Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-05-07
MOODY SUSPENDS RANGER AT BORGER
Charges Authority
Exceeded IN Arrest
Newspaper Reporter

as Ranger A. y. Cummings today was
suspended by the adjutant generals
department in telegram sent 70
him ~ Assistant Adjutant Nichols.
acting for Adjutant Robertson Keb-
erts0n left town at \ ". m. today.
Speedy release uf WAGNER. if rn
charges have hcun filed. and a
thorough investigation by the adju
tant general of the entire incident
was directed hy Governor Moody in
a letter to adJutant general X. A.
Robertson.
The letter follows in part.
"It has been reported t0 ME that
Ranger A. 4. Cummings stationed at
Berger has been "a party 20 the ar
rest and imprisonment Of a man by
the name Of Wagner and the repre-
sentations made tO me lead me tu
believe that the arrest was unlaw-
ful and unwarrunted. it is asserted
that he has been held without
charges and that an opportunity 10
make bail has been refused him. No
intimation is made that be is held
on any capital or nOn-bailable ease.
1T has also been reported To me
that after this man was arrested
certain pers ons sought to make use
of the telegraph and telephone wires
to communicate with the authori-
ties at Austin relative To this arrest,
and that Cummings attempted 70
prevent the use of such means Of
communication and seized and de-
strOyed teleLrams which had been
written and offered u the telegraph
operator to send. IL seems from
these reports that Wagner was ar
rested because Cummings disap-
proved OF certain newspaper items
OF which il was supposed that Wag-
ncr was the author. n further re-
port is TN the effect that news cor
respondents seeking 20 send telc-
grams 70 their papers representing
the incident of Wagner's arrest were
restrained from doing so by Cum
ings.
ri Mr.. Cummings does not know
IN. ~ ought 10 know that ~ has no
authority 10 exercise censorship
over the press and that hc has ne
right 20 arrest people and place them
in Jail because they write thing IN
the newspaper which are not pleas
ing 70 him. Further he ought 10
realize that any attempt ID prevent
the use VI the telegraph wires for
either Of the purposes above men
toned would bc beyond his author
ity as a peace Of officer.
Il am responsible for the rangers
being IN Berger and ! am expected
to support them there in an lawful
attempts 70 enforce the law and
quiet conditions in that place. but !
40 not expect "a meet lawlcssncss
with iawlessness."
B0RGER, Texas, May, 7.--(Pl-Vie-
tor Wagner, 70. reporter from the
Berger Herald, was released from
jail shortly before ! o'clock Saturday
morning BY order of Governor Moody
delivered personally ~ Texas rangers
and Berger police officials over long
distance telephone. Wagner was
taken into custody Friday afternoon
By Ranger Captain Cummings and
police Chief Purcell and held from
$3.50 y. m- until his release was Oh
tanned through the governor.
Talk Of calling a mass meeting %
protest the jailing Of Wagner was
heard in Berger Saturday morning
\ but at the request Of publishers oi
the Herald the proposal was abandon
~. ri. E Gaufleld, managing editor
" the Herald said. Ever effort is
being made % bring about harmony
without loss of editorial dignity.
I The Herald publishes every day in
the week except Saturday. Excite
ment over the arrest Of Wagner
who was pointed out a. writer 81
news stories which rangers and city
officials took exemption ~, was rr-
garded at first as worth an extra
Caufield said. but in a sincere ef-
fort To bring about peace, the extra
edition TO tell the news IN connection
with Wagner's arrest was also aband-
Oned.