Show Am ush Plot to tot t Slay Say Political t L Leaders ders Bared 1 Texas Rangers Hold Hol 15 Men Charged With Conspiracy to Murder Rivals ALLEGEDLY HIRED KILLER Prominent Officials Officials' Were Marked for Death By United Press Pre MALLEN Tex Texas s Feb 20 exas Texas rangers 15 men whom they charged with conspiring for the mass extermination of or a rival political faction faction fac fac- fac tion in an ambush slaying Rangers s said the arrests were made only a few hours before plans to execute ex cx- six prominent Hidalgo count county Democratic leaders in a trap were tobe tobe to tobe be carried out Among those jailed at Rio Grande Cit City on charges of conspiracy to murder mur mur- der were two well known politicians and a Mexican who officers said admi admitted ted h he was as to to receive e for carrying out the mc ambuscade It alt was a job the Mexican Mexican can was quoted as saying but I agreed t to do it for SHERIFF MARKED i Had the plot been carried to its conclusion tomorrow Sheriff Sheri T. T C. C G Gill lI Hidalgo county officer would have been one of those slain the rangers said Others marked for death included Walter Waiter J. J Weaver prominent Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic attorney of Donna Harry Ridgeway manager of the Donna irrigation district about which it was believed the plot revolved and Wise Vise Hooks another prominent politician Names of the other two men who were to be assassinated were not re The Mexican according to his confession confession con con- as reported by the rangers was to lie in ambush as the six men visited an oil lease owned by Hooks and Weaver near Rio Grande City tomorrow Armed with a rifle which the rangers rangers rang rang- ers intercepted as it was passed from one of oC the alleged conspirators to the Mexican he ic was to pick off his vic vie tims one by one shooting with care permitting none to escape HELD SECRETS With the murders it was believed by rangers certain certai political secrets of which the conspirators were believed be be- to have feared publication would have been lost What Wha t these secrets were the oUi on OD Pa Pase Pue e Two RANGERS BARE I AMBUSH PLOT Continued from Page Pace One cers would not even conjecture but the fact that several of those arrested arrested arrest arrest- arrested ed were involved in a recent fi fight ht for control of the thc Donna irrigation district and were defeated gave ere cre dence to the theory that the plot revolved revolved revolved re re- re- re around this dispute The conspirators it was said had planned to lay the murders at the thedoor thedoor thedoor door of ot a group known as the old regime once headed by A. A Y Baker former sheriff now dead This group was blamed for scandals in Hidalgo county government two years ago which resulted in malfeasance ance arice charges being placed against several officials CONTROL WRESTED At the time of those disclosures the situation in the county gained national attention when a good government clement in tho the Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic party was formed and wrested control from the Baker faction The men a against whom the alleged plot was laid were members of this good government group while it was understood that the plotters were not aligned with withy cither either faction but allegedly al were seeking to get rid of men who know too much It was a Baker group leader it was as assaid said who revealed existence of the I plot to rangers He learned according according accord accord- ing to reports the plan to place blame I upon his faction and at once gave officers his information Governor Ross St Sterling ordered Captain Frank Hamer of Austin Cap Cap- Cap I tam lain tain Albert Mace of and three other rangers here to gate In addition to intercepting the rifle the officers learned that 50 already had been paid to the Mexican and that had been deposited to his credit in a bank they said Among those arrested were two men who have been prominent in county politics They were W. W II McClellan Me Mc- Cl Clellan llan former city commissioner of Donna and E. E J. J Farnsworth a defeated de do- candidate for the board of ot directors directors di di- rectors of ot the Donna irrigation dis dis- dis |