The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-21
SPANISH CHARACTER.
Illustrated by the Treatment of
the Cubans.
WHERE KILLING Is NOT MURDER.

An Army Onicer's Idea Of Justice = Not
Considered a Crime to Steal From the
Government - How the Captain Of the
vizcsya Made Few Hundred Dollars.
WASHINGTON, April 21.-[Special. l.
Spanish character and Spanish treatment
and views Of Cubans were well illustrated
In story told to senators and represent
atives here few days ago by Mr.. Atkins,
the big sugar planter of Boston. Mr.. At
kins has In Cuba what is said to be the
largest sugar plantation In the island.
During the war he has been able TO grow
his crops and to grind the cane and sell
his product in the market because no was
able and willing to pay for protection, |"
sometimes from the government and at
other times from the insurgents. While
Spanish troops were guarding the estate 1t
happened that one of the soldiers went into
Mr.. Atkins garden and helped himself to
vegetables, greatly to the disgust of the
gardener, who was a native Cuban. One
day the gardener demonstrated with the
soldier for his pilfering, whereupon the
Spanish man of arms told the gardener to
mind his own business or 1t would be the
worse for him. Not daunted by this threat,
the gardener threatened to report the pill
fering to MIR. Atkins, who would In turn
call 1t to the attention of the captain of
the post, and the soldier would soon find
himself In trouble.
That evening the gardener had occasion
to go into the sugar cane field on some
errand, and he never came back. He was
found with bullet through his body. A
little investigation disclosed that the pill
fering soldier had had his revenge. Mr..
Atkins did not like to have such coward
ly murder committed right at his door,
and be insisted upon having punishment
Of the murderer. He sent for the captain
of the company, but this officer after hear
ing the facts exclaimed:
"Surely, Mr.. Atkins, you do not expect
me to punish Spanish soldier for killing
Cuban. If l were to do that, there
would soon be revolt among my men.
They would not stand it,"
An Obliging Oaioer.
erous murder" said Mr.. Atkins. 1.-THE
Cuban gardener was inoffensive, honest
and peaceable. insist that you punish
the soldier. If you are not willing to do it
yourself, / will write to General Pin and
have you remove your post to some other
place, as do not want men about mo who
are willing to wink at such crimes com.
mitted almost before my face and eyes,
The officer did not like the prospect of
being sent away, as this was soft billet,
with nothing to do and plenty of good
things TO eat and drink. So he promised
to think the matter over, and after an
hour or two he came back and said:
"Mr. Atkins, you have always been
kind to me, and / am square man and
want you to know it is my intention to
treat you right i'm every particular do
not see how can punish the soldier who
shot the Cuban without stirring up trou-
BILE in my command but will tell you
how we can fix it, Tomorrow morning q
detachment from my company is to go out
on a sally after some Cuban insurgents
who are prowling around here. The sol
der in question is detailed for service with
this party. He will start at daylight, and
l can promise you that he will never come
back. 4"
This Spanish officer was an educated
gentleman. He thought he was doing the
right thing. 1t was impossible for him to
understand that the mere killing of Gu
ban could be murder. 1t was just as i'm
possible for him to understand that what
Mr.. Atkins wanted was justice, after "A
trial, public justice, not simply the death
of the murderer. Being so constituted the
officer sincerely thought be was proposing
the easiest and sreediest way out of the
difficulty. In order to please Mr.. Atkins,
he was willing not to try the culprit by
court martial, but to send him forth on
his duty as soldier and to shoot him in
the back. The officer was unable to see
anything wrong in this, and no was much
surprised and not little disappointed at
Mr.. Atkins rejection of his proposition.
spain's Treatment of Cubans.
Spanish character and Spanish treat
ment of Cubans are shown in this story and
also in the fact that when detachment
of Spanish soldiers come back from the
field Boosting that they have raided a Gu
ban hospital and killed the sick and
wounded men lying In the rude hunks and
the nurses and doctors as well no Spaniard
ever suspects that there is anything borri'
BILE about it. Such butchery Is counted all
right, and there would be great surprise If
any one were to suggest that 1t was cow
ardly and inhunan.
AS matter of fact, Spanish character
is totally different thing from Anglo
Saxon character. The Spaniards are hos
pitable, obliRing, polite. friendly, and In
money matters and business are almost
universally counted honest except when
there is chance to steal from the govern
ment. The history of Cuban government
has been history Of corruption, and 1t Is
doubtful II the Cubans themselves, who
have received their education from the
Spanish, are capable of administering an
honest government. In ordinary trade the
Spaniards' word may be relied upon. but
at the very first opportunity they will steal
from their own government, and such
thing as respecting the rights of native
Cuban never enters their minds.
have seen private letter, written by
a well known man In Havana, which says
that the captain of the Vizcaya, which
was recently in New York harbor for few
days, sold at Havana, shortly after his ar.
rival there, all the coal he had taken aboard
at New York In other words, he saw an