The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-12-24


country-and Cuba still in chains.
No wonder the thought maddened
him.
Yet those who saw him on that day
say that he never indicated by word
or sign that the iron had entered his
so1L He cOuuselled patience, indus
try and obedience to the laws. 'As
for me-" be said, Il will follow the
Will OF fate that leads rue 5lindly on
ward. VIII 1 come again? Quien
sabe?" Then there were handclasps,
embraces and goodbys, and Antonio
Maceo sailed away.
The Spanish war ship took him to
Jamaica, where he remained for about
two months. Was be conquered?
Had the dream Of free Cuba faded?
Note his course of conduct. A com
parltlyelY uneducated man, Maceo
suddenly acquired an amazing fond
ness for books-especialsy books re-
lating to wars and military tactics.
lie read them early and late and
dreamed of what he had read in his
sleep.
Early in 1879 a brown skinned.
weather beaten man arrived in this
city on one of the Jamaica steamers.
For month or more he lived alone,
without other companionship than
that of books. 1t was Maceo, and the
fire OF liberty still smouIdering in his
breast was only seeking favorable
opportunity to burst into flame.
In few months he made his way
to West Point, where he obtained en-
ployment as a hostler. Nobody in
the academy dreamed for a moment
that the broad shouldered, dark brow
ed man who handled horses SO easily
had ever smelled the smoke of battle
or heard the song of rifle bullets.
Day after day on the parade grounds
the taclturn man watched the evolu-
tlols of the cadets, listened to the
commands of the officers, studied the
discipline of the place, pored over
volumes Of military tactics that he
had managed to borrow, and added to
his natural genius knowledge of other
great generals.
Then the dark skinned hostler. who
was regarded as book mad, gave up
his position and returned to New York.
From New York he went to Costa
Rica, taking a hundred or more
weighty volumes with him. Some
wealthy Cubans had settled in Costa
RIca during the war, and they now
offered Maceo tract Of land on which
to colonize his brave followers.
Here for ten years the exiled Cuban
worked and studied and dreamed and
instructed his fellow veterans 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 evolutions.
With each day, each week, month and
year his dream of the freedom of
Cuba was brighter than before. New
er for moment did be seem to forget
the points of bis purpose.
In 1888, ten years after the close of
the war, he began to scheme for an
other uprising IN Cuba. He took his
former officers into his confidence,
and the little band of revolutionists
spent almost year in making plans
Ior the overthrow of Spain.
Finally Maceo sailed for Jamaica.
ard from Jamaica to Santiago de
Cuba, disguised as a laborer. Not
for a moment, however, during the
entire ten years that had elapsed since
the war had the Spanish government
lost sight of Maceo. The Spaniards
knew him too well.
Consequently when he disappeared
from Costa Rica there was hue and
cry. "Maceo has gone" was tele
graphed to Madrid. Look out for
Macco' was the word sent to Havana.
Search was made througout the island
flnally the government got word of
hlm around Santiago. Under torture
Cuban confessed that he had seen
Maceo III III Cristo, Disguised as a
muleteer. In the meantime Maceo
had become aware that his where
abouts had been discovered. His
schemes were consequently frustrat-
ed.
A fisherman who had fought under
HIM during the long war sailed with
Maceo to Kingston one dark night in
his tshing boat. For many weeks
thereafter the Spaniards searched in
VAIN for the Cuban leader.
Maceo returned to Costa R:ca dis
appointed, but not discouraged. He
saw plainly that the revolutionary
pail must be set rolling by other
hands than his. He entered into cor
respondence with prominent Cuban
sympathlzers IN American cities and
with Gen. Gomez in San Domingo.
lhls was kept up until local juntas
We're formed IN almost every promi
nent city IN the United States.
Then Maceo and his little band of
patriots IN Costa Rlca had nothing to
DO but to possess their souls in pa
tlence and wait for events. The wears
between 1890 and 1895 were passed
IN hard work on the plantations and
IN studying the possibilities of Cuba
from a military standpoint.
1hen one day in February 1895, word
came that the Cnbans had risen. Blood
had been shed, Julio Sanguily had been
arrested and imprisoned. At last After
many years, here was an opportunity to
strlke once more for Cuba. Freedom
the dream of lifetime would come
later oD.
On the following day an emissary of
the Spanish government asked Maceo If
| he intended to join the movement. Join
u" he replied. Il shall join nothing"
de did not think 1t necessary to say that
ne had joined 1t years ago. This is why
/ tne papers OF the next morning al over
tne world Published a statement that
Maceo was not identified with the revolu-
tlonary movement in Cuba.
A week later Maceo, his brother Jose,
| Flor Crombet. Cabreco and sixteen other
veterans sailed from Costa Rica for San
Domingo. From this point, week or 30
later, they shipped away for Cuba. They
landed on the morning OF March 30 at q
Continued on 4th l1agel