The Cotulla Record (Cotulla, Tex.), Vol. 13, No. 4, Ed. 1 Saturday, March 11, 1922 Page: 2 of 4
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THE COTULLARECORD
The Cotulla Record
MANLY & MANLY, Publishers
Subicriplion $1 50 per Annum.
Published Every Saturday
Announcement.
We are authorized to announce
Hon. Tom B Smiley of Karnes
City as a candidate for the office
of District Judge of the 81st
Judicial District of Texas.
Martial Law at Mexia
There has been considerable
comment, prv and con, anent
the establishment of martial
law at Mexia, and have even
heard Governor Netf criticized
for sending the militia with ma-
chine guns to catch a few boot-
leggers.
It is an established fact that
local peace officers of Freestone
county failed or refused to en-
force the law, and when State
Rangers raided some of the
notorious resorts and captured
the lawless characters, they had
no authority to hold them and
the local officers declined to do,
therefore there was nothing to
do but to put the zone under
martial law.
The following extracts from
the report of Gegeral Wolters
will convince uninformed that
gatlin guns were necessary ^to
check the reign of lawlessness.
Mexia, a village of 2500 citi-
zens, upon the discovery of oil,
became a city of 30,000 people.
With this great influx of people
came an army of lawless men
and women composed of crooks
to the Winter Garden. Persons
visiting the Winter Garden were
halted and visitors were escort-
ed to the front entrance, which
consisted of a gallery enclosed
by heavy lattice work. At the
entrance to this gallery, a guard,
armed with pistols, received the
guests, searched them and re-
lieved ti em of arms and whis-
key, and same were cheuked in-
to a check room, together witn
hats and overcoats. On the
same gallery behind the lattice
work, were guards armed with
shot guns and rifles. In the
Winter Garden where the gamb-
ling and drinking were conduct-
ed were other armed guards.
This place was openly conducted
in defiance of’ law for approxi-
mately sixty days during which
time it was''visited by thousands
of people, including county
peace officers from Limestone
and Freestone counties. This
place was raided and taken pos-
session of by the State “Rangers
on the night of January 7th,
and a number of persons con-
nec.ed with the establishment
placed under arrest. The /amb-
ling parpnernalia in the estab-
lishment was taken charge of
and i65 gallons of whiskey cap-
tured. Upon the arrival of the
military troops, 39 additional
gallons of whiskey were found
concealed in a secret closet, evi-
dently established for the pur-
pose of storing and hilling liq-
have been indicted IJy the grand I
jury of Freestone county. The!
Chicken Farm was^raided and
taken possession of dn the same
night that the Winter Garden
was raided and taken by the
Rangers.
After martial law was de-
clared four deputy sheriffs of!
Limestone county who were on1
duty in Mexia were arrested on j
federal charges for violating
the National Prohibition Act,
and complaints filed by federal
prohibition enforcement officers.
Upon an examning trial before
the U. S. Commissioner at
Waco, those parties were bound
over to await the action of the
federal grand jury at Waco,
which is now in session, on a
charge of conspiracy to violate
the National Prohibition Act.
Concisely stated there were
602 arrests made within the mili- j
tary district; 27 sti Is captured;!
more than 50 places visited where i
evidence existed that stills had;
been operated in the recent past |
but had been removed through J
fear of detection; 2,270 gallons
of liquor captured and destroyed;
215 barrels of corn mash captured
and destroyed; 13 automobiles
delivered to Federal prohibition
ofticers and held by them to be
handled by the Federal Court,
such cars having been captured
transporting liquor; 53 stolen au-
tomobiles recovered and identifi-
ed and returned to their ownors;
FRUIT THAT BEARS AND
SHRUBS THAT BLOOM.
Every product of the soil
has gone down in price except
fruit.
We have a fine stock of fine
trees of sure bearing varieties
fruits, pecans and berries, sel-
ected out of hundreds of var-
ieties we have tested since our
first Texas Orchard was plant-
ed in 1858. (Nursery estab-
lished 1857.)
Let Us Make Your Home Grounds More
Beautiful Forever
We have the best kinds of
flowering shrubs, roses, Ever-
greene, shade trees, bulbs and
vines.
Ask for catalogue and any
information we can give you.
We pay express or parcel
post.
The Austin Nursery
E. T. Ramsey & Son
Austin, Texas
AUTO SERVICE
Day or Night.
Rates Reasonable
Phone 36 Phone 36
M. H. RUSSELL
uor. All of the persons connect-. $4,000.00 worth of narcotics cap-
ed with this place, that could be tured and delivered to Federal
found, were apprehended and aathorties; gimbling parapher-
DR. J. N. UCHTSEY
OFFICE OVER GADDIS PHARMACY
Office Phone 71.
Res. Phone 30.
Cotulla.
Texas.
placed under bond; against oth-
ers complaints were filed on
felony charges, both in State
and Federal courts. The grand
jury of Freestone county has
returned indictments against all
of those connected with the op-
eration of this resort whose con-
nection therewith could b) es-
tablished.
Within one mile and a half
from the town of Worthan, four
acres of land were purchased
and notorious outlaws nihn on, from a deputy ^horjff ..jyIIF£££*-
cwnwlwof crime stone county fi
from murder to vagracy. In
the city of Mexia, the Commer-
cial Hotel, an old establishment,
was resorted to as a public gamb-
ling house, where two crap tab-
les and a number of poker games
were operated day and night,
two rooms being usen as a re-
sort where liquor was freely dis-
pensed and sold. A number of
other gambling resorts were es-
tablished throughout the town,
and for a long period of time
these places operated openly and
defiantly, without interference
from the local officers. As a
result of investigations conduct-
ed by military authorities, a
number of the men who operat-
ed these places were arrested
and indicted by the grand jury
of Limestone Countv, and others
apprehended, after adjournment
of the grand jury, were filed
against in the Justice Court and
placed under bond to await the
action of the succeeding grand
jury
Within four miles or the city
of Mexia, in Freestone county,
and within 250 yards of the pub-
lic highway leading from Mexia
t Teague, there was constructed
an elaborate building called the
or a consideration
of $750 per acre, the vendor re
taining mineral rights, and on
this land is a sight of the public
road, with a sign similar to that
located on the highway near
the Winter Garden, pointing the
way, was constructed a build-
ing similar to the Winter Gar-
den, called the “Chicken Farm.”
Here open gambling, dancing
and whiskey selling were con-
ducted. The same system of
armed guards was maintained
at the Chicken Farm. The
^Chicken Farm was built after
the Winter Garden was con-
structed. The Chick m Farm
in some respects was more com-
plete than the Winter Garden,
in this, that within the building
was constructed a small room
with an elevated platform, on
which stools were placed, and
on these stools were seated
guards armed with high power
rifles. Through the wall, so as
to command the entire interior
and front portion of the Chick-
en Farm were port holes suffi-
ciently large to permit the rifle
barrel to be thrust. Attacked
to this report are photographs of
the interior of the Chicken Farm
showing port holes and showing
Winter Garden ” A large sign a rifle Projecting through same.
In the rear, so built into the
wall that it could not be discov-
ered without very close examin-
was erected on the road with the
words “Winter Garden” paint-
ed thereon in large letters, and a
road led to the building. With-
in this “Winter Garden” was op-
erated a public gambling es-
' tabliihment, with the following
games in operation by day and
by night, viz: a roulette wheel,
churk-a.luck, black jack (some-
times called 21) crap tables,
poker table, and various other
gambling games There was
a’fio a cafe where meals were
served; a caba»’et, where nightly
singing and dancing, with music
was conducted; a bar from which
both red liquor and white corn
liquors were dispensed. These
liquors were served not only
♦from the bar, but at the tables
in the cafe. An armed guard
was maintained on the road
leading from the public highway
at on, was a trap door which
could be opened ai d through
which the inmates could flee.
In the bar-room of the Chicken
Farm were two trap doors, one
through which whiskey could
readily be poured, should the
place be raided, and another
large enough to permit persons
to escape. This Chicken F arm
was within 2o0 yards of the
home of the deputy sheriff of
Freestone county, who sold to
the gamblers who constructed
this building, the land up >n
which it was located. Some of
the persons connected with this
resort were apprehended, and
against others complaint* were
filed both in the State and Fed-
eral Courts, and the operator
nalia and furniture and other
equipment taken in raids and con-
fiscated of appropriate value of
$5,000.00. So scarce did liquor
become in Mexia that during the
last week of our stay habitual
drunkards were arrested and
found in posession o' bottles of
denatured alcohol labled in red,
“Poisonus” with the warning
that internal use will result in
blindness, paralysis and death.
There unforttw^to^unable to 1
get_jntn£r wfyisk 1 -»
Ginger, mixed ihfs stuff with
coca cola and drank it.
The net result of the declara-
tion of martirl law, and the op
eration of the military authorities
is that Mexia is cleaned of its
lawless element. Within twenty-
four hours after the arrival of
* he troops and rangers, more than
3C00 undesirable persons left the
community. Although it is safe
to approximate that more than
5000departed. Mexia and the
oil field was made a safe place,
as safe as any place in Texas, es-
pecially considering the cosmopo-
litan character of the population
that naturelly operates in and
around an oil field. The grand
jury of Limestone county return-
edindictments in ever*) case pre-
sented to it by the military au-
thorities. It is very evident that
the public conscience has been
aroused and that the law shall
henceforth be enforced. It is safe
to predict that never again will
the lawless element gain control
in these counties.
GUNTER HOTEL
PERCY TYRRELL. Manager
When in San Antonio stop at
the Gunter. Centrally located
and madern in every particular.
Headquarters for Texas Cattlemen
t
DR. R. L. GRAHAM \
t
1
Physician <
and Surgeon. ]
Office One Dour North Gaddis Pharmacy
COTULLA. TEXAS.
*. te*.
A BUSINESS TRAINING
Secured at the
NIXON - CLAY
BUSINESS COLLEGE
Austin, Texas
Will enable yju to manage any business successfully.
WRITE FOR CATALOGUE
Rafael Carpenter
Expert Tailor.
Clothes cleaned, pressed and
dyed. Hats blocked. Re-
pairing skillfully done. Send
me your work, I am an old
timer in the business.
* Front Street
When in San Antonio stop at
Travelers Hotel
NAGEL tWUEST
STAN ANTONIO TEXAS^
Wi'V+Vtf+V+V+TtV+WWtWI
! C. 0. D. HOSPITAL
J Shoes Made New
| Good work and Fair Prices
Typewriters and Phonographs^
Repaired
Alex L. Cortez
A+A+A+A t-A-fr A+A+A+A+A+A+A4 A+A+A-frA+A+A+A+A4A+A+A+A*A«
iWe Sell for Cash
i
WE CAN SELL CHEAPER.
i .
i
: The Best Groceries on the Market
Bring the Money and Get More.
D. L. NEELEY
Y
LEARN FROM THE ELEPHANT
Careful Where You Step and Take
Credit When Due, le by No
Meant Bad Advice.
; John W Willson
t
A circus man says tlmt an elephant
Is always careful where tv steps. He
goes forward one step at a time, and
doesn't lose his hold upcti one place
of security until unotlie^ Is gained.
If many of our business men had
acquired this elephant philosophy and
had followed It they wouldn't be hang-
ing over financial precipices now.
If one goes about thinking that the
world Is filled with crooks'and schem-
ers. the world It tilled with crooks and
schemers. On the other hand. If one
believes that till* world 111 filled with (
fine neighborly, helpful, kindly folks,
one finds people of that qlass In the
great majority.
It Isn’t well to have tab much hu-
mility. The man who gets Into the
habit of refusing to tRke credit for
the good work he does l( quite apt
to he surprised when he discovers thnt
people accept his ilenlals as the truth.
It Is much better to be Hide the little
girl In the old story who* when she
was asked, "Who made yojwT” replied,
“God made me that length;" Indicating
with her hands the ordinary sire of a
new-born babe, “and I growed the
rest myself.”—Forbes Magazine.
Attorney at Law
+ WRI practice i. >11 Co.rU
i
| REAL ESTATE AGENCY.
+
X COTULLA, TEXAS.
American Barber Shop
W. L. PEASE, Prep.
Service up to date in every
Particular.
S
The Farmers and Stockmans
BANK
(■aincerperated)
ot Cotulla, La SaBe County, Texas.
Wants Youi Business for 1921.
<f
£ J. H. ZACHRY Haaaier
rsmtsAtNVMrnemismM
|J. H. GALLHAN, Assistant Muager.
iWtUsUa
1 MORTGAGE LOANS
I On Improved
I Farms and Ranches
I 102 East Crockc
E. B. CHANDLER & CO.
102 East Crockett St. San Antonio, Texas.
Agent for San Antonio
Steam Laundry.
Basket Shipped Wednesday
T. R. Keck & Son
Lumber, Hardware, Wagons
Undertaker’s Supplies.
Lime, Cement, Brick and all kinds Builders Supplies.
Cotulla, • Texas
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The Cotulla Record (Cotulla, Tex.), Vol. 13, No. 4, Ed. 1 Saturday, March 11, 1922, newspaper, March 11, 1922; Cotulla, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1163730/m1/2/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Alexander Memorial Library.