Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-24
RODRIGUEZ STRUNG UP
The End of One of Cuba's Most Fa-
nous Bandits and Kidnapers.
FORTY WEALTHY MEN WAYLAID
In One District and Carried Into the
Mountain Businesses.
MANY WERE NEVER HEARD OF AGAIN

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.I
New YORK, Feb. 23-Modesto Rodri-
guez, the notorious Cuban bandit and kid
naper, was executed at Santa Clara to-day.
He is said to be one of the last. if not the
last, of the celebrated band which for ten
years or more infested the mountain fast
nesses Of Cuba and kept the inhabitants in
terror by the boldness and unexpectedness
of their doings. For years they appeared
and disappeared without warning, and
without leaving the slightest traces by
which they could be followed.
Within the last two years the authorities
have succeeded in running them down..
Carlos Aquerro was the first to be surprised
and captured. He was executed, and after
him, one by one, most of the others were
caught and submitted to the same fate.
The bandits confined their work almost
wholly to kidnapping. Their method was to
pick out some man of wealth and carry him
off to their mountain retreat. Then they
would force him to write letter for the
sum of money they demanded as ransom,
which was dispatched by one of their
number.
The Victims Never Turned Up Again.
If the money was not forthcoming by the
stated time, nothing more was ever heard
of the victim. The Province of Santa Clara,
where Rodriguez was caught, has been a
favorite field Of the bands. From that
Province during the last ten years "A
victims were carried off.
One of the most audacious acts in that
neighborhood in which Rodriguez is sup
posed to have been engaged was the capture
and assassination of Don Manuel Rosete
Blanco. The last that was seen of him on
his stock farm was about o'clock in the
morning, when his son, Frederick, about 25
yards away, saw him talking to a strange
man in field. Done Rosete Blanco mad
Just come out of his house and was appar-
emily on his way to look at the stock when
ne was met by the stranger and walked off
with him. The son thought nothing of that
at the time.
Money Demanded for Ransom.
About two hours later the same man ap-
peared and presented this letter, directed to
the young mans mother, and written by his
father:
81 am prisoner since this morning For
my liberty they ask 81, 900. Send to Santa
Clara to Don Manuel for Fernandez
Lloreda, and also send at once to Don Vim
cente Perez in order that they may help you
get me out of this condition in which I am
placed. Your affectionate husband,
"RosETE"
The bearer of the note wore whiskers
and was apparently disguised He an
nounced that a reply was expected immedi-
ately at spot he designated on neighbor-
ing road. The wife at once set about OBJ
tanning the ransom. She sought loans of
money from every one she could reach at
such short notice. What money she could
gather she sent once, but it was short of the
sum named. The next news she recsived
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 the son, Frederick and a
son-in-law were also murdeted by the
bandits. ,a f-~!-F a.
They Had Penchane for Luxuriex
The bandits were often capricious in their
demands, and would specify articles of COM
fort and luxury, which they insisted upon
having with as much relentlessness as they
displayed in the case of money. On one oc
casion Don Manuel Correno was on his way
from Key West, by way of Havana, to visit
relative in the interior. He was accom-
panied by two friends, but got separated
from them and was pursuing his way on a
lonely road, when he was confronted by an
armed bandit. The bandit called him by
name and showed himself thoroughly posted
as to Correno's business and destination.
Correno was ordered to follow the bandit
into the woods, where he was made to write
q letter for q ransom. This was dictated to
him as a postscript: ''You will be kind
enough to give me three hats, two pairs of
shoes, smoking articles, all kinds of sweets,
punches of cigarettes, five rolls of tobacco
cigars, four kinds of preserved fruits, one
cheese (old), two bars of sweet gum"
In this case the bandits were successful in
obtaining all these articles in addition to
$4,000 in gold. Then Correno was politely
told that he could go.