The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-07-01

III QIQI1 LII III 0AN0A IL -
assessed SO many pesos. He is further
notified as to the days of grace allowed
and the manner in which the money is to
be delivered. The letter throughout
breathes the spirit that an early remit
tance is respectfully demanded.
IF that man has lived long in Cuba he
will probably know enough about the
way bandits do business to give him ag4
grayated insomnia, and it is more than
likely that he will send his agent to the
place designated, and on the appointed
minute, too, with all or nearly all the
money asked. He knows that If he does
not pay any attention to the letter it is
only a question Of time until he is kid
mapped. In such a case the affair takes on
a different aspect. The friends or family
Of the captive are notified of the amount
Of money required, and if this is Rot
Forthcoming at the appointed time ghast-
~ mementos of the absent one begin to
arrive. One of the favorite methods is to
send the first joint of the captured mans
first finger of the left hand-not enough
to disable the captive, you see, but suH
cient OF him TO arouse considerable inter
est in the proceedings. Sometimes the
captive is allowed to send in accompany
ing letter, and he usually calls his friends
attention to the act that it is a condi-
ton and not a theory which is then con-
fronting him.
when / was manager Of the Soledad
sugar estates, a case occurred that made
me think that it was better to be a juds
than a bandit from a financial point {
view. A submanager on a nearby estate
started on a several days journey and
was supposed to have some ready money
with him. Shortly after passing our place
he was shot down by a bandit. Soledad
was then being guarded by & detachment
of the guardia civil, and a sentry, hearing
the shot, ran out of the gate with his
rifle. He saw the traveller lying on the
ground. and the bandit, having dismount-
ed from his own horse, was going through
the dead mans pockets The guard at
once shot at the man and missed him.
The thief sprhng on his horse and started
off at a gallop. Instantly the guard drop
ped on one knee, took a steady aim and
dropped the bandit from his horse, dead.
We went together to the bandit and took
from him the travellers po~cketbook, con-
tanning about 500, and a pouch Of silver,
which had also belonged to the bandits
victim. Altogether the money amounted
to nearly $500.
being somewhat new to the customs
OF the country and knowing the dead
man, / was about to send a messenger
to his house to break the sad news to
the widow and to return his property. I
was warned, however, that the matter
would have to be considered judicialIy
and the money held by the authorities
until the investigation was concluded. A
soldier hurried off to summon the proper
parties, and / put the money in our safe.
The first man to arrive was the agent Of
the alcalde. He came up at a gallop,
swung himself from his horse and ex-
claimed:
"sWhere is the money!
II told him that / had it, and upon his
tender Of a receipt ! gave it to him.
While we were talking over the case !
heard the rapid hoofbeats Of a horse on
the highway, and a moment after the
representative Of the judge of the district
rushed in and said.
"rNhere is the money!
1T was explained that it had been
given to the alcalde, and the judges
agent at once demanded it of the al
calde's man, and there was some little
wrangling. decided that the Judge
probably had the better title, so | return
ed my first receipt. took up the money
and gave it to the judges representative,
taking his receipt for it. About this
time we saw another galloping horseInan
headed for the gate, and as he got nearer
/ recognized the officer commanding the
ruardia civil. / knew what he was going
~ 90 Trmniu0 0ff his horse. he anxf-