The Herald of Wales. — 1887-04-23 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

LAWLESSNESS IN TEXAS.  A report on the trade of Galveston, from the British consul in that town, contains some interesting information about the lawlessness which prevails in the cattle-raising district. of Texas. Although many cases are not published, the local papers (the report says) teem with instances of cattle and horse theft, fence-cutting to facilitate the same—miles of iron fencing being destroyed; there ia also considerable terrorising and intimidation to suppress evidence. These outrages isre often accompanied by killing and wounding of cattle-men, with whom fightsoften occur. The law seems to be • dead letter. This is not surprising when, by a calculation published last year, apparently from official sources, it was computed that over 4,000 convicted felons, many of them murderers and homicides, were at large throughout the State of Texas. Though cases of wholesale prison-breaking are common enough, it must not be supposed that all these have escaped from Texan gaols; probably one-half at least are immigrants, Texas having long been a " refugium peocatorum " for the outlaws, desperadoes, and " tough citizens" of the adjoining States, as is also the Indian territory lying immediately to the north of it. Lynch law is necessary to keep thin phalanx of rascality in check. Lynching is !steadily on the increase; there have been more cases than ever during the puit year. Five or six ruffians per week have at • time been lynched. Lynch law has been described as a net which catches small fish but which big ones break through, and this it to some extent is; nevertheless,. under present conditions there would be no living safely in some countries without it. Another cattle-run calamity sea tribe of predatory adventurers who have for some years infested Western Tense, where they live by extorting black-mail from ranchoowners, which is effected as follows. The land is unfit for agricultural purposes; nevertheless these fellows will enter claims and take up land professedly to cultivate. After " entering," or 'homesteading," as it is called, a small tract, they will build a hut or "dug out" in the bank of some ravine, near a water-hole which the ranchmanb cattle frequent to drink; they will then plough and sow an acre or two of maize and oats ; they know this crop will never come, even if undisturbed, to maturity, and that the cattle, as soon as it has got three or four inches high, will get at it (or if they do not, the fellows themselves will drive them in), thereby affording them an excellent grievance against the cattle-men ; they accordingly spend their time in riding from one ranch to another all the summer and claiming damages for injuries inflicted on their " crops "; underlying which demand is the unexpressed but implied threat that if their claims are refused they will, on the first opportunity, burn the grass, and thereby entail great loss. These men are the Viet nrkirea of cattle-owners. To;detsict them in the act of firing the grass, whereby the paatures may bedestroyed for miles, is next to impossible; they are thoroughly acquainted with the country, well mounted and armed, and dangerous men to threaten or bully. Many of them have been employed all their lives in entering claims to Government lands in halfa-dozen other States, selling them, and squandering the proceeds. If one of these fellows takes up a section of land in the middle of • run, he must either be supported by the ranche-owners or killed off. The above, and, in fact, all the marauding classes of the population, usually permanently retain lawyers in the county towns to defend Wen) when they get into diffitinkles. One able practitioner (the more impudent, of eourse, the better) will enable a whole community of rascals to carry on their malpractices with cornjuralive impunity. It is understood that whenever any one of the " community " has 10dol. or lfidol. to spare he is to hand it over to the lawyer, and that the latter, whenever • "client" is indicted for any atrocity sip to murder, is to set to work to defend him. All things considered, however, the report conchides, it is surprii,ing that in the absence of troops and police the population is as orderly as it actually is.  Another case of child suicide has occurred in Vienna. This time it is a little girl 12i years old, who, to escape ill.treatment, threw herself out of a third-floor window. The mother is a washerwoman, and the child had been put out to board until lately. A few days ago she complained to the neighbours of being beaten by her mother. After she had been heard screaming for a considerable time, the was seen to open the window and throw herself ate the yard below. She fell upon a case of rags, and death warn not instantaneous, but she expired on the way to the hognital.  A quarryman said he couldn't see any danger in smoking while he was handliog powder. He can't see anything now.  Little Lily : " Don't you think, dootor, that I look just like in; mamma?" Mother: " Hush, child, don't be vain!" A men of philosophical temperament remembles a cucumber—for although he may be completely cut tip lie still remains cool.  _ Father in the gallery (to his win who is leaning over too far): 'My boy, mind you don't fall; the Beata in the pit are four times as dear I" __  "Your father is entirely bald, isn't he ? "said a man toe son of a millionnaire. "Yee," replied the youth sadly; "I'm the only heir he has left. Mrs. F. : " Ira't it outrageous? The very next day after Hardup Wird his wife came out in a brand. now bonnet !" Fogg "So? That accounts for it. I was afraid that Hardup had been speculating in stocks."  "I have been unfortunate in love matters," said well-known bawl singer at the Pam Opera the other day. "My first sweetheart entered • convent, death robbed me of the second, and the third—in now my wife."  Young housewife (consulting with (look &host the dinner for a,parte): "As a second °cone we will hays sil.." ook; "How much ought Ito get, A;11 cunt wile: "Ilium'''. 10 yet* will be issyul Mo,f .' . ....f 'irvif , -,P ,•,1i .10i1; :.:, buso,Taq oil tt. 1,.. ... ~.: !-• ei N:lissili .le.mme, col tliel 75. '40711