Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-14
q MAN or COURAGE.
Desperate Encouutcr with Brigands
in McXiCo.

in McXiCO.
speaking Of acts of coura Geous self
sacrifice Tor the public good. remarked
/ gentleman who had lived several
years in Mexico. =! knew man in Mex
leo who could give pointers 10 some OF
those old Romans we read aboSj," says
the Washington Star a the time of
my acquaintance with him he was 80
years old and was living with his sec
ord wife. by whom he had three or
four children. When he was 80 years
OF age he lived or ranch with his
wife and child. a boy of 10. and their
home was in Il neiShbOrhO0d infested
Wit. br:gands. or what passed for
brigands. who made frequent incur
sionS into the valleys from their noun
tain resorts robbinE ana cattle killing
and numbering. pretty much aS il pleas
ed them, to which was added the fur
ther diversion of picking up travellers
and others who were worth money and
holding them for ransom.
$50 notorious had their depreda tons
become and so helpless We're the au-
thOrities in the matter that the entire
section babe fair to become Il bowling
waste. for travellers stopped coming
and the inha bitants were getting out rs
fast as they could. Up to this time Gar
ella. for that was my old friends name.
had been in better luck than most OF
his ne:ghborS. due largely TO the fact
that he was Il brave man, and had III
his employ on his ranch men who were
rs quick TO fight as any brigand in the
mountains. One day, however, the
blow struck Garcia. and when lie came
home in the evening he found his wife
crazy with grief and the boy carried
off.
He knew it was for ransom and
waited until the robbers should come
to the surface for their booty, believing
that the boy would be well cared for as
long as there was hope of getting money
for him. In day or two Garcia re-
ccived note to the effect that the boy
was safe in the hands of Capt. Manuel,
the leader of the gang and the very soul
and spirit of it, and that for the sum
of $1,000 paid TO him. Manuel. the boy
would be restored. The reply to the
note was to be left in a certain place
dozen miles to the north of Garcia's
ranch. and from there Manuel would
get it. Garcia made up his mind 1T
once what to do. and he sent word TO
Manuel that the money would be paid
and asked further instructions.
l.. Il. IL. l. -
come alone to a distant point in the
mountains and there deliver the money
and get the boy. That was all. and,
taking the chances of treachery, he
started out. having with him a dozen OF
his best men. These he left as near to
the place of meeting as he dared and
went forward alone some miles. In n
remote spot he was met by Manuel,
whom he knew. accompanied by five
men. Garcia was heavily armed and
wore under his clothes a coat of chain
mail. for his was Il desperate purpose.
Manuel at once demanded that Garcia
lay down his arms as a sign of good
faith and hand over the money and
they would take him TO the boy. If be
did not they would kill him and the boy
also.
I'm an instant Garcia replied with Il
shot that went through ManueTs brain,
and then before the others could recoy-
er their senses he had killed two of
them. next in command. Then. rs 9th
ers came in response TO the firing. he
started on wild run down the gorge
of the mountain with the bullets rain
ing round him like hail and some of
them hitting him. BY the miracle that
follows men in just such predicaments.
he GOT away with his life. thanks To his
chain mail. but he was badly wound
ed. and when he reached his own men
he fell in dead faint. and didn't know
anything for two weeks.
when ne recovered his senses X was
TO find that his wife had died in n hys-
terical tit and that the boy had been
killed by the brigands. or that portion
of them left after Garcia's force had
finished with them and driven them
back into the mountains. That ended
the brigand business in that vicinity
for good and all. but Garcia himself
went about for long time so sad and
broken-hearted that all that his CRATE
full fellow citizens and the country at
large could do for him seemed to have
but little effect. After ten years the
shadow had been dispelled somewhat.
and he married again. and though he
had n fire wife and good children ne
could not forget the others. and for
forty five years no man had ever seen
him smile, although he was always gen
tie and kind and good.
nd nnINfnI