The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-14
A Member of General GomeZ'S
Personal staff.
HIS ROMANTIC LIFE STORY
HE BELIEVES THE CUBANS WILL
YET BE FREE.
HIS ZONE Is NOW IN ATLANTA
Wounded in Cuba Last july Captured
on His Way Back to the Island
in March and Put in Jail
in Florida.

Raleigh had a distinguished visitor
yesterday. He was a Guiana member
of the personal staff of Gen. Gomez, the
insurgent leader. His name is Maj. Sal
vador de Castroverde. jaw-breaker,
to be sure. is this name, to the plain
everyday American citizen, but II be-
longs to q handsome enough fellow.
Though "a Cuban, he dresses, looks and
talks lust like an American, barring
dark brownish complexion and u foreign
accent.
Indeed to all intents and purposes he
is an American. Coming to this country
in early boyhood he has acquainted him
self with its manners, customs, lnstltu-
tions and laws, learned its language, at
tended its schools and become "a natural
lied citizen. His parents settled in At
lanta-where they now live, his father
and stepmother-and there Mag. Castro
verde has spent the u years of his life,
except the time he was in Washington
and at Georgetown University at school.
At the breaking out of the rebellion
in Cuba the young man dimly remember
ed his old home on the Queen or the
Antilles" and his blood boiled within
him at the stories that came from there
of Spanish cruelty and unrelenting tyran-
ny.
His mind was made up. He joined
one of the earliest fhbustering expedi-
tons from this country. He entered the
army as a common soldier. Brave, young,
active and intelligent, he rose rapidly
until he vas made a member of Gen
Gomez's staff, with rank of Major, in
recognition of his splendid services and
daring bravery. Soon he knew the coun-
try we'll, occupied the mountain fastness-
es and harassed the Spanish columns
at will He ambushed them occasionally.
burned and pillaged as he chose.
Then one day in July, in desperate
conflict with the Spanish cavalry, he
was struck by a Spanish bullet. The
wound was serious one and the young
rebel officer was sent hOme-to die or get
well-as the fates might decree. He got
well, and worse for the Spanish govern
ment that he did,
He has since been serving the insur-
gent cause more effectively than had he
remained in Gomez's command, and to
which lie intends 10 return soon. I'm
mediately on the healing of his wound
and getting back his strength, Maj.
Castroverde set to work to organize fill
clustering expeditions, in conjunction
with thu Cuban junta in New York.
Several of these have been successful.
But the last, which left the coast of
Florida and on which Maj. Castroverde
intended to return to his command, was
unlucky, Hardly had it got out to sea
before ii was detected by an American
ha.I ota ibn1,
for this purpose The filibusterer at
once put back to the coast and ran into
Jacksonville harbor and was there cap
turesl. The young officer and his asso-
ciates were also taken and thrown into
jail for a few days, but later released
for lack of evidence against them. There
were about fifty men on the tihbusterer
with a large cargo of arms and munitions
of war. These. of course, were all con-
fiscated.
In fitting out these expeditions it has
been necessary for the young Cuban 10
go often to New York, to consult with
and obtain money from the junta there.
And here comes the old ever-new story
of Venus and Mars. On one of these
visits he met a wealthy young lady Of
rare beauty-a dark-eyed senOrita-a
staunch Cuban sympathlZer. AS would
naturally happen, either in truth or fic-
ton, the handsome young officer loved the
beautiful young lody. His clear olive
skin, the warm color, the soft black
mustache and heavy, glossy harris it
any wonder she loved him in return, and
that they have plighted their troth and
will we'd when the Cuban struggle is
ended.
A soldier he is, every inch of him.
His figure is perhaps a tritie large, but
despite that he seems strong, athletic,
quick. His eye-ehminous, blue back
| was soft as velvet but restless ever, and
beneath its restlessness there lurked a
fiery vitality ready to awake and emit
sparks at the mention of Cuban wrongs
and Spanish tyranny
He showed me some of the weapons
| used and told me how cruelty the men
who were fighting for right and liberty
were tortured when taken captive by
their oppressors.
DO you think they will succeed in the
| end?' l asked. ~
There is no doubt of it," he replied,