, 1885-07-03
CUBA AN INSECURE PLACE.
Hut Little Control Of the Lawiess Dan-
ger OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

Hut Little Control Of the Lawless Dan-
ger OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Havana Cor. New orleans Times Democrat
will conclude this letter with some
remarks on the insecurity of property
and person in Cuba.
In all nv travels on four continents
and in sores of islands, | have not
found n place where | had to take more
precautions TO keep myself and ms
worldly goods intact. The universal
hard ia Is here, due in largo measure
to 0NertaXation and general mis-
go eminent, have breeded an immense
army Of rogues right in Havana, ms well
MS NIL oyer tho island. Owing TO the
supineness and incompetency Of this
Spanish despotism that pretends to pro
tect the people bere, these lawlessly in
clined ones arc allowed to ply their no.
farious operations uncontrolled Finally,
owing to tho i%nadeluacy and uncer-
tainty Of the pay due the police, that
numerous fraternity seem, humanity
speaking. forced to form a pecuniary al
lance with the aw-bfeakers in some
INSTANCES or else starye.
In travelling through Bcdouin infested
countries, one can take a mounted
guard and feel comparatively safe.
But here your watch or your purse Is
liable TO be snatched at MONDAY while
you are sitting under your own vine
and fig tree. II is tho insolence
and audaeity of crime which banie all
the watchfulness of the law -abiding
citizens. and make travelling here full of
uncertainty. You may live here IA score
Of years and escape in ury of any sort.
You may be robbed or knitted in broad
daylight before you have been landed
here i've minutes.
Last week four OF us-two Indies and
two gentlemen-were getting into n car
riage in front Of the Cafe Central, on
the larque Central, right in the very
heart of the city, at 1880 O'Clock in the
morning. A negro came along and
snatched at one of the ladies' watches.
The charm snapped and the fellow
started on n dead run. The husband of
the lady gave chase, on the superstition
that the thief had stolen the watch. and
only stopped when the fellow disap-
appeared down a side street several
blocks distant. Upon his return he
found that, fortunately, the watch had
been too deep in the pocket provided for
il to admit lis immediate escape.
In such cases the aggravating fact is
the stupid or selfish inertia of tho people
on the street. There are almost always
plenty of men about who are ina posi-
tion to head OF and apprehend the thief,
but ever body steps aside and watches
the villain escape.
After dark it is not at all safe to walk
any OF tina side streets, or some Of the
darker public promenades without a
companion. Tho knife is the principal
weapon employed, and this is plunged
into the victims back in order that he
may be disabled while he is being
iieecel /.
In the hotel where | m stopping there
are at present two sufferers at the hands
Of desperadoes. One is a man who was
stabbed twice right on the Prado by
assallants who did not have time to
secure his supposed money and jewels.
The other is the landlady herself, who
had a pocket book containing $500
stolen in the Farque de Ia India, at Q
O'Clock in the afternoon. She had tho
wallet clasped tightly in her two hands,
thinking that the safest way to carry it.
A 10y struck her n vigorous blow in tho
chest, causing her to slacken her hold
on the purse because Of pain. There
upon he seized the purse and skipped
across the street, stumbling rs he went.
She yelled Stop thief in spanish, but,
although the boz might have been
stopped a o Of times, no one made a
move, and she has mover heard from the
money.
Il is intimated that you can often get
stolen property at the poll o stations,
providing you are willing TO ransom it.
G. ertain parts of the interior of the
T. land are infested by organized bands
Of brigands. which the government con
fesses itself impotcnt to regulate. Some
American prospectors recently aban-
doned their la ors in the interior because
of the danger encountered, and arriv
ing here, waited upon the captain
general.
Why is it, they asked, that you
do not drive out the notorious "a. and
so
have, indeed. done all | could. ="
earnestly responded the captain general;
| have offered him large sums OF money
to nit the island, but h. persistently
refuses to do so.
The immense city Jail and peniten-
I airy combined is ALWAYS full Of crimi-
mails Of all sorts Spanish. Cuban.
f hlnc g and negro The stocks are used
rs a feature of Jail discipline; the chain
x worm until good behavior warrants its
dis continuance. and the instrument Of
execution is tho garrotc. Money will
accomplish almost anything.