Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 32, No. 38, Ed. 1 Wednesday, July 3, 1974 Page: 1 of 20
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"WO GRANDE
Serving over 5000 readers over 60 years
TPA Award Winning Newspaper
Ten Cents
Vol. XXXII No. 38
Wednesday, July 3, 1974
Rio Grande City, Texas
Van Nest
to assume
Herald editorship
James V. Mathis, publisher of
the Rio Grande Herald has
announced the resignation of
Herald Managing Editor Raul
Trejo. Mathis also announced
the appointment of Lloyd Van
Nest to replace Trejo at the
helm of the county's oldesi
independent newspaper.
Trejo, who has been at the
bead of the Herald for some six
years has resigned to take a
staff job with KGBT-TV 4 News.
While i Grande City
Trejo, greatly improved the
circulation, advertisement
lineage and news coverage of
Starr County with the Herald.
Under his editor ship and
largely due to his editorial
stand, federal investigations
were initiated which led to the
investigation of the vote-fraud
situation in Starr County and
into the U.S. Surplus Comodity
Program which led to the
conviction of several Starr
Count)' residents including the
County Sheriff and the vice-
president of the school board of
trustees.
Van Nest, a senior student at
Pan American University, is 25
years old and the son of Mr. and
Mrs. James Van Nest. His
father is a U.S. Customs Officer
in Starr County while his
mother is a teacher with the Rio
Grande City school system.
Van Nest is married to the
former Maria Perla Garza and
the couple have one child. The
Van Nest are Catholic.
Van Nest Is a life long
resident of Starr County except
for some two and a-half years in
which he worked for U.S.
Senator John Tower in
Washington D.C. Since then
Van Nest returned to his studies
at Pan American University
where he was majoring in
government with a minor in
journalism.
Van Nest was recently elected
as precinct chairman for
precinct one, when he defeated
Pedro Pena for the post.
Van Nest is an active member
of the Rio Grande City Jaycees.
The Herald publisher ac-
cepted Trejo's resignation with
great regrets but stated that he
understands his desires to move
into other media fields.
"Trejo has proved to be an
extremely competent
newspaper man and I know that
Starr County residents will miss
his coverage of Starr County
events."
"Lloyd comes from a family
well known to all Starr Coun-
tians and warrants everyone's
help and support in bringing to
Rio Grande City and Starr
County the best news coverage
in the area," Mathis said. "His
grandfather was a long time
County Clerk and his great-
grandfather was a county judge
and I feel that he has the
political background that one
needs to understand Starr
County," he added.
Van Nest will assume his full-
time editorship July 15.
"We are happy to have Lloyd
with the company and feel sure
tha* he will continue the
editorial position ihat is the
hallmark of (;he Rio Grande
Herald and als<; feel that he can
bring the news coverage needed
to warrant the support of all our
advertisers," Mathis said.
Trejo is only the second editor
at the Herald. He was
preceeded by Cris Quintanilla.
Van Nest will be assisted by
Mrs. James Peterson.
Mexican vote being
challenged in court
Three witnesses testified
Mexican residents allegedly
voted in the Starr County May
4th Democratic Primary
elections.
Adan Garcia, a self-employed
Starr County resident, alleged
in testimony before Judge O.P.
Carrillo that Armando
Guajardo is a resident of
Mexico and was not qualified to
vote in the May 4th Primaries.
"Guajardo," said Garcia,
"worked for me and I picked
him up each morning in Miguel
Aleman." Garcia also gave the
specific address in Miguel
Aleman where he would pick
Guajardo up for work.
Attorney Nye asked Garcia
whether he had ever sought the
support and vote of Guajardo
for Garcia's candidate.
"No, sir, I never did because
he told me that he was going to
see Amando because Amando
offered him money for his
vote," Garcia answered.
Garcia apparently referred to
Commissioner Amando Pena.
An interpreter was brought
into court to translate the
remarks of a Mexican citizen
who came to give evidence
against three men. The three
men are known to be registered
voters and voted in the May
4th primaries. However, the
three men, according to the
witness, live in Miguel Aleman.
A Salineno man, Pedro
Gonzalez, declared under oath
his knowledge of the non-
residency of Javier Pruneda
who allegedly resides in Ciudad
Nuevo Guerrero., Gonzalez
further stated he had been a
visitor at Pruneda's home and
can conclusively state Pruneda
HENRY RETIRES- After more than 35 years in service to his country William (Will)
Henry announced his retirement as Supervisor Immigration Inspector, at the port of Roma.
Henry was honored with a pachanga bar-be-cue at the James Van Nest Ranch in Roma last
weekend, some 400 friends joined the farewell affair for Henry. Pictured above are; John
(Tio Juan) Holland, former district director of the immigatior service, Henry, Joe Staley,
present district director of immigration for the South Texas area, and James Van Nest,
acting port director for Roma and Rio Grande City and host at the party for Henry. (Herald
Photo by Raul Trejo)
Election Contest Opens;
Mexican Votes Surface
The Starr County Democratic
election contest finally began on
Monday in 229th Judicial
District Court after two post-
ponements which were agreed
upon by the Morris Atlas, law
firm and local attorneys, Glenn
H. Ramey and John Pope
representing Elias Aguilar,
former candidate for County
Clerk, J tan Erasmo Saenz,
Democratic candidate for
District Clerk, Moises
Gutierrez, Democratic Precinct
Chairman for Pet. 9, and
Virgilio Guerra, prominent
Starr County cattleman and
candidate for commissioner of
precinct 2. All four ran under
the United Groups political
faction of the Starr County
Democratic Party. Randall Nye
and Arnulfo Guerra represent
the interests of Joe Hinojosa,
County Clerk, Fernando
Salinas, losing candidate for the
office of District Clerk, Eliazar
Gil, unsuccessful May Primary
candidate and Amando Pena,
the incumbent Commissioner of
Precinct 2. This opposing group
ran under the support of the
New Party faction. Both sides
are claiming residency
violations and want to declare
such non-resident votes "null
ind void'1 as provided by Texas
statutes.
Presently, the main interest
is focused on the challenges and
witnesses from the voting
Precinct 6. The contestant,
Virgilio Guerra, alleges he lost
the election for the com-
missioners post because the
vote for his opponent, Amando
Pena, was reinforced with
illegal non-resident voters. His
attorneys further maintain the
votes for Pena included
Mexican aliens or American
non-residents living in Mexico.
Another complaint by Guerra
is the counting and tallying of
votes of allegedly non-existent
voters. One witness, Ms.
Manuelita Guerra from La
Rosita, testified her route and
mailbox number was used to
secure voter certificates. Ap-
parently, she permitted two
persons other than her im-
mediate household to use her
mailing address to receive
mail. However, the witness said
she had no knowledge of any-
other persons using her
mailbox. She was questioned
whether she knew the five other
users of her mailbox whose last
names are Aguilar. She did not
and also did not know of any
persons by those names living
in the vicinitv. Attorney
Garowitz asked, "In which
precinct is the mailbox
located?" Ms. Guerra an-
swered, "In precenct 3." The
five Aguilars are recorded to
have voted in Preceinct 6. In
any event, restorted Garowitz,
"the mailbox is in precinct 3."
"Yes," replied the witness.
Another witness testified
against the validity of a nephew
who lives in Houston. Attorneys
for the contestants ascertained
that the witness has a nephew
who is actually a resident of
Houston since he does not spend
more than six months out of the
year in Starr County. Asked by
Nye how the witness could
verify the fact the nephew is a
non-resident and could have
been in the county more times
without her knowledge. The
witness declared her nephew
had no other place to stay other
than her home in Fronton.
According to the witness, her
nephew comes to Starr County
only on holidays, "acations, and
"whenever someining happens
in the family." The witness was
dismissed after cross-examined
by Nye.
More than ten witnesses for
the contestants have come forth
see COURT page 20
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Van Nest, Lloyd A. Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 32, No. 38, Ed. 1 Wednesday, July 3, 1974, newspaper, July 3, 1974; Rio Grande City, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth194464/m1/1/: accessed April 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.