Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-07-25
CUBAN cHARAcTER.

CUBAN CHARACTER.
rxteas Elss Bst Bull: Fights s.A Coea
Fights Amuses the People
During the late instruction In Cuba,
vhich only ended IN 1881, writes . cor.
respondent, the war vessel Vir8mioua
was, fitted out in New York and
manned with daring men of all nations,
who were told that all brave Cubara
would receive them as their deliverers,
and fight with them to the death fol-
Liberation from the tyrant rule of Spain.
The iberators came and landed. but
the Cubans were engaged in taking
| care of themselves, and never raised q
hand to join their forces In conse-
quence the brave adventures were
overpowered and put in prison, their
ship scuttled and sunk in the harbor,
and thirty-6ve of them, many Ameri-
cans and English, were shot to pieces
by the Spanish soldiers within the
Moro Castle walls. The American
consul barely escaped with his life. To
the credit of some English naval Off
GERS, whose vessels happened there, and
the English consul, it is said, when the
remaining twenty-three of these unfor-
tunste prisoners, some of whom
were also Americans, were being
placed in line against Moro Castle wall
to be riddled with bullets the British
officers, ascertaining the further design
of the Spanish soldiery, placed them
selves and the British flag in front Of
the line of the unfortunate man, and by
this heroic act and with heroic words
of defiance, the saved the remaining
twenty-three. Poor Miller, one of the
survivors was reserved for q more terri
BILE fate. came upon him in the st.
Lazare Hospital, in Havana, where,
surrounded by the fifty or more gbastly
unfortunates, presenting every stage Of
this incurable and disgusting disease,
he in sibilsnt tones told the story, and
gesticulated with handless arms, and
endeavored to express with q tongue
less mouth, noseless face and sight
less eyes the excitement Of the
events that occurred in the msssa-
ere of the unfortunate men of the
Virginius. Poor Miller was at that
time dark mulatto. Thirteen years of
leprosy has made him white; it has also
made him hsndless, footless, sightless,
noseless; it has left him without ears;
it has left him without human voice;
it has left him hideous, CHASTITY crea-
ture, without hope in life; mere thing,
whom to look at is to make the stoutest
heart shudder; whom to touch is to
take the greatest possible risk of con-
tagion that is sure to destroy.
The banditti or bandeleros are per-
ennial crop in Cuba, and the way they
do their work is like this: The band is
controlled by one or more leaders and
they live in the wild hill region. A po-
lite note is found by Don -, the Gu
ban planter, under his door some morn
ing. informing him if there is not S.
600, 10000 or 5000 in gold placed
under such and such q rock, near such
tree, with certain mark that is fur
nished. and by such time. the bande-
leros will burn his sugar mills and
houses above his head, and if by any
mistake the messenger sent to get the
money should meet with an accident,
such as falling into the hands Of the
Spanish soldiers, their threat will be
surely executed. The money is usually
raised, or Don will be ambuscaded
on his way riding through his planta-
ton of sugar and carried to the mount
aims
Sooner or later polite note will be
sent to his despairing wife to send $685.
600 by such date or the next letter of
request will contain one of the Don's
ears as q souvenir. This is often &C
companied by fervent appeal by the
Don himself for the wife to mortgage
the plantation to get the money.
Within few weeks five bandits were
shot down in the harbor of Havana in
the presence of their wives and chill
dren. They had been pursued for
yeSrs, and finally the Spanish authori-
ties had them informed that, if they
would do so, facilities would be fur
nished them to escape from the country
with their wives and families. They
were induced to believe that the treach.
GUS SpAniards were for once in their
history acting in good faith. When
they were placed on the ship at night
by the persons who had promised them
escape for q sum of money, the Spanish
soldiers came in the morning and shot
four of them in their beds. Others es-
capped to boats in the harbor, and were
riddled with bullets by the soldiers in
the presence of IN spplauding popu-
lace. The history of the Spaniard is in
He is still cruel and blood
thirsty. He delights in the bull fight,
and even the beautiful senorita calls the
miserable coward . bravo who tor
lures and finally kills Q defenseless
bull. while he shields himself by jump
ing or running behind barbados, or
sits upon . miserable, WORKOUT horse,
while the infuriated bull cores the weak
and blindfolded animal until he walks
upon his own entrailA All the while the
beautiful senoritas applaud, and tear
their hats from their heads and cast
them into the circus in token of their |
pleasurable excitement and appreciation
Of the sickening sight. The Cuban, the
Spaniard's natural but prodigal SON.
declares bulI-fghting brutal, mot because
Il kills the bull and horses. but ba.