The morning news., 1888-03-31
THE BRIGANDS OF CUBA
BANDITS WHO INFEST THE QUEEN
OF THE ANTILLES.

How Their Calling is Possible-Senor
Casanova's Experience = Matagas,
the Bandit Chief = A Strange State of
the United States - Some Heavy
Ransoms Paid.
From the Ne,c York World
CIENFUEGos, CUBA, March 17.-"When
we reach port" said Capt. Allen, of the
good steamship Santiago, which had borne
us swiftly and safely from Northern bliz-
yards to the seas and skies of June, "Pll
introduce you to man who has just re-
turned from captivity among the bandits
to his home in Cienfuegos."
This announcement was rather startling
one to a person who had only left New
York a week before, and who purposed
travelling across the island of Cuba, sup
posed to be ruled by civilized government,
and anticipatlons not altogether of pleas
ant kind were at once aroused. A few
hours more and the steamer turned its PROV
to the near shore, ran up narrow strait
for a mile or so, and then steamed across
the broad, blue and beautiful hay of Glen
tuegos, really a large inland lake, to her
wharf. Surrounded by a swarm of agents,
bargaining for the shipment to New York
on the steamer on her return trip of more
bags of sugar and hogsheads of molasses
than the Great Eastern could have held,
Capt. Allen forgot the bandits, and, en-
crossed as we were in leaving the good ship
and arranging for our rail ride to Havana
the next day of 100 miles at cost of SIT 80
gold, baggage extra, the afternoon passed
quickly by and the subject was not recalled.
In the evening, at one of the clubs, gen
tleman who had volunteered to show us the
city said, pointing to an elderly Cuban sit
ting at table near by: There's Senior
Casanova, who was ransomed lately for
$8OO0."
'Ransomed! From whom?" | asked.
"Why, from the bandits, was the answer.
"You know you're in the bandits country
how"
A little questioning and in few minutes
our guide was telling los etrGngeroS -Anlert-
cdnoS story that made his hearers feel
that they were thousands of miles from
home instead of in the country of the
manana and banana, and only 20C miles
from the United States.
In substance the story was as follows:
Tales of brigandage in Cuba during the
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 it has become so familiar
to these as to have little novelty 1t is.
largely the result of the present almost
bankrupt condition of the once proud and
wealthy Queen of the Antilles. Poverty is
how almost universal save among the
planters and merchants in the cities, and,
unable to obtain a livelihood save by the
precarious and scarcely remunerative occu-
patlOnS OF cock-hghtlng 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 interior and
roughs of the towns have taken to brigand-
age. They are most numerous in the CEN
tral 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 is any
chance of wealthy persons passing.
The eastern end of the island has been
Engularly free from bandits, and travel
through its still virgin forests and lofty
volcanic mountains is comparatively safe.
Che Guardia Civile, as the Spanish soldiery
is called, make periodical incursions from
Matanzas and other cities against the
bandits, but as rule these raids have little
result 1t is more than hinted that there is
an understanding between the soldiers and
the bandits, and story is told in Cienfuegos
Of gentleman who, from motives of curl
bsity, followed the Guardia Civile in one of
their expeditions unknown to them, and
who, some miles out in the country, as the
lvening drew on heard low whistle from
The chaparral that lined the road on either
hde, saw the soldiers stop, and moment
after number of bandits came from the
ehaparral Then, so runs the story, soldiers
and bandits built fire and sat down to
enjoy mutual chat and game of cards.
The Spanish government is always be-
hindhand in its payment of its Cuban sol
Tiers wages, and there is general impress
son, founded on such incidents as the fore
ma 20 n fOr dot rad
Or unpaid wages by share in the ransom
paid by some wealthy planter for his re-
lease from captivity. Not that the Guardia
Civile are always unfaithful Some few
months ago they caught and shot Espinosa,
a famous chief, and only a fortnight since
they brought in dozen bandits as prisoners
TO MatanZas. But on the whole they have
done so little to suppress this brigandage,
which any other civilized government
would have crushed out in month, that
there is reason for the suspicion above men
toned.
"Matagas," continued our informant, sis
how the bandit chief most feared. He is
nulatto and rules his followers absolutely.
Espinosa was the chief who captured Senor
Casanova and Senor Torrientes, but Mata-
gas is, if possible, more feared. He changes
bis location constantly and has been rather
quiet of late, but we may hear of him at
any time. He has placed price of 1000
Oh Ul0 persons Oh bue M6SSTS OUSWdfU, VINO
own the well-known sugar plantation, La
Carolina, near this city, and these gentle
men have been obliged to use much caution
In going to and from their plantation on
their visits to the city"
Tell us about Senior Casanova" we
asked.
''Well, Senior Casanova was driving
through the back country one afternoon in
a volante, over rough and lonely road,
when the bandits suddenly appeared from
the chapparal. They surrounded the
volante SO quickly that he could do nothing
but surrender at once. They ordered him
TO mount mule, and at his protestations
that he was suffering from bladder COM
plaint, and that it would kill him to ride,
they only laughed. They carried him off
to lite hut in the mountains and kept
him there for a week The old gentleman,
from the complaint described, could only
subsist on milk, and as the bandits could
not furnish this he nearly died before he
was ransomed."
"How did they ransom himp
"The bandits had a note conveyed Sc
cretely to his friends demanding $4,000 for
his ransom within week. This his friends
raised and sent by trusted messenger TO
place agreed upon. Senior Casanova was
he