The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-14

ne managed 10 support his family On the
small salary he received. Barely six
months after his promotion to the COM
mand Of the district there occurred most
revolving Mango murder. A woman near
! ly 20 years old was stabbed 10 death and
| her corpse hacked into pieces. Pana at
once started to run down the murderer.
This he did, only to discover in him one
/ Of the principal Mango chiefs. So great
was the popular aggrayation against the
society al this time, however, that the
authorities felt that something must be
done, and Pana was ordered to arrest the
murderer.
He did not finch from his duty. The
( Mango chief, feeling secure, made no at
/ tempt to escape, and was easily taken.
He was tried, convicted, and sentenced
/ TO death Immediately after the trial Pana
and the Judge who pronounced the SEN
/ tence received notices from the Mango So
ciety that If the prisoner was not freed
within twenty-four hours they would not
/ Twelve 10 see the sentence executed. OF
course the man was not set at liberty.
/ A week later he was garroted in a public
square. The same day the judge was found
dead in his room, stabbed through the
!
Police and demanded a bodyguard Of SOL
diers. This was given him, and for three
/ months he escaped the vengence of the
Nanigos- Then one day he rebuked one
| of the soldiers of his guard for some sight
/ breach of discipline and the man shot him
dead. The soldier escaped. but sent a
/ letter to the chief of police stating that
he was a Mango and had waited an OPP
portunity to carry out the order of the
society. He was never captured.
a few years earlier Francisco Garcia, a
sublieutenant in the Alfonso XII. regiment,
foolishly protected a woman from the in
sulting addresses of a Mango. That same
night he was fatally stabbed in the TO
tunda of a cafe. His murderer was never
molested.
So for many years this band of murder
ers kept Havana and other Cuban cities
completely terrorized. The police were
cowed and naturely the populace was
helpless. The society probably reached
the zenith of its power in 1889, when Cap
tain General POlavieja was sent from
Spain with rigid instructions TO stamp it
out. Cuba was temporarily free from civil
war, and the time seemed propltious A
few former rebels of the lower order who
had price upon their heads, and who had
been unable to escape from the islands,
were 10 be found in the ranks of the Mani
gos, where they could continue a relent-
less warfare against the tyranny of Spain.
This afforded the government an oppOr-
tunity to kill to birds with one stone, and
TO crush rebellion at the same time it ex-
terminated the Manages. Polavieja's Wig
orous methods soon had the Nanigos on
the run. Many of the principal chiefs
were arrested and cast into the dungeons
of Cabanas. whence they journeyed TO the
Posse de los Laurales'' and thence to a
grave in the cemetary on a hill overlook
ing the city. Hundreds of Nanigos were
captured and the remnant forced to fee
to the mountains. Many were deported to
SPANS penal colonies in Africa and the
Canary Islands. To all outward appear
ances the Mango society was crushed.
Then came the final rebellions of the Gu
bans, which was destined TO freee Cuba
from Spanish rule. Campos failed and
Weyler was sent to crush il. His methods
were too well known and too narrowing
to bear repetition. But the administration
of THE Butcher brought the Mango So
ciety again TO life. Again whispers were
heard of the operations of the organiza-
ton, and again people were freely muir
dered in the streets Of Havana. 1t was
noticed, however. that many Of the vic
TINS were Cuban patriots or persons sus-
pected Of active sympathy with the re-
bellion. This caused considerable COM
ment. Then it was also noticed that when
IN a ba
society, which he promptly did. Cuban
sympathizers were arrested and accused
of being Nanigos, while the real members
escaped. This caused more comment, and
Weyler was accused of using the society
in two ways to further its ends-the Mani |
gos murdered patriots and patriots were
punished for the deeds. These crcum-
stances led people TO think that Weyler |
had himself revived the society for pur- |
pose, and its existence in the original form |
has been doubted ever since.
And now hundreds of so-called Nanigos |
have been released from SPANS penal col |
ones and are being dumped by the dis
gruntled nation into Havana. Is this spite !
or tardy justice? Taking the latter view (
as the more probable. the claim of trump |
ed up charges under Weylers rule re- |
ceives a certain degree Of circumstantial /
confirmation. On the other hand. if these /
men be the desperate and bloodthirsty /
criminals adjudged by the Spanish auth |
critics when convicted. what base trick |
has Madrid played upon the American |
authorities in Cuba: Most Of the men |
have arrived from their penal exile brok- 1
en- in body and spirit. Some are undou5t- /
edly innocent. while others are undoubted- /
~ criminals of the worst type. Being fore /
warned, the American officials are TAX /
ing extraordinary precautions NJ Nc !
Cuuagh Is thoroughly alert and will crush 4
the Mango monster the instant il develops |
any intention 10 pursue Us former blood /
thirsty tactics. So far The returned exiles 1
have kept remarkably quiet, having en- /
gagged in only a few street disturbances (
and one murder. II American rule sue /
ceeds IN terminating the existence Of The /
Mango it VIII have given practical !
q is efficiency. which wIIl 4
not be lost upon the people o. Cuba
Il