The Dillon tribune., 1886-09-03
THE CRUEL MACHETE.
ASTOHY OF THE LAST REVOLUTION!
IN CUBA.

Terrible Fate Which Overlook Band
of Noble Spanish Chivalry--NIissive
From Bravo Chicagoan--shadows OF
q Starless Night.
s.But the machctc means something to
he CUBAN said the old don. 1T l'n i
merely Il rusty old relic. 1t has drunk
much blood. Whenever it is drawn,
either against the .,o'lie'y or in riot,
somebody dies. DO you want little tale
# the machete-one that is true ana
shows what awful havoc may be done
with it?
..Well. at the outbreak of our last re-
bellon here the Spanish forces in the
island made no Roadway against the
brave work Of the insurgents under the
noble Ccspides, who, in October. 1868.
with but fifty other stout hearts about
him, raised the standard OF independence
On his plantation at Denajaguu, and by
December had al organized army OF
$4,000 men-the nucleus of the effort for
liberty which famed through Cuba for
eight bloody years, costing Spain untold
millions in money and the lives OF lJO,OOO
men, half of whom saw the swift CLEAN Of
the flashing machete before their last
prayers to the Virgin.
''They were impatient in Spain because
this little affair was not promptly sup
pressed. Finally, at court and in social
life, the whole matter became such IN ir-
ritating joke that she chivalous youth Of
the best families in Spain banded together
to take little jaunt to Cuba and put
down these cane chewing rebels some fine
afternoon between breakfast and dinner,
or between dinner and the Havana even
ing ball.
BRAVE AND GAY AND NOBLE.
s'They were all even 5000. Brave and
gay and noble were they. They held the
best blood, the highest hope Of Spain.
And what grand departure from BARGE
Iona and arrival at Havana they made!
They were splendid fellows, and it is said
they represented $500, O0O, 600. Havana
society was wild with delight. Every man
was rich family's or titled fanily's
son. Nearly every man had his own valet.
Their uniforms and accoutremcnts-fur-
nished at their own cost-were dazzling in
gold and lace. A month Of the widest
social debauchery followed their arrival.
Fctcs, balls, receptions, bullflghts, carni-
walls, welcomed them on every hand. At
last they came out here-over beyond the
calzada there, near the Guines railway
and went into camp. Instantly this cal
zada, all the way back to Havana, was
transformed into another Paseo de Tacon,
thronged with the equipages of the aris-
tocracy rolling to and from the brilliant
camp The lnagnificence Of the city's So
cial gayeties was simply transferred there.
Zone night great fete had been given
at the encampment, more brilliant and
f6or ;rrp k1>o< ~1ol
it. just before midnight, when the fes-
tivities were at their height, the conf
mander Of the Respondent troop, ON re-
pairing to his headquarters tent, found
the following note pinned upon diminu-
tive insurgent flag surmounting gor-
geous pyramid of flowers, the gift that
day of some beautiful Habanas:
After your other guests are gone we
will visit you. DO us the honor to receive
us standing! WASHINGTON RYAN,
"This was the hero from Chicago who
gave his life for Cuba, whose real great
ness your people up there never recognize,
and for whose memory they have only
made one daub of u portrait.
''The missive created the greatest mirth
and hilarity. The camp and it's guests
were wild with lnirth and delight over the
grim wit of the crazy writer and his pro.
tentious message. They drank toasts to
him; sung mock praises of his valor; the
bands blared ferociously in his honor until
the small hours had come and all the city
guests had gone.
SHADOWS OF A STAINLESS NIGHT.
''Then a hush came upon the splendid
camp, and wine and sleep wrought silence
under the shadows of u starless night.
''It might have been the restless wind
soughing through the dark canyons, but
the commander could not sleep. He read
and re-reatl the daring message until the
little insllrgcnt flag grew and glamoure(l
into an awful menace. Surely there must
he a great storm coming on. Surely it
must be sweeping out OF the night upon
the camp from everywhere. Surely
"But the storm was there! and it was
winged death.
1.-The trumpeters had no more than time
to shrilly summon the heavily sleeping
camp to it's feet when God only knows how
many horsemen We're upon them-black,
brown, yellow, white-but all men-mel,
with awful purpose.
''Their hosts had received these devils
OF the night standing No cry went up
from that camp, save as each of these
flower of the chivalry of Spain saw
swift death in one lightning stroke de-
scending. Every time q machete CLEANED
in the glare of the Pickering camp fire it
severed Spanish head from its body and
struck through to the heart of some
noble woman in old CASTLE.
"A half hour and all was over. The
storm was gone. These awful spirits of
the night swept away into the night again,
leaving but one moving thing-a mon
strous insurgent flag bearing these words:
'''They were royal hosts. They re-
ceived us standing