The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-11
BOUND FOR CUBA.
How Young Men Are Going to
the Island.
Nine Bold Lads Leave st. Louis
To Join the Rebels.
PREFER TO FIGHT
To Idling In a Big City-They
Will Sail
From Key West After Joining
Other Bands.
PREFER TO FIGHT

St. Louis, Jan. IA crowd of ven
turesome young men, who consider
most anything better than loafing away
the winter in a big city, left ST. Louis
Saturday night for Cuba to join the in
surgent army and win fame and for
tune
They could not do much alone, these
boys from ST. Louis, for they were only
nine in number, but they will be Joined
in Key West by similar bands from
Chicago, Cincinanti, Kansas City and
other points. When the entire aggre
cation lands upon the little isle they
will be quite an addition to the insur-
gent forces.
The leader of the crowd was Fred
Boucher, a young Englishman, who has
breathed American air long enough to
.shave his blood infused with Yankee
ideas of liberty. His right hand man
is Charles OFT, a waiter Both found
themselves out of employment after the
both were disheartened by the outlook
they determined to try fighting.
At PeckingtOn's, on Seventh and Pine
streets, they met Edwin T. blanchard,
a yaung man out of a jub and Wilbur
Dixon, a waiter The four agreed to
go to Cuba to fight Weyler.
They met every evening in Picking
TONS and while others sang and
young men sat quietly in a corner dis
cussing their plans for the trip. Each
managed TO interest a few friends in
the project. The majority of them
treated the matter lightly, but several
We're serious, and when noses were
counted nine were found who were will
ling to make the trip.
After this the question of how to Sc
cure transportation confronted the
young enthusiasts. Boucher took this
duty upon himself and started out to
see number of the Cuban sympathiz-
ers of the city Finally he announced
ed his efforts. Just where the money
came from is something the young man
would not tell.
Early Saturday afternoon the young
men informed their friends that they
intended to leave in the evening. Some
affected to treat the matter as joke.
but when night fell the adventures
gathered their belongings together, said
goodbye and boarded car for the
union station. There they climbed
aboard train on the L. & n. line
bound for Mobile. From Mobile they
will travel by steamer to Key West
where they will join similar bands
from various cities. The entire CROWD
will board one of the many fihbusterine
steamers that ply between the Florida
coast and Cuba. They sexpecte to be
in the insurgent ranks by February 1.
It is an open secret among those in
the confidence of the adventures thai
all arrangements for the transporta-
ton to Cuba have been made. The mer
know lust what steamer they are tC
sail on, and the day of starting. This
they kept to themselves, fearing thai
the story might leak out and their plans
be spoiled.
TO what point in Cuba the young
men will be sent is something they dc
not know This has been left entirely
to the Cuban junta in Key West, t.
whom the men will report upon thell
arrival 1t was expected by all O
them that they will be sent to Santiago
de Cuba as that is where the insur
gent forces are recruiting and operat1n;
at present.
The young men are sturdy intelligen
fellows, who are determined that the!
shall be heard from after they get int
the Cuban ranks. When they LEI
Peckington's Saturday night fna
hummer was drunk to their success.