Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-27
WOMAN SPIES IN HAVANA.
How They Trap Unwary American
Often to Their Great Dis
cOm6ture.

comAture.
Havana Letter. in New York Sun.
The %volanta, used by ex-President Cleve-
land while hero some years ago. has just
been destroyed by a company Of volun-
teers. They broke into the stable in which
the enterprising owner OF the volanta was
exhibiting it and with rocks and clubs
smashed the carriage to smithereens. Be-
cause, they said. the passenger who made
it famous YVES a pig" Pig is now the
designation OF L'Amertcano.
A friendly Spaniard thus expressed the
present current Of thought in the Spanish
mind:
w are here in our own island mind
Ing our own business. h right have
the Americans to come here spying? Let's
kick 'em out"
Unable to kick the Americans put in a
body. the palace officials decided to adj
minister the kicks individually. One cor
respondent after another has been ordered
put. Charge: General conspiracy against
the government. AS 1t is impossible to
trump up many charges Of this sort the
noying harmless Americans that the Yam
kee is only too glad to leave on his own
accord. The plan is the older one OF EN-,
ploying spies. The spies are all sorts and
conditions OF men-and women And the
chief are the women.
Woe to the American who succumbs to
at once than to fall into the snares laid
by the sonora h gives her service free
OF charge. She spies for love. not for
make the American's acquaintance. she
s%traightway begins operations. She wears
a black mantil!a. She is usually beautiful.
Beware OF that glance-it is full Of hatred.
Her smile seems all sympathy. 1t Is really
the smile OF a woman who hatesIa smile
oras recently induced an American. a tour
list, to take her to the Alhambra theater.
In the middle of an act she asked him
started down the aisle. Kisses greeted him
'Sit down." the rabble shouted. Not under
standing a word Of Spanish. he continued
the the Am nae s1Df was ani Interrupted tarrly aap and rough aiehe
~ handled. Resenting the insult, he de-
livered a right-handed blow on the nearest
entered. and carried the indignant Amer
lean to the city prison: where he was
locked up over night charged with being
an enemy Of public order.
The most annoying spy Is tho one whose
ostensible employment is that Of hotel
mailman or waiter. He copies the Russian.
Entering and sneaking about your room
your trunks. searches the pockets Of your
clothing. and reads any scrap of writing
you were careless enough to leave exposed.
If he finds a revolver he confiscates 1t. II
he comes across a suspicious-looking docu-
ment he carries 1t to headquarters. where
it is read and copied. You find the orig
while you have been informed by the
hotel clerk that the authorities regret that
circumstances make your absence desira-
BILE.
what II r refuse to go?" you say.
The authorities say that II you do not
leave by the next steamer you will have
to suffer the consequences"
The spies all speak English. though they
pretend not to know a word of our lam
guase. Thus they gather information and
pick up tid-bits here and there which they
translate to their superiors in a way that
gives the words a significance not calcu-
lated to make the Spanish love the Amer
leans. The hotel spy is simply a sneaking.
lying rascal. The spy of the worst type
Is the Cuban-the Cuban who sells himself
independence.