The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-07
HAS HAD EXPERIENCES
RECRUIT WHO HAS BEEN ENGAGED
IN FILIBUSTERING.
Helped to Carry Garcia Back to Cuba
Landing ArmS-Chased by
Spanish Cruisers.

One of the additions to the ranks of Uncle
Sans regular army from this city yester-
day was a young man who, in the short
space of two years, passed through an ex-
perience that is far from commonplace Will
liam Lange is the name of the recruit in
question: and that his story is true Captain
Black Is willing TO vouch. For over year
Lange was in the service of Dynamite
Johnny O'Brien the captain of the famous
fiLbustering steamer Bermuda.
Lange carries a discharge from the boat
as an engineer on the trips in which she
carried arms and ammunition to the armies
Of the Cuban Republic. The first one was
in the spring of 1886, when the vessel left
New York empty. Hardly were they out of
sight of land when a lighter pulled along
side and loaded them full of munitions of
war There We're Hotchkiss guns, rifles
cartridges, and. above all, 2e0 cases of dyna-
mite hoisted aboard After loading the yes
sci proceeded in leisurely fashion to a point
near Atlantic City, where it was boarded
by Gen. Calixto Garcia who had, shortly
before. made his escape from Spain Then
all steam was put on and the course taken
to a point between Matanzas and Cardenas
where a detachment of the Cuban army
met them and assisted in unloading the
=,
and was done almost in full sight of three
Spanish men-of-war.
No accident befell the expedition, how
ever, and the Cubans received their sup
plies unframed, while Dynamite johnny
reaped the reward of his enterprise in
American dollars.
Returning to this country Philadelphia
was chosen as the point from which the
second start would be made, and here an
other cargo of munitions of war was taken
on. This time it was decided by the Cuban
Junta to ship the supplies to the army OPP
Grating near Santiago de Cuba. This expe-
ditlon, however, met with great difficulty,
for when off Baracoa light and in the act Of
unloading the vessel by means of two boats
lowered over the side the cruisers Infanta
Isabella and Alphonso XIII hove in sight
and threw their searchlights on the men en-
gagged in the work. AS soon as il was ap-
parent they were discovered energetic meas
ures were taken to get away, and as there
was no time to take the boats on board
again they were cut loose, and it is report
ed that, as a result thirtY-fiVe men COM
prising the crews We're captured and shot
at MORO Castle. The two cruisers pursued
the Bermuda across the Gulf of Mexico for
two. days and nights, lodging hither and
thlther, only to give up the chase when the
America.
The crew seemed to think that this feat
was a very creditable one for Captain
. Brien, :nasmuch as the Bermuda is TWEEN
ty-five years old, and of the pattern gen
orally designated by seamen as a coffee
mill. The best time she was capable of
making was made on this trip. when, with
safety valves tied down to the point of dan
ger she was induced to make fourteen
knots an hour, while the cruisers Isabella
and Alphonso are credited with being able
to make upwards of sixteen.
After quitting Port Antonio another at
tempt was made to effect a landing near
the same point and was successful. On an
other trip the crew of the Bermuda was put
aboard sea-going tug loaded partially with
merchandise and partially with arms and
steamed boldly i'm the harbor of Havana
Here they had an opportunity of seeing the
Spanish soldier as he is, and their report of
the individual Is not flattering one. His
uniform resembles that of a day laborer. a
pair of overals held up by an army belt
hats of all descriptions and guns of an an
tiquated pattern go to make up the equip
ment of the Spanish soldier seen at that
time at Havana. Discipline was away be-
low par. for one evening when off duty some
of the tugs crew went ashore and passing
by a group of Spanish soldiers noticed a
gun stack and alongside of it drum and
fife The sailors in q spirit of revelry.
helped themselves to the muskets and drum
and with the assistance of the tifer played
some American airs, discharging the
muskets and effecting their escape without
detection.