Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-05-05
LAST OF A BAD BAND.
THE LEADER OF CUBAN KID
NAPERs EXECUTED.
How Modesto Rodriguez, the Notorious
Cut-Throat, Carried ON His Bush
ness-Hls Audacious De-
nands for Ransom.

mands for Ransom.
Modesto Rodriguez, the notorious
Cuban bandit and kidnaper executed
at Santa Clara, lately. is said to be one
OF the last if not the last OF the cele-
brated band which for ten years or
more infested the mountain Businesses
OF Cuba and kept the inhabitants in
terror by their boldness and unex-
pectedness OF their doings. For years
they appeared and disappeared with
out warning and without leaving the
slightest traces by which they could
be followed. Within tie las, two
years the authorities have succeeded
IN running them down. arlos
Aguerro was the first TO be surprised
and captured. He VAS executed aud
az him one by one. most OF the
others were caught and submitted to
the same fate
The bandits confined their work
almost wholly 10 kidnapping. Their
method was to pick out some man of
wealth aud carry him or to their
mountain retreat Then they wouid
force him to write letter for The sum
OF money they demanded as Il ransom
which was dispatched by one OF their.
number. II The money wa, not forth
coming By the stated time. nothing
more was ever heard of the victim
The province of Santa Clara where
Rodriguez was caught has been fav-
orite field of the bands. from that
province alone during the last ten
years for,yfour victims were carried
off.
One Of the most audacIous act in
that nelghborhood in which Rodriguez
Is supposed to Iuve been engaged. was
the captGre and ;lssas5 ination OF Don
Manuel foscte Blunco The las. that
was seen Of him was on his stock farln
about clock in the morning when
his son Frederick, about twenty five
yards away, saw lam la king to a
strange man in a field. Don Rosete
hianco mad lust come oi!t OF the house
and was apparently OF his way to
look at the stock. whom he wa> met By
the stranger and walked OIL with him
The son thought nothing of that al,
the time, but about two hours later
the same man appeared ana presented
this letter, directed to the Young
mans mother and written by his
father
Il am prisoner since this morn
ing, For my liberty they ask 81. coo.
send TO Santa Clara to Don Manuel
Fernandez Lloreda. and also send at
once to Don Nincente Perez, in order
that they may help you get me
out OF this condition in which am
placed. Your affectionate husband.
RosErE."
The bearer OF the note wore whisk-
ers and was apparently disguised. He
announced that reply was expected
Immediately at spo, he designated
on neighboring road. The wife at
once set about obtaining the ransom
She sought loans of money from every
one she could reach at such short no.
tice. What money she could gather
she sent at once. but i. was short OF
the sum named The next news she
received was that the bandits had
gone off with her husband. and she
never heard OF him again. His BODY
was afterward found in the woods
Later his son. Frederick, and SON.
in-law were also murdered by the
bandits.
The bandits were often capricious
In their demands and would specify
articles of comfort and luxury. which
they insisted upon having with as
much restlessness as they displayed
in the case of money. On one occa.
sion Don Manuel Carreno was on his
way from Key West, by way of
Havana to visit q relative in the in
terror. He was accompanied by two
friends, but got separated from them
and was pursuing his way on a lonely
road when he was confronted bv an
armed bandit The bandit called him
by name and showed himself thorough
~ posted as to Carreno's business and
destination. Carreno was ordered to
follow the bandit into the woods
where he was made tc write a letter
for a ransom. This was dictated to
him as postscript:
You will be kind enough to give
me three hats two pair of sh oes
smoking articles, all kinds of sweets,
punches of cigarettes FIVE rolls OF
tobacco cigars four kinds of pre-
served fruits one cheese (old). two
bars OF sweet gum.
In this case the bandits were sue
cessful in obtaining all these articles
in addition to So, 900 in gold. Then
Carreno was politely told that he
could go
SfSnalln. With Mlrrors.
Few people understand the differ
hat a holiasfnf