The Osceola times., 1883-05-05
THE KU-KLUx OF SPAIN.
The Members Of n Mysterious Society just
brought TO Trial at Andalusia.

The Members Of Mysterious society just
brought To Trial at Andalusia.
London Telegraph.
There will be opened next week in the
chief cities Of Andalusia a very remark
able series of trials. Nearly 1000 pris-
oncrs stand ready to plead.
They are charged with strange crimes.
They have set up tribunals in the open
air, and, while the moon shone bright
overhead, have sentenced wealthy men of
the neighborhood, brought trembling
before them, to be instantly bound, shot
and buried under a heap of stones by
the wayside.
They have broken into houses, stopped
the mail-coach, murdered the driver and
conductor, burnt haystacks, cut vines,
torn up olive trees, MANNED cattle, and
and reduced the most beautiful district
in Spain to the desolation of a wilder
ness.
Never since the prisons of the French
Revolution sent its victims in tumbrils
to the guillotine has so motley crowd
been gathered within the walls Of Jail.
Ordinarily noisome enough, the Andalu-
sian prisons have now close resem-
blance to the Black Hole of Calcutta.
Penned together in the foul cells, the
floor covered with dirty straw, with a
loaf of hard bread in one corner and a
Jug of muddy water in the other, lie new
moodily silent, now swearing and jesting,
forbidden TO throw dice or play cards,
these wild-cyed peasants, some of them
old and white-haired, with blanket
thrown over them, others of them young
and stalwart, with cloak thrown jaunt-
ily over their shoulders. Friends they
have outside, for letters and food find
their way into their midst. Sympathetic
mobs gather at the gates bowling for the
release of the prisoners. But the law is
strong the jailers are incorruptible, a
handful of civil guards disperses the mob,
and the manaclcs on the prisoners wrists
and ankles are doubled.
There is no more lovely valley in the
world than that in which the city of Ne
res is placed. Luxuriant vegetation
fringes the rivers which traverse il mai
estically. Vast herds feed on the slopes.
Wealth untold and still unsought lies
hidden in the rocky soil. A patient pop
ulation, accustomed to poverty, till the
fields in patience, paying to Others the
fruit of their labor, earning for them
selves scanty subsistence. Middlemen
of the class best known in Ireland and
Egypt, gather their rent or serve them
with notices of eviction. Their landlords
are grandees who live in Madrid, buzzing
round the court of the young King Al
fonso. never moved 10 visit their terrific
ries i'm the South.
But there came a time when the peas
ants refused to recognize the claims of
the land-wners-refu to pay rent to
the middlemen. Civil guards and SOL
diers were sent against them. Then be-
gan a carnival of crime. Robbery on the
highway, cattle-stealing, incehdiarism,
destruction of vineyards, moonlight at
tacks-these were for menths the burden
of the newspapers. Threatening letters
were received by the authorities; land
owners fed from the rural districts.
Among the wine.growers of Heres the
socialist propaganda had been spread.
Many murders were reported in the lone
ly parts of the country; dozens of people
mysteriously disappeared; judges came
down with extraordinary powers; civil
guards conducted the most rigid investi-
cations, but nothing of importance could
be learned.
At last servant called on his master,
told him that he was deputed by secret
society to kill him, and gave information
where the leaders of the society might
be found. On the following night an at
tack was made on lonely farm; the as
sailants, driven off, left one of their
number behind, and he, being at the
point of death, made confession attrib-
uting the deed TO the instigation of q
secret society.
Thus was discovered the organization
of "The Black Hand"
Its leaders were schoolmaster, a
smuggler and brigand. Its inspiration
came from the defunct "Internationale."
Its plan of action was TO tempt the dis
contented operatives and farm laborers
into. its ranks, offering them relief in
sickness or old age and promising that
their material condition should be inn
proved.
Within the circle of casual recruits was
formed an inner circle, which gave itself
the name of "rhe Black Hand" and
printed a black hand on every warning
missive it sent out. 1t held its sessions
by torchlight, the members wearing
masks. 1t decoyed the victims into lone
ly glens. slew and buried them there. 1t
established secret juntas over the entire
region, and partly by persuasion, partly
by force, compelled $4,000 persons to join
its ranks. II boasts that it had branches in
Murcia, Estremadura and Portugal, and
allies in every socialistic society in the
world. But rs soon as the civil guards
were on its track, and the wholesale ar
rests that were made proved the law to
be in earnest, il vanished as suddenly as
il arose.
Senior Sagasta, the Premier, has shown
himself strong enough TO cope with the
situation. He wisely forbears from pro-
bing the depth of the sore, for he knows
that the body polite of Spain is gan
grened with the spirit of revolution.
But it still remains to be seen whether
'The Black Hand is an isolated society,
or whether the grievances which it pro-
fessed to cure are so deep that the throne
of King Alfonso is in danger.
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A Little Girls Prayer.