Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-02-28

The laborS of the craft begun, were cOl4-
tinued under difficulties due to persecu-
ton of Masons by the Spanish govern
ment. being compelled 10 change their
meeting place very often. and finally had
to buy a piece of land. in which was sit
uated cave called the Volcano. in the
outskirts of Trinidad, where them assem-
bled at night at different hours.
Our Bro. Lucena now tells the following
story OF the experience he had as a Ma
son on account of the establishing OF that
lodge: when the revolution started in
1865. we were compelled to close our lodge
and we engaged in the struggle for lib
erty. starting on February 9Th, 1869, and
on the Sth | was captured by the Spaniards
at SipiabO a small village about forty
miles from the city Of Santa Esplritus the
body being. routed. When they searched
me among other things they discovered
was a paper written in Masonic signs.
Three days later a Spanish regiment ar
rived and the papers were handed TO the
commander. who demanded that l should
translate II. or be shot at o'clock p. m.
/ refused to translate II, and my life was
saved by surgeon of the regiment who
was a Mason Of the lodge San Andrews
No l." of Havana, and upon discover
ing what the paper was he destroyed II.
They he'd me prisoner until after the
period of amnesty. granted by General
d. Domingo Dulce, had expired, for the
express purpose of Furnishing me. l was
tied hand and foot to horse, and escort
ed by 800 soldiers 10 Trinidad. where 1 was
placed in a dungeon in solitary confine-
h .r,I Of Ia
four months I was court-martialed, and
the Judge advocate asked the death penal
" be imposed upon me. and for twenty
hours the court debated finally deciding
by a majority of one vote in favor OF n
life sentence and transportation TO Ceuta,
Africa. Upon being sentenced / was taken
to Havana and imprisoned at Fort La
Cabana in chains. being compelled 10 Ia
Dor on public works for three months, ar
ter which / was transported to Spain in
chains in the hole of the mail steamer
Ginpuzcoa.
..XVhan we reached Sautander the chains
were removed. l was incarcerated in
prison for three days after which I was
compelled to march from Santander TO
Valencia with handouts on in the middle
of winter being lodged in thirty-hve pris-
ons on the way Upon arriving at Madrid
the Masons started TO help me, which they
continued until finally I escaped TO
Marseilles, France.
II must say to the credit Of the brothers
in Spain that in Madrid, Valencia and
Mahon was helped by them in every way.
When reached Marseilles I was informed
that the steamer Caledonia. Of the An
Choir Line would start for New York the
next day. I paid my Storage passage
but the steamer did not sail and kept me
waiting for twenty-three days. l was
soon without money. The Frenchman at
whose house / was stopping as soon as
he discovered that had no money, want
cd TO take me TO the chief Of police, and as
! knew that was TO put myself in the
hands of the Spanish authorities again,
] begged him to take me TO the Masonic
lodges. which he did. 1t was Sunday af-
ternoon when ! reached a room on Pes
cadores street. where | found n brother
who I was informed was the Grand Sec
rotary of the Grand Lodge. AS soon as
explained to him my object through an
Interpreter, he asked me to be there on
the following evening which I did as soon
as l was examined through the interpre-
ter. I was asked to go the lodge. I tried
to excuse myself from going in on account
of the condition l was in, but the Grand
Secretary said: 'If you are a real Mason
you should not be proud; the door of the
temple is open TO you, and we shall be
pleased to have n brother in your condi-
ton among us" To this I replied that 1t
was not pride that made me object 10 go
ing in, but that it was the condition in
which I was, and 10 prove that I was not
proud I was ready TO go in. which l did.
Next day the Interpreter came TO me
in commission from the Grand Lodge to
take mo to a tailor to have made the cloth
ing 1 needed. and that If I wished any
money to let them know. and II was go
ing to America in the second cabin or
Storage they would pay the difference
of my passage I'm the first cabin. I list
ened to the brother. and after he finished
I answered him: Please go back and tell
my brothers that yesterday they taught
me lesson. and that this was my chance
now to return 1t, saying: in regard TO
clothing / do not need any; in regard to
money. the only thing I wished was to
have my board bill paid: and in regard TO
my passage l am going back TO America
in better condition than when / was taken
away I was going back free. begged
of them to keep the money in the treasury
to help some other brother should he be
in distress.
The last night IN Marseiles 7 went TO
the lodge to bid them farewell. and when
through the interpreter l addressed them.
every one Of the brethren present en-
braced me fraternally, and asked me 10
remain with them. that they would take
care Of me until learned the French Ian
guage, and then get me a good situation.
With my thanks for all their kindness.
started for New York whore / arrived
October 1874"