The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-15

know that In the gathering OF raw re-
cruitI there stood his future lieutenant
EcneTal. They were 30 green ana tAcl-
turn. 80 backward, that Gomez smiled
M they walked away from his hut. lie
had asked them II they could light. They
smiled and said. Perhaps Soon nf-
terward, near ST. AuEuGtinc, some Span
ifh troops were riding lrlsurcly nlOnE
with an ammunition train. bound for
Guantanamo, Around the bend OF the
road, In front, swept % flying body OF
horsemGn with their machetcs glitter
Ing. They were gucrillas OF Gomez. AMI
al their head rode the awkward squad
OF the Mlccos.
Hut how they DID fight! Right into
The heart or the Spanish troops they
drove pcll nell, cutting. slushInE. end
striking right and left. When the fight
was ended the elder MnccO lay dead on
the ground, Before the expiration OF
two months, Manuel. Frrmln and JUS
tlrC NaccO had been Killed In battle.
Raphael was scout up bywounds that
he left the Island TO die an exile In Costa
lllca. For six months after the death OF
Justice, the remaining members OF the
MCcco family seemed to boar charmed
lives. Tho awkward squad. or rather
the survivors, had become the foremost
fighters Of Gomez.
The ntNt death WAS that OF Miguel.
lie was killed hy a blynnct thrust al the
capture ~ Une Vitls. A short time
subsequently julio was shot In that
bloody affair at Sucvo NundO. Felipe
and Tomas were so badly wounded that
they became helpless crlpplcs In San
Domingo.
Then. almost ut the end OF the ten
years war. Marcus was killed In IL gall
LIANT machetc charge, leaving Antonio. ur
all the awkward equaL OF lighters. siill
In the field. His brother jose WIS still
TOO young 10 Join his relatives In the
field.
The survival OF Antonio Macco
was n good thing for Cuba. 1t was 4
survival OF the fttest."
Early In 1879 u brown-skinucd
wCathcr-beaten man arrived In New
York on n OF the Jamaica steam
crs. For Il month or more he lived
alone without other CompanionShip
than that OF books. II was Maceo and
the fire OF liberty, stIil smolderinS In
his breast, was only seeking u favor
able opportunity to burst into fame.
In II few months he made his wly to
West Point. where he obtained employ
mcnt as II hostler. Nobody In the acad-
envy dreamed Tor 4 moment that the
brold-shOullcrrd dark-brOwcd man
who handled the horses So easily had
ever snellcd the smoke Of battle or
heard the song OF rifle bullets.
Day after day on the parade
grounds. the ,lcitu-a man watched the
svolutions OF the cadets, listened 10 the
commands Of the officers. studied the
discipline OF the place. poccd over vol
umcS OF military tactics that he had
managed TO borrow and added to his
natural genius The knowledge uS other
great generals.
Then tile dark-skinncd hoStlcr. who
was regarded us book-mad gave up
his position and returned 60 New York.
From New York he went to Costa Ri
ca. taking one hundred or more weigh
ty volumes with him. Some wealthy
Gubans had settled In Costa RIGA dur
Ing the war and they now offered Ma
Geo Il trac. OF land on which to colon
lie his bray" followers.
Here for ten years the cXi!ed Gu
ban worked and studied and dreamed
and instructed his fellOw-vctcrans In
the modern theories OF war. At times
he would lecture them. At other times
he would give them practical lessons
in drilling and IN cavalry rvOlutiouS,
With each day. each week. month and
| year, his dream CT the freedom OF Gu
ba was brighter than before, Never
for n moment did he seem 10 forget the
| points Of his purpose.
In lSSS, ten years after the close Of
the war. he began 10 scheme for an
other uprising IN Cuba. He took his
former officers into his confidence and
the little band OF rcvoluiiorists spent
| almost Il year IN making plans for the
overthrow or Spain.
Finally Mac"o sailed iO- Jamaica,
and from Jamaica 10 Santiago de Gu
ba, disguised as q laho-cr. Not for I
mOmcn howcver. durinu the entire
ten years that had elapsed since the
war had The Spanish government lost
sight OF MaccU. The ~Snauilrds knew
him too well.
Consequently. when he disappeared
from COsIa'RIcu there was n hue and
c-y. 'Maceo haa gone was teleGraphcd
To Madrid. Look out fOr MaceO' was
the word sent t o Havana. Search vas
made throughout the island. Finally
the government got word OF him
around Santiago. Under torture n Gu
ban confessed that lie had seen MaCeo
In Ell Christie. disguised az n mule
tcer. In the meantime Maceo had
become aware that his whereabouts
had been discovered. His hene were
consequently frustrated.
"a fisherman who had fought under
him during the long war sailed win
Maceo for Kingston one darn night IN
his fishing boat. For manr weeks
thereafter the SpnniardS searched III
vain for the Cuban leader.
"MaceO returned TO Costa Rica dis
appointed, but not discouraged. II"
saw plainly that the revolutionary bal
must be got rolling by other hands
thon his. He entered into correspond
cnce with prominent Cuban Sympa-
thlZers In American cities. and VIII
Gcncml Gomez. In n Domingo. TAls
wa kept up until local ~juntlS were
formed In almost every prominent city
In the United States.
Then Macco and his little band OF
patriots in Costa Rlca had nothing to
do but possess their souls In patience
nnd wait Tor events. The years be-
tween 1890 and 1895 were passed In
hard work and In studying the possibil'
itIcs OF CuUl from 4 military stand
point,
'Onc day In February. 1895. word
came that the Cubans had risen. BlOoo
had been shed and Julio Sanguilly hat
been arrested and imprisoned. AZ last
After many Gears here was an oppnr'
tmu!ty 10 strike once moro for tubn
FrccLom-thr dream OF II lifetime
would come later N. ON tho following
DIV an cmissnry OF the Spanish gov
crnncn asked MaCco II he intended tC
Iola the movement. 'Join it?' llc &C.
piled. I shall join uOihinG.' l." dil moi
think It necessary to Say that he hnt
Joined II years ago. This Is h lhC
papers Of next morning oil over I'M
world published n statement that Ma
Geo was not identified with the rcvO'
iuALnunhm InnN..nnnnI In Luln-