The record-union., 1897-11-10
CHIEF OF FILIBUSTERS.
Nunez, the Cuban Outfitter. De-
scribes His Expeditions.

General Emilio NuneZ is known as the
pirate OF the Cuban cause He is
the chief of the filibuSters. There is
enough OF the sensational in his make
up to entrance youthful minds, and if
ali his experiences on expeditions were
written they would furnish enough pa
bulum to- satisfy the most voracious
reader of tales of adventure.
He has sent between thirty and forty
expeditions to Cuba during the pres
ent struggle. Most of them We're sue
cessful. General Weyler would feel
happy if some day the chief of the fill
ibusters should fall into Spanish hands
1t would go hard with Nunez, but the
pirate" has no fear that he Will be
captured. He simply laughs at any
suggestion Of being made prisoner of
war.
.If they ever capture me-" he says,
1T Will not be before / am dead
General NuneZ returned a few days
ago from landing three expeditions, and
he expects that the war will be ended
within the next four months. He be-
lieveS that the Cubans now have suffi-
cient arms and ammunition TO bring
victory to their cause and to secure the
independence of the island. His views
on the situation are positive, and a
couple Of days ago 1 had an opportunity
of having a conversation with him at
his home in Philadelphia.
The chief of the filibusters is a vet
eran of the ten years war. When he
was eighteen years old he entered the
Cuban army and fought to the close of
that struggle. Before the war ended he
had risen to a colonelcy. When peace
was restored Nunez came to this coun-
try and as soon as the legal time had
elapsed was naturalized as an Ameri-
can citizen. He had lost all his money
in the struggle and he sought for
tune in the United States. During
the war between Chile and Peru he was
offered a generalship in the army of
the latter country This he declined
stating that he would fight only for the
freedom of Cuba or for his adopted
land.
AT the outbreak of the present Gu
ban war he was appointed by General
Gomez to be the head of the filibus-
ters because of his peculiar qualifica-
tions. He was given the rank of a
Brigadier- General. General Nunez
has a cool head He has the reputa-
| ton of being fearless, and his dislike
! for the Spanish Government is intense
| He has a supreme contempt for the
| Spanish forces in Cuba and talks in
a jesting manner of the naval vessels
| which Spain has around the Queen of
| the Antilles.
why, if I had two cruisers like the
| New York and the Philadelphia of the
American navy" said he to me, 'the
whole Spanish naval force around Cuba
would disappear in a few days. Their
gunboats are no good When one of
our filibustering steamers fires a shot
at them they run away. All that is
| necessary is to show fight
| NuneZ has a rough side to his char
acter He is a dare devil. On many
of the expeditions his men would be-
| come alarmed at the appearance of a
Spanish gunboat and would express a
fear of being captured. Then Nunez
would light his cigar and laugh.
I'VE are not caught yet" he would
reply. Give them a shot"
The filibusters would then fire a shot
/ at the enemy and Nunez would order
the steamer to go at full steam. The
| Spanish gunboat would prove too slow
! for the flibusters' fast going steamer
and the pirate" of the Cuban cause
would laugh at the men for their use
| less fears.
| on one of the last three expeditions
which Nunez fitted cut and landed early
/ this month lamp was upset in the
! hold of the steamer Dauntless, setting
! fire to the vessel The flames Were
near about 800 pounds of dynamite.
General Nunez ordered all the fiIibus-
! ters to go down into the hold and eX-
/ tinguish the fire with wet blankets. At
/ first the men We're disinclined TO take
the risk. and wanted to man the boats.
| "Godown and put out that fire. or
dered the chief of the filibusters.
The men rushed down into the hold
and succeeded in extinguishing the
flames just in time. A few minutes
longer delay would have resulted in the
! blowing up Of the steamer
On all the filibustering steamers Nu-
nez always had torpedoes. In case he
should be attacked by a Spanish war