Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-12-08

6AOMo AON OllS
execution of prisoner was almost
miraculously aserted and is the YER
batim account given to the writer.
The prisoner, by the way, was Mr..
Charles Lee Cook, whom I met in
Mexico. He wos then assistant pri-
,vate secretary to President Diaz's
predecessor. He was also connected
with the Associated Press, and sup
plisd news kilograms to all the news
papers of the city:
was born in England, and when
boy was employed in a menial way on
q man-of-war. l should have prob
ably been poor and uneducated oil
my life but for remarkable occur
renee one day during q naval conflict.
I am aware that such accounts as I
am going to relate have been told be-
fore by others, but few are able to
show in their bodies proof Of their
verSsity, as can.
In the midst of the fight, when
shells, cannon balls and bullets were
flying in all directions, o she'll fell on
the deck close by me, and in an in
stant I picked 1t up and threw 1t over
board. If 1 had been content with
this, it would have been well for me-
But my curiosity led me to run to the
side of the ship to see the she'll sink
out of sight or explode. 1t exploded
that instant, and several pieces struck
me over the abdomen, inhicting ter
rible wounds. (The narrator here
showed the writer the scars, which
were several in number, and of large
size.) was taken TO my bunk, and
for some time lay between life and
death. On my recovery, the captain
considered that my act ought to be
rewarded, and through his instru-
mentality received fair education,
which enabled me to seek future
career of higher character than l
had before thought Of.
My life was, however, one of wan
derings and many vicissitudes. I
joined the Cubans in their struggle to
free themselves of the thraldom in
which they were held by the Span
iards. l was made general of the
rebel forces. The movement, how
ever, was not sufficiently we'll organ
lied either as regards numbers OF
combatants or means to gain the end
in view. After various skirmishes,
which were generally disastrous to us,
our forces became demoralized and
scattered. The scouts sent out by
the Government never ceased to hunt
us, aud there was but one sentence
for the prisoners they took, which
was to be shot We were compelled
TO hide in the woods and thickets,
and to keep away as far as possible
from every known path While being
thus driven my companions dwindled
in number, until at last I was quite
alone. T was for some days without
food, except what I could gather in
the shape OF wild berries in the
woods, not daring to venture in the
vicinity OF roads or houses. All that
remained to me was my rifle and a
few rounds of ammunition.
One day, after wandering until
weary, 1 sat down on the ground to
rest aud lean my back against tree.
In order that my rife might not be
stolen while 1 was asleep, it was my
custom to place it between my back
aud the tree. dropped into souno
sleep. How long | slept [ don!
know, bat was suddenly awakened
by my rifle being removed from it,
place, and on opening my eyes l saw
several soldiers forming o circi'
around me, and / was ordered to ge
up, in not the politest language
Alas, they had found mo out. and
had nothing to look forward to nov
but brutal treatment, an ignominiou
Imprisonment of short duration, an'
then death. j was Immediately hand
cuffed and taken to the fortress
prison of Moro Castle. l wa
not permitted to walk IN IN
ordinary way, but my hands wen
tied up close to the tail OF restlY