The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-27
THE CUBAN BANDITS.
They are Overrunning the Island
and Terrorizing the People.
OFFICERS IN LEAGUE WITH THEM.
Money of the Railroads or Wreck
Them for Revenge.

Especial to THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatch
NEW YORK, Aug, 26-The island of
Cuba is now in a state of excessive law
lessness. The bandit chiefs appear to be
in control. In fact, even in the larger
cities of Havana, Santiago, Bayamo and
,Cienfuegos it is unsafe to De about after
dark unarmed. Since few arrests and
summary eXecut ons have been made two
things have been discovered First that
the banditti have spies in every city, who
inform them of every move of the author
tiles. Second, that the police are in league
with the bandits. There are a dozen or
more bands of banditti in Cuba but the
most enterprfsing ones are those captained
by Manuel Garcia alias ''King of the
Fields" Oil rey de los campos) Montelongo
and SiXto Varella Garcia is the most
formidable of all the bandit chiefs.
lie has at his command from thirty
to fifty men, all are well armed.
Soldiers have been sent after the bandits,
but the latter always managed to escape.
Emholdened by the failure of the authori-
ties to capture him, Manuel Garcia abduct-
ed former and demanded his money to the
amount of 81 600 in gold. The amount was
paid and the prisoner was allowed to go
free. This again caused the newspapers
to crltlclse the conduct of the troops. A
few days after this last outrage the coun
try was again startled by news that the
bandits had wrecked freight train on the
line of the United railways of Cuba. Four
or five days previous the railway company
received letter from Manuel Garcia de-
manding $40, 0G0 and stating that in case the
company did not send him the money he
would burn stations and trains would be
| wrecked. The company notified the au-
thorities, and for few days troops were
always on the move and the boast was made
that Garcia would not dare carry out his
| threat.
Shortly after dusk one night seven men,
| armed to the teeth and mounted on first
class horses, presented themselves at the
station at Quivican and asked for the sta
ton master, and upon his appearing they
seized and bound him. Then they burned
down the station and all documents in the
Office. After demolishing the station they
passed to the storehouses of the company,
which they also burned. At the same time
they cut the wires which connected the
village with Havana, San Felipe and
other points. News of the calamity
was carried by a peasant on horse
back sent by the bandits themselves.
The message read: "Tell the company not
to be showing my letters to the govern
ment; that when they think | am sur
rounded on all sides | am far away and
laughing at them. Tell them 1 now want
| $4,000 and in three days.
| Upon the arrival of the news at the near
| est station the troops at once started out
and as usual arrived too late. Upon the
third day after the one on which the
| station at Quivican was burned Manuel
! Garcia carried his threat into effect. The
track between the stations of Saba Mocha
and Empalme has. very sharp curve
which was being repaired by gang of sec
ton men. Just as the gang was getting
ready to retire they were suddenly called
upon by dozen or so well armed well
mounted men who with levelled car
bines commanded them to stop
The captain told them to re
move one of the rails on the
track. The frightened workmen obeyed
| and the on coming train was met with a
volley from the bandits. The engine, bag
gage car ard eight coaches were Gerailed
The conductor was killed and one or two OF
the brakemen injured. The bandits then
withdrew, after having given a letter tt
one of the section hands, again demand
ing money.
This is how the matter now stands. So
far nothing has been done. The troops
were called out with the usual result
Since then two new bandit chiefs have ap
peared in the eastern extremity of the
| island and robberies, murders and stree
braWlS are now daily occurrences