The Republican., 1899-03-23
SPANISH TREACHERY.
A Horde of Thieves and Murderers
Turned Loose to Prey Upon
Cubans.

AhS ~ tHC NupdA JuDtd III new 10TH,
let loose the worst gang of thieves in
Cuba.
They are expected, in gratitude for
their deliverance, to become a camorra
and prey upon the people.
AS the day for the evacuation of the
island drew near it became evident that
Blanco and his subordinates, acting
under direct orders from the govern.
ment at Madrid, were planning a final
coup which, while it would not infringe
on the provisions of the treaty of peace,
would serve to embarass the United
States government at the outset of its
administration and lead to intermina.
bic disorder in the island
On the last day of his administration
Gen. Blanco announced that "as evil
dence of the love of Spain fer the peo
pie who had been taken from her he
had resolved to order a general release
of the 'Nanigos' that is, political
prisoners-from the prisons of the
penal settlements of Africa, whittier
they had been sent for crimes against
property and person.
"The Nanigos," says President I.
Estrada Palma, of the junta, "are part
ly Spanish thieves and murderers, who
were transported from Spain for
Spain's good, and partly the lowest
class of West Indian negroes. They are
not politicians - simply footpads.
thieves, mankillers and thugs. Per-
haps over the whole range of the earth
it would be difficult to find worse or
more dangerous combination of Grim
inals. Their presence is a constant
menace to good order"
The effect of the release of the Mani
gos may be compared to that which
would follow general depopulation of
Sing Sing. One might just as well open
the doors of the state prison and turn
the criminals loose to work their own
sweet will upon the surrounding towns.
The number of the Nanigos is va
riously estimated at from 1,5OO to 1000
AS band it was perfectly organized
Each man joining the organization is
requested to swear upon the cross that
he will not betray the secrets of the
combination and to submit himself
willingly to the order of the "head
center" Just who the head center is
no one in Havana, beyond Gen. Blanco
and his aids, has ever known. The
popular impression that he might he
found in the person of Juan Martez. a
thug, who had barely escaped execu-
ton for murder in Madrid. may per-
haps be near the truth. And in Mar
tez' usefulness in doing spy work
among the Cubans during the war is
found the secret of the inability of the
local Spanish government to find him.
The methods of the Narigos do not
materially differ from those adopted
y the gangs" that infest the river
front of the streets of the extreme east
side in this city. Their operations are
conducted on a large scale. Burning
farmhouses, ravishing women, break
ing into houses and numbering the in
habitants, waylaying and robbing men
and women in the streets, kidnapping
young girls and holding them for ran
som are among their accomplishments,
according 10 the statement of the Gu
ban junta.
The conception and execution of
petty theft is left to the discretion of
the individual But in the more impor-
tant work of the organization the Mani
gos act on orders from headquarters.
Four or five picked men, whose dar-
ing and discretion may be trusted, are
told off to sack a farmhouse, burn a
plantation, steal a woman or a child,
or break into the residence of wealthy
citizen. The orders are drastic. Mar
tez and his chief lieutenants will ac-
cept no excuse for failure
Perhaps the most noticeable achieve
ment of the Nanigos may be found in
the murder of an old banker and his
servant in house in the center of
Havana. One morning the banker was
found strapped down to the ironwork
of his bedstead, dead, his body covered
with triangular-shaped wounds: in ii
lower room the housekeeper was foun6,
her head almost severed from her body.
Jewelry and plate to the value of $780,
900 were missing-N. Y. Journal.
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