Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-05-24
eRicANps or CUBA.

l OOtotAtVO0 VI NO0SAs
A Strange State Of Things Existlne IN thu
Environs OF Havana
In the evening. at one of tho clubs,
- gentleman who had volunteered. to
show US the city. said. pointing to an
elderly Cuban sitting at table near
by: There's Senior Casanova. who
was ransomed lately for eight thousand
dollars.
'.Ransomed! From whom?' Iasked.
''Why, from the bandits" was the
answer: You know you're in the
bandits country now"
The eastern end of the island has
been singularly free from bandits. and
travel through its still virgin forests
and lofty. volcanic mountains is COM
paratively safe. The guardia civile.
as the Spanish soldiery is called.
make periodical excursions from Mat
anzas and other cities against the BAN
dts. but as rule these raids have lite
tic result. 1t is more than limited that
there is an understanding between the
soldiers and the bandits, and story is
told in Cienfuegosof a gentleman who.
from motives Of curiosity. followed the
guardia civile in one of their expedi-
lions unknown to them. and who
some miles out in the country. as the
evening drew on heard low whistle
from the chaparral that lined the road
on either side. saw the soldiers stop.
and moment after number of bandits
came from the chaparraL Then. so
runs the story. soldiers and bandits
built fire and sat down to enjoy a
mutual chat and game of cards.
The Spanish Government is always
behind-hand in its payments of its Gu
ban soldiers wages. and there is u
general impression, founded ON such
incidents rs the foregoing; that the SOL
diers make up for deferred or unpaid
wages by share of the ransom paid
by some wealthy planter for his re-
lease from captivity. Not that the
guardia evils are always unfaithful!
Some few months ago they caught
and shot Espinosa, a famous CHIEF,
and only fortnight since they brought
in dozen bandits as prisoners to Ma
tanzas. But on the whole they have
done so little to suppress this briyand-
age. which any other civilized govern.
ment would have crushed out in
month, that there is reason for the sus-
piciOn above mentioned.
'Matagas, continued our inform
ant, "is row the bandit chief most
feared. He is a mulatto and rules his
followers absolutely. Espinosa was
the chief who captured Senior Casa
nova and Senior Torrientes. but Ma
tagas is. if possible. more feared. He
changes his location constantly and
has been rather quiet of late. but we
may hear of him at any time. He has
placed a price of $50. 900 on the per-
sons of the Messrs. Stewart. who own
the well-known sugar plantation LA
Carolina near this city. and these
gentlemen 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 after
noon in volante. over rough and
lonely road. when the bandits sudden
ly appeared from the ch1pparraL
They surrounded the volante so quick
ly that he could do nothing but sur
render ut once. They ordered him to
mount mule, and At his protestations
that he was suffering from bladder
complaint and that it would kill him
to ride they only laughed. They car
ricd him off to a little hut in the
mountains and kept him there week,
The old gentleman, from the COM
plant above described. could only
subsist on milk, and as the banJits
could not furnish this he nearly died."
''HOw did they ransom him?"
"The bandits had a note conveyed
secretly to his friends. demanding S.
600 for his ransom within a week.
-
trusted messenger to a place agreed
upon. Senior Casanova was produced,
the money paid over and the bandit
who received it disappeared as sud-
denly as if the earth had swallowed
him. Casanova says that he was not |
treated badly during his short captivi-
ty, but imagine his state of mind and |
suspense during the days he was
captive"
Another poor fellow year or 80 ago
did not fare as we'll The price de-
mandcd for him was more than his
friends. who were poor. could raise,
and so the bandits hanged him in Pc
cuiiarly cruel and indescribable way,
and he was afterwar1 found dead by
the guars1ia civile.-N Y World.
Fire.Proof Materials.