Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 192, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 August 1915 — SACK OF BROWNSVILLE FEARED BY TEXANS [ARTICLE]

SACK OF BROWNSVILLE FEARED BY TEXANS

Repetition of American Occupation of Vera Cruz May Cause Mexican Raid Into Texas. Brownsville, Texas, Aug. 13. Twenty men crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico tonight, near Mercedes, about forty miles up the Rio Grande from here. American officers, warned that such a crossing would be attempted, had disposed armed posses there. Tonight three of these posses were closing in on the Mexicans, expecting to surround them. 1,600 cavalrymen and 1,000 infantrymen are patrolling the distance between Brownsville and Laredo, Texas, with the help of police officers and rangers. A swift and effective type of border justice is administered to Mexicans with bad records. Apprehension in Brownsville is felt on account of reports that in case' of any repetition of American landing at Vera Cruz an attempt will be made by Vera Cruz troops to sack Brownsville in reprisal. So strong is this belief among some leading citizens that pressure will be brought to bear to obtain more troops at Fort Bowan to protect the city. Although the number of Mexicans killed in the raids is given officially as between fifteen and twenty, it is known that more have been killed. Several Mexicans have been shot while resisting arrest or trying to escape.