A LAW FOR THE LION. A Tale of Crime and injustice in the Borderlands

Softcover. "Esto no es cosa de armas" (this is not a matter for weapons). These were the last words of Don Francisco Gutierrez before Alonzo W. Allee shot and killed him and his son, Manuel Gutierrez. What began as a simple dispute over Allee's unauthorised tenancy on a Gutierrez family ranch near Laredo, Texas, led not only to the slaying of these 2 prominent Mexican landowners but also to a blatant miscarriage of justice. In this engrossing account of the 1912 crime and the subsequent trial of Allee, the author delves into the political, ethnic, and cultural worlds of the Texas-Mexico border to expose the tensions between the Anglo minority and the Mexican majority that propelled the killings and their aftermath. Drawing on original sources, the author uncovers how influential Anglos financed a first-class legal team for Allee's defence and also discusses how Anglo-owned newspapers helped shape public opinion in Allee's favour. In telling the story of this long-ago crime and its tragic results, the author sheds new light on the interethnic struggles that defined life on the border a century ago, on the mystique of the Texas Rangers (Allee was said to be a Ranger), and on the legal framework that once institutionalised violence and lawlessness in Texas. Illus., Bibliog. and Index. 142pp. 8vo. softcover. From the library of true crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. F.