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iNDICTED FOR KILLING OFUMSEY ARRESTED SATURDAY* •Joaquin Herrera, Indicted for Connection With the Killing of Rumsey in 1922, Arrested by Starr County Officials Now in Jail in. This City.. ■ • ■ — •On last Saturday morning Starr county authorities look into custpdy at Rio Grande City just after he had crossed to the Amefcan side of the boundary line Joaquin Herrera, the arrest being made on an indictment returned by the Webb county grand jury in 1922 charging Herrera with complicity in the killing on August 19, 1922, of Mounted Customs Inspector Robert Rumsey at a point just west of Torrecillos ip this county* •On Saturday afternoon Chief Deputy Sheriff Joe Fierros, Deputy Sheriff R. W. Carrejo and Customs Inspector John Chamberlain left Laredo for Rio Grande City to bring Herrera back to this city to stand trial on the charges against him.ti\ight thev three officials returned witth Herrera, accompanied by Mayor John A. Pope, Jr., of Rio Grande City,, who had been retained by Herrera as his counsel. An attempt to get-bond for Herrera had been made from Rio Grande City shortly after his arrest, but this was refused by District Attorney John A* Vails, who demanded that he be brought to Laredo. It was announced that a writ of habeas corpus would be instituted here to get bond for Herrera, but owing to the absence of District Judge J/F. Mullally on vacation no action was taken in the matter.Five men were originally indicted for the killing of Rumsey, but two of them have since met tragic deaths. Hil4rio Eschazareta, one of the alleged slayers, was killed near Ma-tamoros in 1926 and the revolver belonging to Bob Rumsey was recovered from his body; A short time thereafter Domingo Rivera, another of the men charged with the crime* was riddled with bullets on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande opposite Mission. Now, with the arrest of Herrera, the third man is in custody, and only two remain at large.Mounted Customs Inspectors Robert Rumsey, Frank Smith and Bill Musgraves, on the night of August 18, 1922,had raided a place at Torrecillos and captured a large quantity of booze and several prisoners. The following forenoon, atabout 10:30 o’clock, they started with the. prisoners and booze for Lafedo. Smith and Musgraves, each in automobiles with men and liquor, started first, leaving Rums'ey behind in the last car. The officers carri.ed only their side arms. All the rifles were left* in the car Rjitnsey was driving. As Musgraves knd SmitJj proceeded on the way toward Laredo they passed a car with, several men in it, and noticing the car was carrying contraband, signalled to Rumsey to stop it, as they did not want to vbp^n fire o nthe fast moving car with their revolvers whyehaving prisoners in custody. Rumsey heeded the signal aitd th rew his car across the paht of the carload of men approaching to the west and brought therh to a halt* Rumsey •^as getting;out of his tar to walk over and investigate what was in ^the car when one of the men opehed fire, killing Rumsey vipstantly. Then one of the men ran over and re-moved Riimseys revolver from the holster and all of the men, five in number be£an /ahasty getaway, taking Rumsey’s car With them and heading for the Rio Grande. When Musgraves’ and Smith turned ' around and got back to the place they, found 'Rumsey dead and his slayers gone. ~^ Gfoat excitomeht followed the news of the killing of oneof the best and bravest Custonis inspectors the service ever hadand v?a i toah Kujit began that lasted for several days* but no*race^i£/tfe'tourderervw found, Evidence / wasf-tha| gave the/autoorities a clueas to theperpetrators**• ... ......
Newspaper Details
Laredo Weekly
Laredo, Texas, US
Fri, Aug 31, 1928
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Pikes P.
CO, USA 08 Jan 2020
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