The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-06
has A BLOODY HISTORY
That Of Sea0r Don ValerianO
Neyler Nicelau.
HIS OTHER REIGN or TERROR
No Need Of X Rays to Photograph
Mis- IMner Self-his Birth oud
Trainiu: -Rcsson of
Promotion.

tnat CODa Will now see - HWY thnh
likely 20 be unsurpassed In the annals
of the nineteenth century. Even the
savaaery Of the ''unsDeakable Turk"
and the crime Of Armenia stand out in
no darker colOrs than do Weyler's deeds
In the Cuba of '6s and TO The procla-
nations this steely. devil-prompted
military man just issued appear tnno-
cent enough as black words en- white
paper, but their purport 1t Ia easy to
see. Much more terrible are they than
the proclamation Of Valmaseda In 1859.
against the brutality OF which no less
parsonage than Hamilton Fish. then
American Secretary of State. protested.
The real Significance Of Weyler's or
ders Is that any man or woman ne
pleases can and will be killed without
trials formality, without the chance
of a word in defense. They mean
campaign of unprecedented ASA ssina-
tion and butchery all over the island.
Should Weyler fail in his attempt to
subdue Cuba, Spain's final chance Is
gone, for this flower of all her generals
il in himself her last hope. Never. to
look at the situation coolly, was a last
hope placed in better hands. Neither
pity nor mercy does the new captain
general ever feel or has he ever felt.
Pitiless, cold, an exterminator of men-
that has been his record since the first
day he left school and became young
officer mad to stain his hands with
blood.
WEYLER AS HE is.
His personality Is extraordinarily in
teresting. because In his carriage and
In the very lines Of his face his every
thought and every emotion are pic
tured. There Is no need Of X rays to
photograph on some luminous plate
his inner consciousness and his de-
| stres, for not an emotion Is hidden.
Fifty-seven years of age this winter,
his life has been one great pageant of
military triumphs. Never once has
| the man failed in anything he has un-
| dertaken. Step by step he has climbed
up the ladder Of rank, beginning as =
boyish young captain. until now he
| stands at the head Of armed Spain.
Few, II any, Of the great commanders
| Of history have been men of large stat
ure. THE Butcher" keeps we'll within
this rule. OF only medium height, he
is broad-shouldered. stockily built and
muscular His face Is a remarkable
study In itself. The head Is large, and
all its features prominent. Sparse,
once dark hair, now turning to an iron
gray, meets broad, receding forehead.
i
burrows Just over the bridge of the
nose, the most prominent feature of
the face. Shrewd. cold, glinting eyes
are set far back In their sockets, un-
der bushy eyebrows. The nose is
| strong and masterful. A broad, thin
Tipped mouth is not all hidden by the
thin mustache that is supplemented by
luxurious, well-cropped side whiskers,
also tinged with gray and framing In
the hard and stern chin. --
| Masterful alone is this square set
chin, smooth shaven. save for little
tuft Just under the lower lip. of that
sort that the French denominate as a
"barbiche." 1t Is the chin and the nose
the long upper lip and the burrows In
the forehead. just over the eyes, that
are the characteristics OF this mans
face. Taken altogether, or taken sin
gly. they set forth the cruelty of his
nature In unmistakable terms. There
is no opportunity for Misrepresentation
no dallylng with the facts. Sensual
shrewd. murderous. both because OF
the power of relentless ambition and
because the man likes to be cruel, Wey.
ler shows himself in every lineament
His military coat bears upon 1t every
honor, every cross and every badge
known in Spain, save those set apart
for those of royal blood. But not ever
these glistening insignia soften or re-
lieve for q moment the savage face
above. Time, indeed. has made that
face more set and more merciless than
ever before. The brutalities its owner
has planned and executed have all left
their traces there, forcing every CLEAN
Of kindness that might at one time
have found stray lodgment away, never
to get a foothold again.
HIS BIRTH AND CAREER.
Most marvellous, even in these days
Of individual triumphs, has been the
career Of this Spanish bully. Especial.
ly remarkable has been the course he
has run, when 1t comes to be consid
cred that he is not a Spaniard Of pure
race. The old HidalgO blood does moi
flow unrestricted and unmixed through
his veins; it Is diluted and mingled with
that Of another and an alien people
What makes 1t even worse. when Span.
ish traditions and pride of descent are
argued, l. Is on his paternal side thai
this intermixture Of blood comes.
BY descent Weyler is Prussian, a!
his name indicates, only of Spanish an
cestry on his mothers side. Yet 81
aggressive and so successful in all HI
has undertaken has THE Butcher
been, that even In the peninsula o.
proud and naughty Don his lack o
Spanish family has been forgiven ant
his birthright has weighed as nothing
In the scale.
Not many words are needed to out
line his career. He was born on Sept
II, 1889, in Palma de MallOrca. and a
an early age entered the College de In
fanteria Of Toledo. Though but boy
and of tender years at that, he ever
then was Of brilliant promise. Glass by
class he moved up In that renowned in
stitution filled with the most brillian
boys of Spain, and 80 far did he outstril
them that on the day of his graduation
he stood. as the Spaniards say. Mum
ber One" that Is, at the head of hi!
class.
1t was brilliant performance. but {
victory only won by unremitting work
The power and the unwillingness t
work without ceaslng, 1t may be said
has ever since been a characteristic o
this brutal master of troops. Evci
now. though nearing his siXtieth year, HI
frequently rises at three in the morning
to get to his work Of fiendish planninl
and plotting in order that everyon,
may be ground under his iron heel. Will
the boz 1t was the same as 1t is toda!
with the middle aged man.
Once ou. Of school, he was made
captain Immediately, and, strangel!
enough. he was at once detailed t.
Cuba. 1t is wonderful how fate will
weave it's warp and wcof about a man
Cuba has been the pivot, the one essen
tial crucial point Of Weyler's fortunes
the great STAMPING ground whereon h
has made mark after mark. In Cubs
he went as Il boy soldier to get his frs
military experience. In Cuba a. maj
with the first bloom of youth all gone
this in !S69--he made himself the mos
wonderful junior officer of the time
Now. once again in Cuba, he is fillin,
the center Of the stage.
EXPLOITS IN THE INDIES.
The young officer did SO we'll in Cubs
in the late SOS tina. he was sent t.
San Domingo, on which island he per
formed deeds Of great valor in the reyo