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Heroines and heroes of Mexican descent from Texas and the borderlands were usually mischaracterized as "bandidos" or their stories were discarded into the trash bin of history. This page seeks to remedy that by telling their stories, recounting their exploits, and setting out their contributions. Original submissions in prose, poetry, or lyric form are welcome and may be emailed to ricmadrigal52@gmail.com for consideration for this page.
VIEJO STORY TELLER JACINTO
Viejo, tells us the story.
Tell us the story about
Jacinto Trevino.
Tell us what happened back then
In 1910, between Jacinto Trevino
And the rinche texas rangers,
Tell us again how Jacinto
Sent all the rangers running
With their tail between their legs
Scurrying and yapping like crying dogs,
Looking for a place to hide
Out of Jacinto’s way,
Tell us how Jacinto would be rolling on the ground,
Tickling all over with laughter at such a sight,
Rinches running cowardly,
Scattered, flying, eyes wide open with fright
And mouths gasping for what they believed
Would be their last intake of life’s air,
Tell Viejito, of the three separate times
When Jacinto cursed the Rinches Rangers
And lived to talk about it
In his old age,
You tell it so clear
As if it happened just yesterday,
With twinkling eyes
And a satisfied smile.
Tell us ancient crier
Of those days long ago
When being born Mexican in Texas
Meant being born deformed
With your head tilted downward
Eyes to the ground,
Sunken chest, shoulders bent, small brain,
Small enough to understand
And conform to his even smaller position
In Texas,
Small enough to understand
That his life didn’t matter
To be imposed,
To be disposed,
To be whatever patron supposed
Was good enough for him.
Tell us O Viejo historian
Of those days back then
When Jacinto Trevino,
Challenged the Rinche Rangers
To a duel in Brownsville, TX.
And how the rangers ran
At that figure's sight.
A tall standing Mexican
Well dressed, well armed,
His ten-gallon hat
Tilted slightly
On his straightforward looking head
And not in his hands
As was the custom back then
If Mexican addressing a white.
To see a Mexican in Texas
Standing at full alert
Pigeon chest, smiling proud,
Ready to draw his side arm
To kill and be killed,
Was out of this world in 1910 Texas,
Unnatural in fact,
Tell us dear Viejo testigo
How Jacinto Trevino
And the Rinche Rangers
Had it out
With guns, fists, kicks, bites
Broken bottles, furniture and
Rinches flying in all different directions,
Tell us how Jacinto
Kicked Rinche butt,
Not once, not twice, butt three times
Once in McAllen,
Once in Brownsville, and
Once in San Benito, TX.
Tell us how never before
In the history of mankind
A Mexican single-handedly
All by himself
Stood up and defeated
The Texas rangers,
Gregorio Cortez, from Karnes City, Texas,
Gave them one hell of a run,
Until they jailed his wife and family.
Juan N. Cortina, took Brownsville, from them
But gave it back,
After both Mexico and Texas ganged up on him,
Catarino Garza, caused them
Lots of problems
But never, no one, except
Jacinto Trevino, by himself
Kicked the Ranger’s ass
And lived to laugh and sing about it
Way into his golden years
As he willfully waited for the Rinche’s return to
Brownsville, Matamoros,
To execute his arrest,
But it never happened.
Because the “Rinches covardes”
Knew that they were
Facing a man
JACINTO TREVINO
Tell it again Viejo!
Rudy H. Garcia copyright 1990
Foot note: line 1 Viejo, means Old man sometimes used to mean wise old man
Line 6 rinche negative term to refer to the Texas Rangers by Mexican/Americans
Line 41 Patron means boss or boss man
Line 65 Testigo means witness
Line 75 McAllen is a city in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas
Line 76 Brownsville is a city at the southern most part of Texas
Line 77 San Benito is a city in the Rio Grande Valley situated between Brownsville and McAllen
Line 84 Gregorio Cortez, a Mexican/ American cowboy around the early 1900`s wrongfully accused of stealing a horse. He killed a law man in self defense and was chased all over south Texas. He was forced to turned himself in after the Rangers jailed his wife and children
Line 87 Juan N. Garza, was a Brownsville rancher around late1800`s. Took control of Brownsville after he interceded and helped a Mexican/American that was being pistol wiped by a law man
Line 90 Catarino Garza, another famous Mexican/American cowboy of the late 1800`s who was chased by the rangers
Line 98 Matamoros border city across the river from Brownsville on the Mexican side
Line 101 covardes Spanish word that means coward
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