The Sun.
London, England, 1833-12-25 00:00:00

THE GUERILLA CHIEF MERINO.

The Memorial Bordelais gives the folio,. ing
anecdotes of Merino :—" It has been stated that
Merino coolly assassinated in the environs of Burgos
a beggar and two young children from the hatted
which he bore to their father. This is not sur-
prising. He did the same with his best friend,
Horns, a native of Villamanzo. Horns was the
buffoon of the band and a great favourite of Me-.
rino. On one occasion, after having amused the
company for a long time, Horna turned towards Ma-
rino and said, " Give me an entirely new pack of
cards, and I will place them on the table, and tell
you the name of each. " Let us sec," said Mei-itio,
astonished. A pack of cards was brought and all
the company stood round the table. Merino with
his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, watched
attentively the movements of Horns, who asked for
a compass, a rule, and several mathematical instru-
ments. When they had been brought he arranged
the instruments, and spent three quarters of an
hour in preparations, during which Merino fre-
quently testified his impatience by execrations.
HOrna having at length completed Iris prepara-
tions, with a grave and solemn air put his hand
gently on the table and drew a card, which he pre-
sented to Merino, desiring him to examine it care-
fully. "Now," said Horna, "give it to me." Merino
having looked at it, returned it to Horna with the
face downwards. Horns turned the card, and an-
nounced it with a shout of laughter. This was too
much for Merino, who immediately drew his sword,
and with one blow laid the poor jester dead at his
feet.

" One of the mildest punishments ever inflic:ed by
Merino was the following. Dan Juan Tapia,
Cure of Astudillo, his lieutenant, had quitted his
service and raised a band of his own, 900 strong,
with which he entered the town of Tordomar.
Merino, enraged at the presumption of Tapia, en-
tered the town at the head of only twelve horse-
men, and shouted in the streets, " Where is the
rascal Tapia ?" Being challenged by a sen,inel, he
instantly shot him, and proceeded to the chief part,
where he was received with enthusiasm by Tapia's
men. Tapia fled, but was soon overtaken, and Me-
rino was on the point of shooting him, when he was
implored by the band to pardon the offender. He
consented to spare his life, but to humiliate him,
tied him to an ass, and sent him in that way to
Paules, twelve miles distant, with an escort.

"Merino has his moments of magnanimity. When
the brave Empecinado, his greatest political ene-
my, was entrapped by the corregidor Valdenetro,
he did all in his power to save him, and wrote a
letter to a friend, in which was the following pas-

sage:—
"' Is it possible that the son of General O'Don-
nell, at the head of 2,000 men, has not courage to
take Boa with its corregidor Valdenetro, and his
victim the Empecinado. Are these soldiers ? Are
they not rather the accomplices of the wretches
who have taken a brave man, in order to glut their
rage with his massacre ? What are the crimes of
the Empecinado, and who are those, if he were
criminal, who have a right to complain F lie was my
persecutor, but I remember also he was once my
friend. If I had taken him in arms, I would have
shot him ; but he had the King's pass, and his life
ought to have been sacred.'
and '‘ Fo.rodr this
er letter
e d to conNsildeer
rinohila mvsseslfu
ammotet
prisoner d to
tNadrd,
hlere ifor
four months. He saw the King, and to his face
charged him with perfidy. During the whole of
the time that he remained at Madrid, he, with four
others, went daily dressed as brigands before the
windows of the p4lace, in open defidnee of the or-
ders of his petticoat Majesty."

The Journal du Commerce of Saturday last
mentions, that it is the intention of General Sithervic to
put several question. to Marshal Souk early in the ensuing
the continual movements of the French
session, respecting
coops, and go beg an explanation of the cause. It is stated
that during the last month several regiments have gaitted
and returned five or six times to the same town. The
General Officers of the Army of the n.,rtia, in nuintier 22,
are slid to receive war allowances still, so that the pay of
3larshal Gerard, as General-in. Chief, is 150,000 :vines
per annum, while, as a curious anomaly, the rest of that
diviron of the French army are paid according to peace •
regulation*.