Railroad Robbery on the Rio Grande Part 2

So if you are just joining us, you need to go back and read last month's tale regarding the actual train robbery which occurred in January, 1891 on the Rio Grande Railroad Line between Brownsville and Port Isabel. Remember, this is 1891. This is still the "Wild West." Men wore their guns to town. The tavern was the gathering place. The sheriff and his deputies rode horses and the science of forensics and evidence-gathering was in its infancy stage. In Brownsville, within a few hours of receiving the news of the robbery, a posse was organized, boarded a flatcar and headed toward the site of the heist. The posse was led by a former Brownsville sheriff, Santiago Brito, who was then serving as City Marshall. He was well-known for his prowess in catching bad guys. At the scene before nightfall, the posse began a search for clues. It was obvious to Brito that the desperados had taken cover behind a cleaved hill located on a curve. They had successfully removed rail spikes holding the tracks, attaching  ropes to the rails which, with their horses, were pulled apart as the train approached causing it to plunge from the rails onto the roadbed. The posse soon found a tool which had been utilized to remove the spikes. Brito recognized the craftsmanship of a Mexican blacksmith who served various ranches located along "Old Alice Road."  After questioning, the blacksmith described a specific individual who had made the order, recognized by Brito as being one, Jose Mosquedo. Meanwhile, a citizen came forward to report the fact that several characters in town were spending great amounts of money and were men "of no visible means." One of the rail passengers recognized one of the robbers when wind (prone to be tempest-like across the Bahia) blew off the mask he was weary. A member of the train crew recognized the voice of the leader. In a short time, one of the robber-gang had confessed and identified the seven others involved. Three escaped, two were given long sentences in a Federal prison in Detroit, and three others received lesser sentences.

Marhall Brito was celebrated for the quick resolution of the crime. Unfortunately, he did not have much time to enjoy his growing fame. Within a year he was assassinated as the result of a reported long-held grudge. His assassin was never identified. All but $20,000 taken in the train robbery was recovered and it is said to be buried somewhere out on the prairie. Who knows, maybe, even on the Bahia Grande!