PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE

Monday, April 28, 1997

Republic of Texas gunman takes hostages

Harte-Hanks News Service

FORT DAVIS - A Republic of Texas gunman took two people hostage Sunday in the Davis Mountains, shooting one man and touching off a tense standoff with numerous law enforcers.

A Department of Public Safety official in Pecos said the standoff began shortly before noon, when the Jeff Davis County sheriff's office called for help at the Republic of Texas compound, 350 miles west-south-west of Abilene.

Upon arrival, authorities found a single gunman holding a man and his wife, Joe and M.A. Rowe, hostage. Joe Rowe, 65, was injured by broken shards of glass in the gunfire, but "declined" to be exchanged for a volunteer firefighter who offered to replace him, a man identifying himself as White Eagle, a chief aide to McLaren, told WOAI.

After Rowe's release, Richard McLaren - the self-styled "ambassador" of the Republic - and his followers took another man hostage, saying they were holding two captives in retaliation for the arrests of two Republic members.

During an on-air interview with a San Antonio radio station, McLaren said the hostages would be freed in exchange for the Republic members. He also demanded a referendum that would allow Texans to vote on independence from the United States.

"The Davis Mountains are under the control of the Republic of Texas," McLaren said.

The Republic of Texas has drawn international attention for its beliefs that Texas remains an independent nation, because it was illegally annexed to the United States in 1845.

The violence Sunday turned a long-simmering political situation into open conflict. Law enforcement agencies - including the DPS, Texas Rangers, the entire Jeff Davis County sheriff's department, the FBI and U.S. Border Patrol - set up a roadblock three miles from the compound gate.

Four ambulances were standing by to treat anyone who was wounded.

Media outlets and non-Republic citizens living inside the resort were turned away as authorities in unmarked cars made their way closer to the scene.

The standoff was the most serious incident during months of heightening tensions between McLaren, law enforcers and even other members of the Republic.

The ambassador - impeached by the Republic's government in March - has been holed up in the Davis Mountains with armed bodyguards since December, when a federal contempt warrant was issued for his arrest.

The Republic quickly distanced itself from the hostile situation.

An "urgent notice" on the group's web page said McLaren and "those acting with him have gone completely off the deep end, disregarding the very laws he claims to uphold."

The site referred to the kidnapping "of a Texas citizen on nothing but hearsay," calling the act "another in a long chain of unlawful actions by Mr. McLaren."

In a telephone interview, a Republic of Texas member in Abilene denounced McLaren's aggressive actions in Fort Davis.

"The fellow that's doing this was impeached two months ago," said Bobbie Sudbury, an Abilene resident. "He's not a part of the Repubic of Texas government. Any action he's taken is not supported by the Republic."

Sudbury, who joined the Republic about a year ago with her husband, Robert, said McLaren was impeached because "he was not acting lawfully under the common law of any government."

According to the Republic, a captain of McLaren's security team - identified by Presidio County authorities as 42-year-old Robert Jonathan Scheidt - was arrested Sunday when officials found two assault rifles in his van. But Scheidt apparently had stopped off at the Rowes' home on his way out of the compound.

"As word of this arrest made it back to McLaren's property, apparently the assumption was made that the neighbor (Rowe) must have 'set up' the van's driver (Scheidt)," the web site document said.

"Based on nothing more than this supposition and rumor, two men from McLaren's security detail went to the neighbor's house and kidnaped the neighbor."

The Republic has had a running feud with the Rowes, one of several non-group members living in the Davis Mountains resort. The couple lead an area homeowners' association, and McLaren has called them "federal moles."

McLaren said the Rowes - and later, exchange hostage Jerry Ray - were being held under the rules of international law.

"They're in Mr. Rowe's house and being well taken care of," he said. "We're not out to injure anybody because under the Geneva Convention we have to take care of them."

Scheidt was being held Sunday at the Presidio County Jail in Marfa, about a half-hour's drive from Republic headquarters. County Judge Jake Brisbin Jr. said he did not know what charges could be filed.

"He has a Republic of Texas ID card that says he's a member of the embassy guard," Brisbin said.

According to media reports, McLaren took hostages in exchange for Scheidt and another Republic member, Jo Ann Canady Turner, who was arrested Tuesday in Austin on contempt charges.

A judge set Turner's bond at $25,000 and scheduled a May 27 hearing. She was still in custody Sunday. "When they arrested her, they enacted a declaration of war," McLaren said last week.

The Republic quickly released a statement saying it had issued warrants for the so-called "foreign agents" responsible for Turner's arrest, including Texas Attorney General Dan Morales, "the unlawful state legislature, all United States federal judges and all IRS agents on Texas soil."

Timothy Perkins of Coppell, who claims he's a senior district judge with the Republic of Texas, said late Sunday that he had been in touch with McLaren most of the day.

"He said he didn't know if there were women or children there, but he said he did not believe the hostages would be harmed," Perkins said.

Perkins also said the hostage situation was brought about by Morales.

"(Morales) has openly said he will do anything to bring about the downfall of the Republic of Texas and he is scared to death for his job," Perkins said.

Ward Tisdale, a spokesman for the Attorney General's office, said the agency was not issuing any statements Sunday.

"They have been warned," Perkins said. "The federal agencies have no jurisdiction against the Republic of Texas."

(The Associated Press, Reporter-News staff writer Tanya Eiserer, San Angelo-Standard Times and Harte-Hanks staff writer Ben Tinsley contributed to this report.) Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: