The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-26
FOUGHT ZOO Fon CIGARETTES.
Cuban officer Went to II Town Filled
Win spmni rds TO Get n SmnnlN.

| Cuban officer Went TO II Town FILLED
| with Spnninrds to Get IL supply.
| New York Sun.
| During the early part of the Cuban re-
bellion an officer of the patriot army, who
is now in this city wanted few pack
ages OF cigarettes, and to obtain them went
openly into q town held by the Spanish
| soldiers, purchased what ne desired and
! safely retreated. holding at bay. single
| handed, 200 Spanish soldiers who attempted
to capture him.
|, This officer is Major Henry e. Brooks,
| who recently came to New York from ia
maca, where he went to recover from
wounds received in battle. Major Brooks
will soon return to Cuba, either in the SER
vice Of the United States as Il scout or
once more to join the Cuban army.
Major Brooks. Who vas born in the
| province of Santiago dc Cuba of English
| parents, was among the first 10 engage ia
| the insurrection against Spain. When in
| cor,nand of the Cuban forces around Guam
| tanamo, which is about fifty miles east OF
/ Santiago de Cuba, he ran out OF cigarettes
| so be left ms command in charge OF the
rext officer in rank and started for Guam
/ taD5mo to get them. He crossed the long
Q
| to cigar store, which he knew. He had
| with him his repeating rifle, his revolver
| ana the always p. sent n.-chete. There
| %cre several hundred Spanish soldiers
| CHARTERED in the town. and they had often.
J attempted to capture Crooks but had al
ways failed. In telling OF his adventure in
| Guantanamo, Major Brooks, when seen at
J the offices of the Cuban delegation. said
! "Ies did have lllJlo fun there You
/ see, wanted some cigarettes and decided
| TO 70 after them. | got into the town al
| right and entered the cigar store. | placed
| my rifle on the counter where it was
| mandy and bought what | wanted. Just af-
| ter had placed the cigarettes in my pock-
| cts | happened to look toward the door and
ehere saw a party of Spanish soldiers
drawn up in line. They had their guns
pointed at me. and their officer said in
| spanish the words which in English mean
hands up, Instead OF doing that l
grabbed my rifle and let 30 a shot at the
crowd, One of the soldiers dropped and
r'shed OUT o. the door during the excite
| Eieh' and got into the street, The soldiers
ran after me, shooting all the time.
ran up the long street toward the
bfl4se which leads across the river into The
| country. The soldiers followed me. shoot
! lls as they ran Their bullets flew wild
ara old not strike me. but ore poor old
! woman was Killed by s9'ot which was in
'tAueu LOT ius' The soldiers who had first
' NY Hpted to capture me We're join. ed by
! f1nioreements until there were at least
Wv atter me. When | got to the bridge
tuired and sent n couple OF shots al The
/ eioNd, aud then started across the brilce
! Whieh is long and narrow. Several times 7
turned around and fired ct the soldiers
who had attempted to follow me across
. me nfiage, and rather think l killed
! Nv Nv ., mem Tor saw some drop. l finally
| Eot up into the hills, whore I hid hohinS
focks and took few more shots AT the
spaniards. Then they gave up tlhs chase,
sh i | went back to my men. | got nav
viLsSrettes all right, but l am sorry that
'ie poor innocent old woman was killed :"
among the official Spanish reports at
MADRID this adventure of the man who
! 1"r rai solnethins TO smoke is chronicled MS
srtut event OF the early part of the war.
49,, ulns 10 the spaniea historians a large
Soay OF Insurgents en:ered the town a.
SS 900 and. after fierce fight with
the hills. e" oach into