The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-19

body in Ponce with eyes to see and ears
to hear could help but know that a more
dangerous character did not exist. But,
as nothing is more harmless than white
bread, Pan Blanco became his name by
sarcasm and common consent"
They say that he took large sum with
him to San Domingo. He is a Spanjard,
who went to Porto Rico in his teens as "a
clerk He took to gambling and presently
opened a hotel which developed into re-
sort for the worst criminals. He knew
them better than they knew themselves
and could pick out the best man On Ponce
for any given work better than anybody
else. Al first he made his recommended
ton without thought of pecuniary bene-
fiji 10 himself Then he contracted to have
jobs done. He collected the 800 or $500
and sent Pancho or Pope or Juanito or
any of the other hangers-on about his
place out to abduct the child, fire The
house, kill the man, or do whatever else
the commission called for Often these
fellows had TO do the work for nothing,
and when Pan Blanco paid them IL was
rarerly more than $40. Being a Spaniard,
Pan Blanco had an advantage over the
native bandits. The authorities winked at
his business. They merely required him
to offend public decencies as little as posi-
BILE, in other words. 10 conduct his agency
for assassination, murder, kidnapping, ar
son and the like quietly. Many an official,
moreover, was won't to call on Pan Blanco
in moments of financial stress and effect
leans which he was very careless about
reDaying, and which Pan Blanco never
bothered himself about collecting. Thus
Pan Blanco conducted his profitable bus-
ness for three decades without official an
noyance He also had highly profitable
connections with the outlaws of the noun
tains He was fence for them, ana to
their retreats he often found II necessary,
in order 10 alay public Indignation, 10
send some of his more notorious hench-
men. He must be about SIS now When
the Americans landed he went from Ponce
to San Domingo, but 1t is believed that
from there he made his way back to his
native Spain, there TO lead life of leisure
In his old age.
Aeuila Blanca is a far more picturesque
and romantic figure among the bandits Of
Porto Rico than Pan Blanco. He received
his name because he was hard to catch.
'Many a time we have approached to
within a dozen yards of him" said for
rner civil guard, land yet throughout his
long career as a brigand he has never
once been arrested, but ! have every rea-
son to believe that he has been wound
ed many times. Once we surprised him
on the road leading to Juana Diaz. We
were six strong and Immediately we OPEN
ed fire on him. have never in my life
missed a pigeon at that distance. 1 must
certainly have hit him. There were other
men in the party who swore they could
not have missed him. However, Aguila
Blanca did not fall into our hands. He
dashed away with the wings Of an eagle
and few we never knew whittier. We
looked for blood, and saw some damp spots
on the ground, where Aguila Blanca had
stood when we leve.ed our guns az him
and fired. We came TO the conclusion that
it was not possible to capture him either
alive or dead"
Aguila Blanca's life is exemplary to-day.
fully tustfying the safe conduct which
Gen Henry gave him. When Agulla Blan-
ca asked for II he wrote that he had been
man of the woods out of undying, i'm
placabIe hatred for Spaniards; that now
that they had been driven from the island
he had no further incentive 10 war against
authority and therefore he desired to re-
turn to civilized life and be a law-abidng
citizen of his beloved native island There
was some correspondence and Gen. Henry
at length granted the passport on condi-
ton that Aguila Blanca should assist the
military and police authorities In the work
OF Kidding the island Of brigands. Aguila