Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-02-16
BANDITS IN CUBA.
Men Murdered in Cold Blood or kidnapped in
the Streets of Havana.

I VI u
the Streets of Havana.
Pittsburg ChroEicle
It is an everyday scene in Havana to
see q man stopped on the streets by
| des para6oes and, after relieving him Of
what ne carries, he is brutally murdered
in cold blood. If an honest citizen
should see the crime perpetrated and
attempted to make known the facts to
the a Liberties, he is either exposed to
to be murdered by some of the murder
ers "chums' or he is arrested and kept
in iaiI for six or eight months, so that
he will be on hand when required to tes-
tifV against the criminals; consequently,
if an honest citizen should see any crime
committed he dare not say word about
it.
Thus crimes are boldly committed in
broad daylight and on the most crowd
ed streets, such as Ell Parque, Central
Gala, De Obispo, Calzada, De La Reina,
Ell Louvre, ETC., and the most remarkable
feature concerned in these oUtrages, and
that reflects very little credit on the
! Spanish tyrants that now occupy the Is
! land, is that the entire 3ity of Havana is
patrolled by no less than 5000 police
soldiers, who are paid about $15 per
month, and get paid two months IN the
| year. Consequently, they rob and plum
der, and even murder man for 20 cents
| in Spanish paper money, which Is about
! 10 cents in our currency. Matanzas has
always been the residence of rich sugar
planters that own large plantations, and
during the dull season they generally
come 10 the city as I change. K1dnap-
pers, formed in bodies of from fifteen TO
twenty men, come boldly into the city
and watch one of these planters as he
goes out to take ride or some place of
amusement, and when he least expects
any trouble he is bounced upon suddenly
! by two or three Of these murderers, who
Immediately put him into carriage and
he is driven he does not know where.
and he is blindfolded, and is kept in the
den until a ransom is paid for his release.
The same thing happened TO Senior For
| res, a rich planter, in Matanzas last week
He was "secuestrado" (kidnapped) and
| held prisoner fifteen days, and was re-
leased after his check for $4,000 IN
| Spanish pecos was paid by the "Banco
! EspanOl de Matanzas" Spanish bank
of Matanzas).
The pirates have another way OF kid
mapping. They will watch a planters
! IQdIQ go Oub WIFI MS CLiluE5u luz VAIN
when they deliberately come up, seize a
child and away they go. Two or three
days after the occurrence the parents re-
ceive letter by mail, bearing the ciSy
stamp, saying: eff you don't deposit
such and such an amount in such and
such place, we will in ten days send
you the child's head by a peon." Last
week the merchants of Havana gathered
to the number of over two hundred, and
| accompanied by hundreds of citizens
appeared before the palace of Capt.
Gen. Marin and demanded protection
He said he was doing all he could, and
would do no more.
No one in Havana nor in any other
city of Cuba is, allowed TO carry arms
under heavy penalty, yet all criminals
in Cuba are always armed to the teeth
and ready at any moment to kill. About
g month ago thieves broke into the cap
tain generals garden, "Quinta de Los
Molinos," occupied by whole regimen
of guards, and not only stole all tie
furniture, but went so far as to carry
away over ore hundred gas fixtures be