The Indianapolis journal., 1895-11-13
INSIDE VIEW OF CUBA
STORY OF A TEXAN ENGINEER WHO
AIDED THE PATRIOTS.
The Judicial Robbery and Acts Of OPP
thfze with the Cuban Cause.
New York sun.


machinist and engineer. who for several
years has been employed on sugar planta-
tions in Cuba, and since March has been
actively engaged in the service Of the Cu-
ban patriots. has arrived in New York. and
yesterday he had long talk with re-
porter on the state of affairs in the island.
His statements regarding the work of the
patriots in their fight for liberty are the
more important and interesting from the
fact that on reaching this city he found
himself. as he believes, very coolIy re-
ceived by those who are interested in for
warding the Cuban cause. and he is conse-
quently not over anxious to do anything
further to benefit the patriots
II first visited Cuba in 1884," said Mr.. Gill
more. II went there as an engineer and
obtained employment on the estate of an
educated Cuban gentleman of the name of
Ochoa. Gradually / learned the language
and customs of the people and made many
friends among them. 1t was near a town
of about 5000 people, and so / saw both
town and country people Let me say that.
when went there knew absolutely moth
ing about the politics of the island. l DID
not know SDaniard from a Cuban nor
anything about the troubles which the
island had had during their previous revo-
lutions. / would as soon have entered the
employ of a Spaniard as of Cuban then.
And for a long time 1 took no interest
whatever in any talk about the separation
of the island from Spanish control
Eventually, however, / could not help
seeing certain 'doings that were open to the
view of all. / happened into court rooms
where Cubans and Spaniards were at law,
and found that the Spahiard invariably
won. / saw that Spanish rascals were pro-
tected by the Spanish officials. and that
this was done invariably. / saw that Span
lsn police forces known respectively, as the
the country; that they browbeat and over
awed and imposed upon the Cubans in
fscated and citizens of unblemished. charac-
ter insnited and imprisoned and robbed. /
could hit help feeling sympathy for the
under dog in such case.
But, lest you think my sympathy might
be in some way founded prejudice, let
me tell you of one single instance that
came under my own observation where an
exemplary Cuban was robbed in shameless
fashion.
There was a considerable estate-say
eight hundred or one thousand acres-for
sale near Quernal de Guines, town not
far from Havana. Don Atenogenes Cuervo,
one of the, Superior judges of Havana,
wanted the estate and began negotiating
with the owner for it, At the same time
Don Higinio Leon, young Cuban whom
knew very well, made up his mind that the
estate was just what he wanted, and, going
to the owner, he closed a contract for it,
and the deed was made out. He simply paid
the price eld took the deed while the Judge
was haggSng and considering. This was
perfectly simple transaction, Of course, but
no sooner did Judge Cuervo hear that he
had lost the estate than he determined to
get il, in spite of the sale already made.
So he trumped up charge that fraud or
illegality of some kind had been perpetrated
in the transfer, and had the case tried be-
fore himself He decided that the law
n uv.1 NOT <sraIxr
did he have the estate confiscated, but he
threw young Don Higinio Leon into prison
for an alleged violation of the law. and
there Leon IS now, 1 have no doubt. He
was there the last knew.
ADDITIONAL INJUSTICE.
but that is not all the injustice done to
the unfortunate Leon. Bad as it was to be
robbed of his estate, with it's stock and fix
lures. he was robbed of his ready money
after he had been imprisoned. A Spanish
lawyer-one must employ Spaniard if he
would succeed in any event-went to Leon
and offered to free him in twenty days for
fee of $1,000 gold in advance. Leon, be-
ing desperate paid 1t. The lawyer did noth-
ing, but, with suave manner. put off the
prisoners inquiries and those of his friends.
Then another lawyer was engaged to 90 the
work, and 5000 gold paid to him, and with
the same result.
II assure you that this case is typical of
dozens, yes, scores of others OF which
had personal knowledge. The arrogance
and injustice of the Spanish rulers, and the
long-suffering spirit. the humility OF the
Cubans under the outrageous oppression
from which they suffer, are simply incred-
ible to one who does not know the facts,
.sIt was entirely through my own knowl-
edge Of the nature OF the Spanish rule tnat
came to sympathiZe with these natives OF
Cuba, who were looking for separation from
Spain as the only hope of saving the ma
tives from utter slavery and destitution.
So. when in February last. Jose Marie de-
clared for freedom down in the province
of Santiago de Cuba, / received the news
with enthusiasm
..At that time / was at work not very far
from Havana. Among the Cuban patriots
of my district was General Manuel Suarez
Valdez. He must not be confused with the
Spanish General Manuel Valdez. and he is
commonly called by. his middle name.
Suarez. to distinguish him. He was an off,
Ger in the last war, and he declared for the
revolution at once. He was placed in COM
mand of the department of the West, and
it then became necessary to learn Now
many friends he had. and how many rifles
and cartridges and machetes these friends
To an American this would seem to be an
easy thing to learn. In Cuba the case was
different. The Spanish rulers at once pro-
country at night, while travellers by day
had to carry special permits for each jour
ney. The Cuban patriots were all pretty
we'll known to the Spanish authorities. and
for them to get permits impossible
save for the shortest and well-described
Journeys They might travel at night on a
road where they were thoroughly we'll ac-
uuainted with the country, but even that
was extremely dangerous because the
Guard,as and Voluntarios were constantly
patroling every highway and lying in wait
everywhere for Cuban messengers.
so the patriots came to me and asked me
to travel over the Department of the West
to get the information wanted. 1t was COM
paratively easy for me TO do this. that is.
il was not in any way dangerous. / was
known as a machinist and had my pass
was the season of the year when machinists
are i'm the habit of travelling about from
plantation to plantation. soliciting orders
for new machines and overhauling old ones.
SEEKING INFORMATION.
Accordingly 1 undertook the task. and /
did so cheerfully. 1t was not my fight, but
as an American 1 was right glad to help
any people free themselves from such servi-
tude as the Cubans had endured. i equipped
myself and rode away. / went to Havana,
to Matanzas, to Santa Clara. TO Remedies,
to Cienfuegos. to Trinidad to Sanci Spiritus
and to a host of small villages lying be-
tween. Everywhere along the coast the
Spaniards were found in force. l was held
up when near the coast daily. but only at
Sancti Spiritus was 1 arrested. The COM
mander there telegraphed TO Havana to ask
what was known of me. and the reply was
L that I was Yankee machinist. travelling
i'm the usual course OF business. SO was re-