Mr. PENDLETON. Yes. Senator WHEELER. And I will ask you if you know that it is a fact that at the present time Burns's men are being used generally throughout the country by the Department of Justice? Mr. PENDLETON. I don't know that to be a fact. I have heard it. but I couldn't say that that is so. Senator WHEELER. You could not verify it? Mr. PENDLETON. No. Senator WHEELER. Now, when you were in the service did you have any dollar a year men in the service at the time you were there? Mr. PENDLETON. No; we did not. Senator MOSES. In September, 1920? Mr. PENDLETON. Not in our section of the country. Mr. HOWLAND. Down in New Orleans? Mr. PENDLETON. Yes, Senator JONES of Washington. You refer to New Orleans? The CHAIRMAN. Well, that dollar a year business was a millionaire business, and they are kind of scarce down in your country, are they not? Mr. PENDLETON. Yes. Senator WHEELER. I think that is all. Mr. HOWLAND. May I ask what is the name of your service? Mr. HOWLAND. And you are a rival, I suppose, in the way, for business? Mr. PENDLETON. A competitor; yes; of all other like agencies. Senator WHEELER. That is all. TESTIMONY OF B. C. BALDWIN, TEXAS State Ranger, SAN ANTONIO, TEX. (The witness was duly sworn by the chairman.) Senator WHEELER. Mr. Baldwin, what is your full name? Mr. BALDWIN. B. C. Baldwin. Senator WHEELER. Where do you live? Mr. BALDWIN. San Antonio, Tex. Senator WHEELER. What is your business? Mr. BALDWIN. Texas Ranger. Senator WHEELER. How long have you been a Texas Ranger! Mr. BALDWIN. Since March the 16th, 1923. Senator WHEELER. Previous to that time what was your business! Senator WHEELER. How long were you a special agent of the Department of Justice? Mr. BALDWIN. From October the 2d, 1916, until the 15th of March, 1923. Senator ASHURST. The last date? Senator WHEELER. March 15, 1923. Did you resign yourself? Senator WHEELER. And you are an officer now in the Texas Rangers? Mr. BALDWIN. Captain of the Texas Rangers. Senator WHEELER. You are captain of the Texas Rangers. That is a good deal the same as the mounted police of Canada, is it not? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes, sir. Senator WHEELER. I will say to the committee that this man is being put on out of order because he is anxious to get back to Texas on some special work. Mr. HOWLAND. No objection. Senator WHEELER. And he was just called in here as a cog in the wheel in another matter. Mr. HOWLAND. All right.. Senator WHEELER. You were in Del Rio, Tex., from August, 1918, to May, 1921? Mr. BALDWIN. Del Rio, Tex. Senator WHEELER. And you were chiefly supposed to be preventing neutrality violations? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes, sir. Senator WHEELER. Now, were there a good many neutrality violations there? Mr. BALDWIN. Many. Senator WHEELER. Many. And were you active in preventing them from shipping arms and ammunition across the border? Mr. BALDWIN. I was. Senator WHEELER. And did you make reports to Washington to the effect that you were preventing them and that there were attempts being made to ship ammunition across the border? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes. Senator WHEELER. And what was the ammunition being shipped across the border for? Mr. BALDWIN. Revolutionary forces. Senator WHEELER. Revolutionary forces? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Which revolution? Senator WHEELER. Was it the Cantu revolution? Mr. BALDWIN. I presume so. The Cantu revolution was brewing at that time, but in different States of Mexico there were revolutionary forces known under other names. In my particular part of the country Francesco Muguia, Alberto Guajado, and others were known as revolutionists, and we submitted reports concerning those particular leaders, and did not refer to it as the Cantu revolution. Senator JONES of Washington. And was it to them that these shipments were going? Mr. BALDWIN. Well, they were attempting to smuggle ammunition across the Rio Grande to these forces. Senator WHEELER. Now, do you know who it was that was attempting to smuggle them across? Mr. BALDWIN. Well, there were many revolutionists on this side, Mexicans, who were thought to be working with Americans endeavoring to get the ammunition and arms into Mexico. Senator WHEELER. Do you know what Americans they were working with on this side? Mr. BALDWIN. Not altogether. Senator WHEELER. Tell us just what you know about it. Mr. BALDWIN. One particular American is William Hanson, of San Antonio, at present in the Immigration Service. Senator WHEELER. Who was William Hanson? Mr. BALDWIN. Well, at that time I don't think he held any official position. But he had just finished with the Fall committee. Senator WHEELER. With the Fall committee? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes. Senator WHEELER. Do you know where Mr. Hanson lived prior to his coming to Texas? Mr. BALDWIN. No; I do not. Senator WHEELER. Did you ever know that he lived in New Mexico near Mr. Fall? Mr. BALDWIN. No: I do not. Senator WHEELER. Had you ever checked that up to find out where he had lived? Mr. BALDWIN. No. Senator WHEELER. Well, then, he had just finished, you say, with the Fall committee? Mr. BALDWIN. That is my recollection now. Senator WHEELER. That was the committee of which Mr. Fall was chairman when he was a Member of the Senate? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes: investigating Senator WHEELER. That was investigating the Mexican situation? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes, sir. Senator WHEELER. And then, as I understand you, when he quit that committee, of which Mr. Fall was chairman, he then started in to aid the revolutionary forces in Mexico? Mr. BALDWIN. That was our understanding. Those reports came to us from different sources continually. Senator WHEELER. Yes; and that information came to you as an investigator in the Department of Justice? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes, sir. Senator WHEELER. And you reported those facts to the Department of Justice? Mr. BALDWIN. I did. Senator WHEELER. You made an investigation of it, did you? Mr. BALDWIN. Well, I can't say that I made any extended investigation as to Hanson, because he was seldom in my territory, but informants would give me the facts, or, that is, give me their statements, and I would submit it in the reports to the department for other agents' information and for the information of other departments. Senator WHEELER. What was the general tenor of these statements? Mr. BALDWIN. Well, that Captain Hanson had been to Washington and had made arrangements with certain high officials whereby the United States Government would sanction and possibly assist in the revolution in Mexico if the right people headed the revolutionary forces. Senator WHEELER. That was the information that was given to you? Mr. BALDWIN. It was. The CHAIRMAN. Who were "the right people," did you know? Mr. BALDWIN. No; I didn't know. The CHAIRMAN. What oil company did they have to represent? Mr. BALDWIN. I don't know. Senator WHEELER. Have you got any of your reports with you? Mr. BALDWIN. No, sir. Senator MOSES. From what source did these statements come? Mr. BALDWIN. Well, from many sources, one of which I remember just now: From the Mexican consul, who came to me and asked that I submit a report to the Government with a view of having some statements made public by the officials of the United States Government denying this fact, because many ignorant Mexicans, he said, would believe that, and would follow such revolutionary forces as were supposed to be backed by the United States Government. That was one source. Senator WHEELER. Did you submit that report? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes. Senator WHEELER. Was anything ever given out on it? Mr. BALDWIN. Not that I know of. Senator MOSES. Well, now, Captain, this was when? Mr. BALDWIN. Well, from December until about May 10 is all I know, because I was transferred on May 10, I believe, 1921, from the border, and after that I am not familiar with what took place other than what I have read. Senator ASHURST. What year were you transferred? Mr. BALDWIN. May. Senator ASHURST. What year? Mr. BALDWIN. 1921. Senator WHEELER. I will get to that. Senator JONES of Washington. This all was done while we were withholding recognition of Mexico? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes. Senator WHEELER. But it was still in violation of the neutrality laws? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes, sir. Senator WHEELER. To ship ammunition to revolutionary forces from one country to another, whether or not they have been recognized? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Were any rifles, any guns being shipped also in violation of law, or just ammunition? Mr. BALDWIN. Well, we, of course, knew of very few shipments made. We tried to prevent them. The CHAIRMAN. Were those Government rifles or private manufacture? Mr. BALDWIN. Private manufacture. Senator MOSES. You made seizures? Mr. BALDWIN. I didn't make any great seizures in my territory. I kept watch pretty well. Senator WHEELER. Do you know Gus T. Jones? Mr. BALDWIN. I do. Senator WHEELER. And who was he? Mr. BALDWIN. He just at that time was division superintendent, having been promoted to that position on May 10, 1921, as well as I recall now. Senator WHEELER. Now do you know who he was and what connection he had to Secretary Fall? Mr. BALDWIN. I have known Mr. Jones for many years. He was first in the customs service, and about 10 years ago, possibly a little longer, went into the Department of Justice as a special agent, and was stationed at El Paso, Tex., and later was agent in charge at El Paso, Tex., and in fact was agent in charge there when he was assigned to work with the Fall committee. Senator WHEELER. He was assigned to work with the Fall committee? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes, sir. Senator WHEELER. Now, about the time that you started getting busy to stop the violations of the neutrality laws, what have you to say as to whether or not you were transferred out of that district? Mr. BALDWIN. I was transferred on May 10 to the northern district of Texas, and was stationed at Dallas. The CHAIRMAN. Who took your place? Mr. BALDWIN. No one. Senator WHEELER, No one? Mr. BALDWIN. They abandoned their office there. Senator JONES of Washington. When was he transferred? Senator WHEELER. When were you transferred, what was the date? Mr. BALDWIN. Along about the 2d of May I received a letter notifying me that the bureau had determined on transferring me to the Dallas office, and gave me until the 10th to wind up my business, so I left Del Rio on the 10th, as well as I remember. Senator JONES of Washington. What year? Mr. BALDWIN. The 10th of May, 1921. Senator WHEELER. Leaving how many miles of open territory there unprotected? Mr. BALDWIN. In my territory there was about 250 miles of border. Senator WHEELER. And that left it perfectly open for the runners, ammunition runners across the border there then, did it? Mr. BALDWIN. So far as the Department of Justice was concerned. Senator WHEELER. So far as the Department of Justice was concerned? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes. Senator WHEELER. Now did you make a report to the Department of Justice with reference to some delinquencies of some district attorney down there? Mr. BALDWIN. Not in that district; in the northern district of Texas. Senator WHEELER. In the northern district of Texas? Mr. BALDWIN. Yes, sir: I did. Senator WHEELER. And have you got a copy of that letter with you? Mr. BALDWIN. No: I have not. Senator WHEELER. Have you in your files? Mr. BALDWIN. No, sir. I submitted several reports. Senator WHEELER. With reference to his irregularities? |