and
OF course any cae IS an old timer
who lived here previous to l916-to re-
calling incidents OF those days when
both sides OF one block on Elizabeth
street were shaped up 50 that one
couldn't turn into any door without
finding himself in a saloon. The block
Wa just full OF them.
And when the saIoons-there were at
least ten of them at one time on this
biocn-clo5ed, folks began wondering
how in the world the owners o1 the
property would ever again get renters
buc they have.
A newspaper reporter for The
Herald, tired after days strenuous
worn-Ihe Herald was then morning
paper-was sitting in chair at the
south coIi.er OF the Miller Hotel, alb
sorbing cooling breezes from the Gulf.
He had suffered an attack OF rheuma-
tism in the lett leg, and was barely able
to walk.
The hour was about 9:1O o'clock in
the evening.
The late Colonel John McClintock,
proprietor of the Miller hotel, had en-
pioyeJ a band to give concert In one
of the cupolas Oh top of the hotel. Inc
band was blaring forth.
Suddenly fuslllaae of shots mixed
noises with tnat OF the band.
The reporter, indoently tilted back
in his chair, was catapulated out of 1t,
as if someone had given hun violent
shove. Kheumatics were forgotten.
Here was a story.
Ii, the twinklIng of an eye scores of
persons hal assembled on a block var
tYaii, deserted a few moments before.
4 man had been killed.
But not soul could be found who
knew thing ABOUT 1t.
Folks didn't talk about such things
in lnose uays, least OF all in the pres
enee of newspaper reporters.
Une indvidual was later unearthed
who claimed to know all about It. lie
was subpoenaed to testify. But when
the hearing came along he had disap-
peared as completely as if the earth
had swallowed him. He's never been
seen here since.
Back to the reporter with the rheu-
matte leg. lie gave a practical demon
stration in applied psychology. He
Ius.led around and obtained enough in
formation for a story. He put it into
shape on a typewriter in his office.
At leisure again at midnight he re-
tu ued to his chair in front of the
Miller Hotel. The pain in the leg re
turned along with the leisure.
He was forced to employ the services
OF a hack driver to assist him to his
home. And there he remained for ten
days.
The aftermath Of the tragedy was a
feud between the sheriff's and police
oepai tment that continued for perhaps
two years.
A reporter who visited the county
Jail was turned back in the face of what
looked like an army Of Colts pistols
drawn up in battle array.
Men with rifles turned him back
when he visited the home of the sheriff
for information.
The second floor of the city hall look
ed like an armory.
Brownsville's police department took
on liberal proportions, as many as 80
men sometimes answering the midnight
roll call.
Those were in the old days"
Things are different nowadays.
The polce and sheriff departments
are entirely too Harmonious. So much
so that reporters waste little time to
obtain what is termed police news.
It's not to be had. Brownsville folks
are too lawabiding.
Five men now serve the police de-
partment, and most of their time Is
given to traffic regulation.
In fact, we doubt very much II either
the police or the sherlff's officers carry
guns. But we wouldn't go so far as e
advise any one to try to prove thai
fact.
Yes, the old days on the Lower RlC
Grande have gone-never to return