Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-01
CUBAN BRIGANDS.
Performance of One of Them
Graphically Told.
AWFUL TORTURE OF MAN AND WIFE

How Antonio SayoI Treated Old Mr..
and Mrs Mersdenez Before the Soldiers
Put Well Sped Ballet Where 1t Did
Deal of Good-Atrocious Attempt
to Extort Money The Woman Liter
ally Whipped TO Death by an Out
lawed aIiscreaut.
NEW YORK, May Late correspond
ence from Havana gives the details of a
crime committed by Antonio Mayols, one
of the lieutenants of Manuel Garcia, the
notorious bandit, which in devilish
cruelty eclipses anything recent. Mayol
was killed few days after his exhibition
of atrocity, the band being ambushed by
the soldiers, but unluckily the others
made their escape. Mayols death re-
lieves the residents of Matanzas of the
outrages of one of the bandits they most
feared, and partially avenges the fright
full cruelties practiced by him on Donisio
Mendenez and his wife. The old couple
lived on the outshits of the small village
OF Santa Rosa. 1t was generally known
that they had considerable money in the
house, as they did not trust banks.
\ Visit from Erigand Mayol.
One night Mayol and a half dozen of the
brigands visited Mendenez, and saying
that they were police demanded all the
money they had. The old man started
for his desk, but not moving rapidly
enough, the ruffian struck the old man
scross the head with his revolver telling
him with gaping wound in his head.
At this moment Mrs. Menendez came into
the room. Tearing the keys out of her
hands, the robbers opened and ransacked
the writing desk. Nothing was found
except documents, mortgages to the value
of several thousand dollars, and 500 in
Spanish gold.
The Devilish Work Begun.
This anGered the chief, and turning to
the old man, who had wound a handker-
chief around his head, he said: IF you
don't give me all your money I'll kill you
piece by piece Turning to the other
men who had ransacked the house, he
said: "Tie MIN" This done the bandit
turned to one of the men, and pointing to
Mrs. Menendez, said: Attend to her"
The bandit, whose name is Jose Diaz,
took hold of the aged woman, and pulling
out sharp pointed knife, drew it lightly
across her throat, and said: Now, you
old hag, just give Us that money or
make a corpse of you" The poor woman,
half dead with fright, fell on her knees,
and clasping her la nds, begged piteously
for her life, swearing she had no more
money than what they had taken al
ready.
Hung Up by the Arms.
For a seemingly endless half hour the
torture was continued, except at inter
walls, when the robber pricked her skin
- ~ Il
he could obtain no satisfaction, he dragged
the old lady, half clad as she was to a lit
tie wood about fifty feet from the house.
Drawing from his pockets strong leather
strap, he tel Mrs. Menendezs wrists to.
gether. To the thong he tied rope
which he had brought from the house on
his way out Throwing the end of 1 e
rope over branch of a tree he pulled
Mrs. Menendez up until her feet were a
few inches from the ground
a Pit3ess and Brutal Villain.
Tying the rope around the tree he cut
several switches from a neighboring tree.
and after carefully taking the leaves off
he braided them together, and then began
to lash the aged woman. a ghastlier
scene could not be imagined. The white
hair OF the aged lady, cIotted with blood,
fell over her head and shoulders as the
robber piled his whip. Human strength
has its limit, and as the robber was about
to lift his whip to add one more wound to
those he had already inflicted, he noticed
that she had turned a de=thlike white.
He united the rope and let her fall t o the
ground. The pain had been too much,
and she had tainted. Roughly picking up
the body the bandit walked few steps
and let her fall among some thorny
shrubbery.
How They Treated the Old Mad.
Then he re-entered the house where his
companions had been at work on poor Mr..
Menendez On the floor lay Menendez,
bound and gagged. His shirt had been
torn away. leaving his breast bare The
other bandits had amused themselves
during Diaz's absence by sticking the
points of their knives into the old mans
breast. at the same time asking him
where the money was. Again and again
the cold, pitiless steel was thrust into