Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-04-14
BRIGANDS OF CUBA.
BOLD BANDITS THAT INFesT THE
QUEEN OF THE ANTILLES.

A Strange state Of Things within . Days
Journey Of the United statcs--Hais wild
Peasants and Town Roughs Taking Ia
Drigandagc.
Tales OF brigandagc in Cuba during tho
past few years have reached New York
from time to time, but the true situation
Is not known save to those who live on the
island itself, and II has become so familiar
TO these Ms TO have little novelty. It is
largely the result of the present almost
bankrupt condition OF the once proud and
wealthy Queen OF the Antilles. Poverty
Is now almost universal save among tho
planters and merchants In the cities and,
unable to obtain livelihood save by the
precarious and scarcely remunerative oc
cupations Of cock fighting and lottery
ticket selling, which appear TO the tourist
to be the main occupations OF the Cubans,
many OF the half wild peasants OF the in
terror and roughs OF the towns have taken
TO brigandage. They are most numerous
In the central part OF the island, between
Matanzas on the north and Cienfuegos on
the south, making their lairs In the woods
and hills of the center OF the island and
operating on the roads every place where
there ia any chance Of wealthy persons
passing.
The eastern end Of the island has been
singuiarly free from bandits, and travel
through Its still virgin forests and lofty
volcanic mountains is comparatively safe.
The Guardia Civile, as the Spanish
soldiery Is called, make periodical incur
sions from Matanzas and other cities
against the bandits, but as a rule these
raids have little result 1t Is more than
limited that there is an understanding be-
tween the soldiers aud the bandits. The
Spanish government Is always behind
hand In It's payment OF its Cuban soldiers
wages, and there is n general impression
that the soldiers make up for deferred or
unpaid wages by n share in the ransom
paid by some wealthy planter for his re-
lease from captivity. Not that the
Guardia Civile are always unfaithfuli
A DREADED BANDIT CHEF.
"Matagas," said our informant, "is
now the bandit chief most feared. He Is
n mulatto and rules his followers abso-
lutely. He changes his location con-
stantly and has been rather quiet of late,
but we may hear Of him ut any time. lie
has placed a price Of $50, 900 on the per
sons of the Messrs. Stewart, who own the
well known sugar plantation, La Caro-
lima, near this city, and these gentlemen
have been obliged to use much caution in
going TO and from their plantation on
their visits 20 the CITY,"
o,InJ 10 "'' 's"o' o''''ho'"' We
Gwen co,or r,,.
,brousb tho bnc,, conntrr on" was ,,nr u,nins
ir a,a,ito .oo..'y Hne a,'c,nooll
rnoS ,rba,, , ~ Ias, Ina,as IoaSn anu lonely
frnm' ~. aha,,"anai nv, appes,eu
,ho ,,oia,,o 81 i,,,i"t,,, - ,, s".ioui,osl p
nntb;nn h,,t s'irrondou I .Nro mt no s'uir n uo
nrJnrn5 bi,, q, ,,,a',rt , "o on. 10y
nratastat;nns that ~ 80 go w, a.L. az MS
h,addsr connio,nt ond m tfins ,hat q, iron,
kin him 10 ride tbev only longbod Thau
carried him Off 10 Ettle but In tbe moun.
tain and kept him there week The old
gentleman. from the complaipt above
described, could only subsist on miIk and
MS the bandits could not furnish this ho
nearly died before he WINS ransomcd -
lUow did thew ransom himpn
tUThe bandits had n note corrorod
secretlv 10 his friends demond;ns,
rs. 600 for his ransom within io waot
mis- bia friends raised and cent h,, y
trusted rnessenoer tn n nj. 20 oorcaJ 49,,
Sanor C,a.onova wna r,yndrced H. ,,,ara,,
naid over and the h,ndit who raceivod 4
disanneared 40 sndJenIv as ~ tho oor,h
bad syoIIowed him Cosnnov. sars That
he yvas not treated h,lIv dnrIpo hi, shnrt
cantivitv hnt imo,ine bis stato % ,,,i,'S
ond s,:,.nsa 1nrinr tho Iavs Ia So -
nant,voG, ''' ""' .
t,tIos ,,o ,o,oor,o, oo,;o,, hoo .o,. a..
naho,a ti,ns, tat,n Su',ou Deen .aMe. W
,'bpap,,as,, 'Ne"' ''"''''' 'Ai'"Sho"' 'ho
.lM
,,rt J SUI y. ios'i op'ion WIN
-. ns p'a..s ""Suo, my WI uiiNe
,non .n n 80. -, NY, ~. 49,, w.. 40 an sioMiS 81
80, TuaIo VIC. Iii uS ,i,7, ' Sooi oilu
~. i,i III ~ W. p,'! "i'' "in.N ''o
t ,,'ant 20 'a,. 'N ''Pp'e'' ''''''i''i'e'
'o' ""N' VI p'@y' -
hhAp ihE" iE'iohE'
zone place, however, has rid itself OF
the pest, and In this way. You know 1t
is very rarely that n Cuban becomes an
oilcer In the spanish army. The position
Is not considered worthy OF ambition by a
Cuban, and VIII not be as long as the two
peoples dislike each other as they do now.
| But IN inns pace son OF well known
| CuDah ian'iy was an oiiicer III the Guardia
| Cl'lie lie pursued ana caught body OF
papuits' Supahs IKE hinsei' Ihen he
reau thein lecture IN 'hls wise;
| ou know me ana you know under
slahu your posi,ioh. isympathize with
your poverty ana Know 'he Wretchcd gov
Slnnici,' has 'haue your Gaining possiple,
,"I, puS w n"v 1", sSi'pn''INe WIN your law
ieoa,'e', ivie"S' YOU iio" ohiy on
SoI soi.n''i oa'h wa. YOU ~ ica'e this
nnna 80 as Vrn' n,u netr VI hny ., you
,aan, 49, Ia sU| saiH s"n , Ho introS. n'n, liz n'
,ro,,1Soa . ,'l ,,' no a, ~ anu 'A'' u'''i'' WE
..InIs nro IT, ho,d;,, oo,,u
uVarv nnoriw 90 " rnIa "I Thau ,neu ~ -,
,o.,;! ,,n,'a, a9 au' ,''to Vi.
ri1n ~ l., nt II, , ,,o," ,o" ',". .'I' IN
| I'M, - o' ,'''' weapons, ou' 'nti'