The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-13

write or anything else when war IS all We
see and hear around rs. You asked me 70
ten you q my chief and K 'Ee < good and
KID. Yes. dear. he j. good and KIND 10
az bat spies and traitors On thern he may
t'a A little severe The former he shoots,
tne latter he hangs. Antonio Maceo. deep
down IN his heart : great o.g goo1-ea-
tuxed Child. and we ali love him for 4
But IN that same heart there Is a well ef
courage. a wealth Of resources. a mind q
determination whsch makes Is look Up -
him. And above all. there Is a. brain a
reasoning power and executive ab,itv,
which. no matter what his color we must
respect To the negroes he s = veTitaale
GOD OF war
Antonio Maceo stands 81 least feet
in height. straight as an arrow, and 5
built Ike an Apollo. The color OF his skin
is that OF rich cofsee and cream. HIS eyes
are dark. soft. and kindly n expression.
Around his mouth frequently turks a smile
which seems 70 suggest the knowledge OF
a good Joke. waiting only for an opportupe
moment 10 be launched. And now | must
tell you Of one which he pe~petrated on
the enemy shortly before we commenced
our westward march.
1t was IN October near Holguln. The
Spanish government. you know. fears Ma
GEO. and 10 encourage its soldiers has
many times reported him dead or seriously
wounded According 10 offc.aF reports
and Naceo was several times shot 20 death.
His great broad breast bears tho scars Of
tweniy-seven Nauser bullets, but they
don't seem 10 bother him in the least.
Wen. another story Of his death had
just reached us. and Maceo read il. Win
q smile on his face, he remarked; How
badly they want me under ground. think
/ VIII have TO accommodate them Then,
after a moment. he continued, I wonder Il
they'd dig me up and put my head on eNhi-
b;tion? Wen see
soon after this a party Of twenty Of rs
were accommodating IN the vicinity OF hol-
gum. Suddenly We came on a mounted oe-
tachment Of about sixty men, green troops
Just over from Spain. But they We're led
hv q brave officer and Cor a few minutes
after our attack gave US quite lively tus-
sle. Macco dashed his horse into the thick
est OF the scrap. His long arms swinging
q maChete over his chargers head dlu
wonderful execution. A head or something
dropped az every sweep OF the blade The
rest Of us-weU we were there, anywa%.
and the SDaniards soon got enough II
was. l think. their frst experience in ma
kind Of "A fight and after losing over
third Of their number. they turned and
made for town on a quadruple quick.
But before the last man had left. Ma
Geo suddenly reeled and fen from his
horse We were at his side in a moment,
but as we raised him up his face was COW
cred with blood. He had wiped ii of his
own machete. But the retreatinS Span
lards saw il and neutrahzed the story cf
their defeat by announcing that Maceo was
dead or fatally wounded. To corToborate
tho report a messenger was sent near the
outskirts of the town making inquiries for
a doctor.
THAT night we dug a grave four feet
deep near the spot where Maceo was seen
to fall. The owner took great interest IN
the work. When we had completed me
task We lowered into the grave, not a body,
but, wrapped in an old shirt, about twenty
pounds of dynamite Upon top of this We
U.led small boulders and filed up the hole.
first connecting our dummy by insulated
wire, buried few inches below the surface,
with a small battery brought from tho
camp, and hid in the thick woods close ny
Here. concealed from view, We awaited de-
velopments.
Next morning a detachment OF the
enemy came TO bury their dead. They were
followed from town by a rabble anxious 10
learn If Maceo had really been killed sure
enough, there was the fresh and carefully
made grave and over IL rude cross pear
ing the letters A. M You should have
seen the rush and avsdity with which the
cross was torn out, the grave dug open.
and the work OF throwing up the Dodiders
commenced. At last they came in sight or
the shirt A cry of eXultauon went tp.
Like a lot Of hungry jackals they crowded
around to get piece or sight OF the iai-
len warrior.
But at this moment Maceo gave the
word. the button was pressed. and there
wasn't enough left alive to bury the dead
OF the day before.
'But there, / did not mean 10 write
word Of war fear I am confirmed sin-
ner. Forgive me, Not another word sha!l
this letter contain but breathes OF love,
Here we promised TO stop the uahsla-
ton.