Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-06-19
Especial to The Herald.D

Especial TO The Herald.)
EDINBURG, June l9.-Nicandro
Munoz and Victor Rodriguez. alleged
to have murdered federal officer
Bert Ellison exactly one year ago
today, and sentenced to be electro
cuted. were granted a 20-day lease
on life Thursday by Governor Ross
Sterling because Of a legal technical
ity.
The electrocution was postponed
from Friday night TO July 10. Gov.
Sterling saying that the 20-day re-
prieve was granted so the courts
could determine the legality OF the
trial Of the two men. IL is alleged
their counsel was not q licensed
lawyer.
The stay of execution was granted
following receipts Of kilograms from
Judge Hood Boone OF 18th district
court. IN whose court the men were
tried; j. I. Canales, Brownsville
attorney. and from the Mexican
consul general at San Antonio.
A group Of Hldalgo county officers
left Wednesday evening by al for
Huntsville. They are Dick Adams. I'd
Etter and r. Z. Rowson. deputy
sheriff and Customs Inspector G.
Il. Boulware. who tool, El1son's
place in the u. S. Customs service.
The Kidding Of Ellison's body with
bullets 10 which four men were
parties, was one of the most brutal
crimes ever perpetrated in Hida!go
county.
A third person implicated in the
crime was Jose Maria Lopez, who
was sentenced to 80 years in the
p~enitentiary. "A fourth person. Mar
garlic Rodriguez, brother of Nicand-
TO. was killed by officers as he al
legedly resisted arrest, the day fol-
lowing the murder.
Hidaleo county officers and fed
eral officers combined in solving
the crime which took place August
9Th. 1880 imong the officers as
sisting In the investigation were De-
putty Sheriffs Brown ONeil. Jim Nc
Coy. Federal Officer Tom Heard,
and Customs Inspectors and Border
Patrolmen John Pace, John VOL
ford and Henry Johns.
The brutal Staying Of the federI
officer aroused intense feeling in
the county. and the three men were
taken TO Falfurrias and were in the
county jail there from August until
May 18th. when they were taken by
Hidalgo county officers to Hunts
vile.
The first trial was October 18th.
in Judge Hood Boone's 18th district
court. Rogers Kelley. at that time
district attorney. and a member
Of the law firm Of Kelley. Looney
and Norvell. handled the prosecution
AT this time Lopez was sentenced
Munoz and Rodriguez yer tried
October p. Kelley prosecuting. and
were ~gentenced TO the electric chair.
The case was then appealed to
the court Of criminal appeals in
Austin. which upheld the verdic'
Of Judge Boone's court. Judge Boone
sentenced the men. Saturday. june
18th. Munoz and Rodriguez TO the
electric chair. and Lopez to life i'm
prisonment.
The brutal Staying was reaction OF
revenge against officers, according
TO testimony revealed in the court
room during the trial.
Margarito's wife had been deport-
cd. and margarine was alleged %
have stated that he would kill the
fist officer TO his path. Eli
son. was the victim.
Ellison. together with E. w. Clarke
also a federal officer were near
a baille on the Eastern outskirts OF
Fargill, looking for bootleggers. They
came upon a forked path. leading
from a Mexican gambling group
which connected with a clearing
leading through dense brush.
Ellison took one path, while Clarke
took the other.
-Four men alleged TO have sur
rounded Elli1or. two holding hin
while n poured a volley Of shots
into Ellison's body. Another fired a
second volley. both at close range
AS Ellison slumped TO the GROUND
one Of the men pulled his hat ov-l
his eyes. and the others took hi
ammunition belt and pistol. The bell
was discovered in a camp where
Victor and margarine were hiding
some time after, but the pistol haI
never been found.
Clarke brought several other Off
GERS. including Brown ONeil and
Jim Mccoy to the scene.
Victor and Margarito were fount