The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-11-11
A CHARACTER NOT LIKELY TO BE
FORGOTTEN SOON.


Santo Domingo's Dead Tyrant Was
Truly Remarkable Figure-Per-
sonal Qualities and Methods That
Enabled Him to Maintain q Des-
potism Until Cut on by Death-His
Spy system-Many Enemies Done
to Death-Ruin Of the Country's
Finances. =
Eel que hferro mata, a hero muere."
HE who lives by the sword shall die
town of Moca, Santo Domingo, Ramon
Caceres shot President Ulises Heureaux
through the heart, avenging thus the
death Of his father, whom Hureaux- had
caused to be assassinated. There are a
great many people who add that by this
deed also he liberated the Dominican peo-
pie from the bonds of tyranny In which
for the last twenty years they had been
held.
Ulises Heureaux, or ''Lilis,'' as he was
Familiarity called, was born In Puerto Pla-
ia about forty-six years ago. and was
a Haitian mulatto, and Josefa Lebert q
negress of st. Thomas. In his early
yssiath he served as a Dominican soldier,
and Ak time went on, rose step by step
until hexattained the rank of general
of divisioIfsss AS recalled in a Puerto Plata
(San Domi1aKo) letter to the New York
Sun, he wasA first heard OF under Gen.
1Sg a az ne asnse
Spaniards In 1878 and 1870 he was the
delegate of the executive power in the
provinces of the Cibao, and in 1880 he
served as delegate of the provisional gov
eminent In the Southern provinces. After
ward, during the administration Of Mer1-
no, he was named minister of the In
terror and president of the council Of
ministers. From this point in his career
until the day of his death he assumed
alone the responsibility of the govern
ment of the republic and with singular
ability dedicated ali his energies to the
complete service of series of political
combinations brought about by elements
created entirely by himself. He was
elected president of the country in 1882,
and remained in Office until 1884. He
was again elected in 1887, when one
small town of 1,5OO inhabitants produced
10000 votes in his favor, and, having
been reelected four times on theh same
lines, held the reins Of government until
the day of his death.
The personal appearance of ,Lilis was
rather striking. He was a tall mulatto,
with stolerably regular features, in which
were blended the African and the eau
casian types He had strong, resolute
lips brown and piercing eyes, a slightly
receding chin, a broad, feshy nose, short,
short-cropped mustache. One arm hung
useless and limp at his side, the result
Of a bullet wound received in his early
days. His bearing was erect and soldier
like, but what most struck one as. being
remarkable was the comprehensive and
penetrating glance with which those intel
ligent watchful eyes of his would seem to
take in on the instant everything that
was going on around him.
Lilis was a man of indomitable will and
a good judge of character, his personal
bravery and GOODNESS in moments of dan
ger were beyond question, and these
qualities, added to his skill as a soldier
and his knowledge of the country and
of the people with whom he had to deal,
enabled him to overcome with ease the
conspiracies which were constantly brew
ing against him. He inherited the in :.
stirctive cunning Of the African negro,
and acquired through constant inter-
course with foreigners a suavity and be-
nevolence of demeanor which would throw
stranger off his guard. He was always
Watehful, although feigning ,carelessness
of department, never became excited or
lost coltrol of his temper, and even in
his most dangerous moments was attent-
i've and courteous. He was good friend
to his friends, and allowed them to en-
rich themselves at the country's expense
To his enemies, who were greatly in the
majority, he was INSCRIPTIONS, despotic
and cruel in his treatment and he regard
ed hem with a most implacable hatred
He was licentious in the extreme, and
was lavishly generous to his mistresses
Although he maintained costly establish
ments, he was simple in the extreme in
his personal appearance and habits, and
could accommodate himself to the rough
est circumstances and the coarsest fare.
He never touched intoxicants, and used
only water as a beverage. At public
functions and on gala occasions he wore
the uniform Of his office, and his bearing.
though dignified, was always modest and
unassuming He cared nothing for dis
play and preferred cool, blut drill suit
to blue cloth, gold lace and epaulets bat
was always scrupulously clean and neat.
In his intercourse with the country peo-
pie ne arected drawing, sing-song pa
tots, but to the more intelligent classes he
spoke good Spanish, with much fluency OF
expression. He spoke English and French
WELL and it is stated that he understood
little German. He Is credited with be-
Ing superstitfous and believer in signs
and omens.
He was generally accompanied by a
personal body guard, composed of some
six or eight resolute cut-throats, each Of
whom had killed his man. and some Of
whom had committed murder several
times. These men were we'll paid, were
faithful to him, were always armed to the
teeth, and were ready to defend him at a
moments notice, or to carry out: ito the
letter whatever orders he might give
them. without asking any questions.
Lilis must have maintained whole
army of spies He had spies everywhere
among them many women, principally, al
though not always, of the lower classes,
s and it Is said that the field over which he
exercised his system of espionage was not
confined to the Dominican republic alone.
He had his agents in Haiti Cuba, Porto
Rico, ST. Thomas, Jamaica. Paris, New
York, Turks island, and at every point
where he imagined that an enemy woulG
be likely to set foot. Some of these spies
had diplomatic offices, and they represent
ed the interests of the republic at differ
ent points abroad. receiving pay In pro-
portion to the value Of their service; that
is, i'll proportion to the value of the fnfor-
nation they could furnish regarding the
movements of the enemies of Hepreaux In
the localities in which they were placed;
the rest of their duty being, of course, a
sinecure The maintenance of this insti
tution-if it can be so called-must have
Y been a heavy burden on Heureaux's purse
but through it he was kept constantly in
touch of what was going on around him.
and he generally knew in time of any
conspiracy against him that may have
been brewing. Sometimes when IN doubt
he would play off one spy against another
and would check or his Information from
two distinct reports e.
It has been said that no spy could ever
fathDm Herreallx'S notifies yThia woc