Hillsboro recorder., 1888-03-22
BOLD BANDITTI.
The Desperadoes Who Terrorize
the Island Of Cuba.
Citizens Plundered And Kid
b mapped In Havana.

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1t is an everyday scene in Havana to
see man stopped on the streets by des.
peradoes and, after relieving him of all
he carries, he is brutally murdered in
cold blood. If an honest citizen should
see the crime psrpetrated and attempt
to make known the facts to the authori.
ties, he is either exposed to be mur-
dered by some Of the murderers' chums
or he is arrested and kept in Jail for
six or eight months so that he will be
on hand when required to testify
against the criminals; consequently if
IN honest citizen should see any crime
committed he dare not say word about
il.
Thus crimes are boldly committed in
broad daylight aud on the most crowd
cd streets, such as El Parque, Central
Gala, De ohispo, calzada, De La Reina,
El Louvre, &c., and the most remarkable
feature concerned in these outrages, and
that reflects very little credit on the
Spanish tyrants that now occupy the
island, is that the entire city of Havana
is patrolled by no less than 9, 600 police
soldiers, who are paid about SIS per
month, and get paid two months in the
year. Consequently, they rob and plum
der, and even murder man for % 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 to the city. as q change. Kid
nappers, 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 q ride or some place
Of amusement and when he least ex-
poets any trouble he is pOunced upon
suddenly by two or three Of these mur-
derers, who Immediately put him into a
carriage and he is driven he does not
know where, as he is blind-fOlded, and
is kept in the den uutil ransom is paid
for his release. The Same thing hap
pened to Senor Forres, o rich planter,
IN MatanZas. lie was "secuestrado"
(kidnappeO and held prisoner fifteen
days, and was released after his check
for $50, 900 in Spanish pecos was paid
by the "Banco Espanol de Matsnzas'
Spanish Bank Of Matanzas).
The pirates have another way Of kid
mapping. They will watch planters
maid 60 out with his children for q
walk, when they deliberately come up,
seize child and away they go. Two
or three days after the occurrence the
parents receivers letter by mail, bearing
the city stamp, saying: 'Tf you don't
deposit such and such an amount in such
and such q place, we will in ten days
send yol the child's head by q peon."
No one in Havana or in any other city
Of Cuba is allowed to carry arms under
a heavy penalty, yet all criminals in
Cuba are always armed to the teeth, and
ready at any moment to kill. About q
month ago thieves broke into the cap
tain-generaps garden, "Quinta de Los
MOlinOs," occupied by q whole regiment
Of guards, and not only stole all the fur
niture, but went so far as to carry away
over one hundred gas fixtures belonging
TO the premises. The Spanish authori-
ties claim they cannot stop the brigand.
age in Cuba. yet It is hardly expected
Of them to do 50, when they require all
the time they csa get to prosecute tina
editors Of the Cuban Eeas.-[Pittsburg
(shroufele