Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-06-12

--e-frN ~SSSN@ ~ hAo WIN ullll lOI
you than anybody else.n
His beautiful wife Teresita threw
herself at his feet, and implored
him not to 60.
sob, JUAN" she cried in an ag-
ony of despair, "you know that |
am sometimes able to foresee fu-
ture events. Now implore you to
stay, for / know that you will never
come back~
But Don Juan De Padilla was
inhexible. He mounted his charger,
caused the gate to be opened, and
rode to meet the herald, who there
upon escorted him to San Fernan-
do. There the Duke de Marano
received him with studied polite
ness. Greatly to the disgust of the
royal officers he put no restraint
upon the movements of the Young
insurgent leader.
During the night some masked
royal officers forced The door of
Juan De Padilla's bedroom, and
carried him off in irons to Seville,
where Cardinal Laredo caused him
to be beheaded a few hours after
his arrival.
When the Duke de Marano heard
that his pledges had been 50 wan
tonly broken, he was SO mortified
that he committed suicide.
His successor in command Of the
army was Captain General De Hi
yQres,
A BRUTAL, BLo0DTHIRSTY sCOUN-
DREL,
and an ultra RoyaIist. He sent
Juan De Padilla's head on a pike to
Toledo, with the message that in
their leaders doom the insurgents
might see the fate that was in store
for them.
This act raised the fury of the
insurgents to the highest pitch.
They resolved to offer Xivarez the
most desperate resistance, and as
their leader they chose, stran gelv
enough, that most beautiful lady,
Teresita De Padilla.
Her husbands murder had trans.
formed her into a heroine worthy
Of the palmiest days of Sparta and
Rome.
Her first act, it is true, was one
Of great cruelty, for she caused
fifty-one of King Charles sympa-
thizers to be summarily beheaded,
and their heads sent to Xivarez.
Then she strengthened the forti-
fications of the city still further,
and, when Xivarez appeared in
front of the city with the vanguard
Of his army, she headed
A NOCTURNAL soRTIE
and succeeded in routing the royal
troops. Upon re-entering Toledo,
Teresita was the object Of a raptu-
rouS ovation. The citizens bestow-
ed upon her the title Of Teresita la
Valiante.
Meanwhile, Xivarez was by no
means inactive, and a week later
he reappeared with twelve thous-
and troops in the cnvirons of To-
ledo.
He approached the city very
cautiously until a pretended de-
serter from the insurgent forces
circulated among his soldiers the
report that Teresita De Padilh
would henceforth cause all royalist
prisoners to be tortured to death.
A panic broke out in Xiyarez'S
camp; the troops refused to obey
him any longer; and when he, in
rage, declared that he
would punish their mutinous spirit
by having them decimated, they
killed him and dispersed.
Teresita pursued them, and
caused all prisoners that were taken
to be hung on the spot. This Gre
ated such a panic among the roy
ahsts that whole month elapsed
before another army of the crown
appeared in front of Toledo.
This force was commanded by
Ronald Yberra, one of the best en-
gineers of that period.
1t took him nearly six months to
breach the wall of the city. The
first assault resulted in total de-
feat of the storming party. But
Yberra was a man of iron energy
and tenacity of purpose. Every
assault made him only
the more determined to take the
city at any cost.
AT length he was successful.
Toledo lost 10000 of her citizens.
Yberra's losses were still heavier.
Among the prisoners was Tere-
sita LA Yaliante.
Charles Y had returned from
Germany. He was curious to see
THE BEAUTIFUL HEROINE
who had inflicted such terrible
losses upon his armies, She was
heavily ironed and taken to Mad
rid, where the young sovereign
visited her in her dungeon,
Had she manifested a spirit of
submissiyeness Charles would have
spared her life, but she predicted
haughtily to him that, although
the most powerful monarch in the
world, he would also be the most