The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-18
HEREAUX'S BANDIT RULE.
now HE IWED AND PLUNDERED ~
LITTLE NANrO DOMINGO.
His Despotic Career Cut short by an Act of
Observation-Disclosures and Courage
Rare Qualities In the Black Republic
Incidents of the Last Revolution.

His Despotic Career Cut short by an Act of
Bravado-M Workmanship and Courage
Rare Qualities in the Black Republic
incidents of the Last Revolution.
SOM interesting side lights have been
thrown upon the events OF the recent revolu-
ton in Santo Domingo by John W. Knapp. a
native Of Malone, n. u. who arrived in this
port yesterday on the Clyde Line steamer new
York. Mr.. Knapp was In Santo Domingo on
business and had been there since before the
assassination OF President Hereaux on July 2b,
which began. or az least made possible, the
overturning Of the HerrauX Government and
the elevation OF Jimencz to the office OF Chief
Executive. The picture which Mr.. Knapp
draws Of the late President Hercnux il that OF
n barbarIc monarch ruling a timid but bar
barrie people by harbaric methods enforced
with a dash and courage that paralyzed oil op-
position so long as the leader was alive.
Hereaux is said 10 have deliberately braved
the danger which led to his death In order 70
maintain in tho minds OF the people the super
stition that no mortal hand could take his life.
He had been warned that an attempt would be
made upon his life before he started for Moca.
and to show his contempt for the danger he
left behind him the band OF cutthroats which
usually acted AS his bodyguard AMI travelled
with only his secretary as a companion. At
MOca he allowed the secretary to go also. and
he was alone when attacked
Considering the remarkable naccuracy Of the
Santo Dominicans with firearms. the wonder IL
not that he was killed. but that he was hit.
Although 1t is the ambition OF every man in
SantO Domingo 10 own a rife, and the first
money a boy earns Il devoted to buying some
kind OF IA revolver. he apparently never learns
to shoot straight. In an encounter. for in
stance. which took place between two men
seated on opposite sides Of a small table in a
restaurant. Mr.. Knapp says that ofthe five shots
fred by one man one went astray altogether,
one hit the other man in the groin, another
took of the tip OF one Of his fingers and the
other two went harmlessly through his hat. A
still more remarkable case was that OF one
Pepine. q member Of lleroaux's ~bodyguard.
who was attacked in a small room by eight
men armed with rifles. Pepine escaped unhurt
and as H. fed some soldiers at a nearby fort
hearing all the shooting opened fire themselves
on the house whence he came. but hit
none Of the inmates. 1t was this same Popine
who made about the only armed resistance
which the revolutionary forces met with after
the assassination of li"re0nX.
He was then command I a. Santa o, the
town OF the cryal era. n he interior Al the
othrr ~ inc pal towns had prom pity Surren-
derri ly telephone when summoned, PIT
Prpin, stOo cut. He took rouge with h )
tto town . HIs IN " a ,S Sd'" @ita lGE' z c tue .T oi months OF ihs
af'er Hell, auN's death the a.suul was made
by an army ot tire or four hgndred pic'pr-
big leather pouch sung acros hi III u Tor
TO carry cartrI igcS IN som" had antlduntrd
revoIycrs and each had gunny
In pace of a blanket. A pair Of cotton trous-
err, q shirt and n palm hat comnleted the COS
tune, and all were harefooted These soldiers
went sneak n around corners until they could
away without taking aim. The soldiers IN the
fort approached its Portfolios III an equally
guarded manner aud sent out answering shots.
The engagement was kept up for two days,
More than 10000 shots were fired and the only
person hurt was a girl, she rokrd her head
out OF the window of her home to see what
was going on and was killed Incidentally,
TIL band Of men to which Pcpine belonged
was one Of the bulwarks OF Hereauxs power.
There were only about a score Of them, but
each one was known 10 have killed his man
and they were much dreaded. Where HereauX
went they went, riding on horsebaci as his
escort. and they were ready g. 10 whatever he
commanded. Hareaux travelled a great part
OF the time, both for pleasure AMI profit.
Throughout his dominions he had built up a
complex machinery OF pleasure and business
wh,ch was at the same timo apoweriul all to his
retention Of power. In every town II was said
that he had a wife, al Of whom he maintained
in good style and each Of whom was also a spy
upon the pooIle Of the ne'ghborhood. He had
many spies elsewhere also. but all of this took
money. although the legitimate revenues OF
the country from import dutie were altogether
inadequate even II they had not been hypoth-
ecated to the San Domingo Improvement
Company, To meet the deficiencies 10 his
revenues HereauX had IN ench principal town
q favored merchant who imported his goods
free Of tax and enjoyed other Official Ia
yors which gave him the opportunity TO get
rich. OF course, these merchants never re-
fused 10 loan money 30 HercHuX whom he de-
maudri {, even though they knew b" could
NOT pay, BGt even these sources, Of revenue
were not sufficient. and l~lrreauN flooded the
country with paper money, all Of which went
into circulation ~ payment tor his pleasures
and his schemes, an this was what iinally
turned the merchant classes against him. This
no ey iecane so uncertain in value that
81, 100 in paper was offered for So in silver
about the time hcrrnuX wa, Killed, x,
! government and he hell hi spell over the
II liked popp'a'ion Of Santo domingo with little
trouhle; Many grewsomc tales are told q his
after HereauX's physician visited them and
who are supposed 10 have been sunk in chains
which MI; Knapp, says has not been
a man who had married q young woman
Of his iavorite-. i~Icroauv -aw tho young
woman while passing through her town
and sending for her said he wanted her for q
wife II have a house all furnished for you
come and all the ,ircssrs you want" But ! am
about 10 be married. she said. u shall he
back in a MONTH" Hereaux answered, "and
sho 1 come for you." He returned in q month
ami sent 'dr the woman, Il am married. she
said. Then he sent for the man, You haye
eaten OF that which | would have eaten. he
said. Now the earth shall eat you and no
had the young husband buried alive
HerrauN esteemed those who had killed their
man md he was sure TO find lots OF gov
eminent work for them TO do wherever they
were. They were useful in Ovrrawlng tho peO-
pie. One man, for instance, whom Mr.. KNAPP
knew, had committed a murder and been sem
fenced to serve two NeHrs in Iall FOR IL.
HoreauN par1on"d him an made him a con-
duct0r on the state railroad. \ conductor IN
that country il an important parsonage, and
this man with n murdrrOus record was Obcyod
implicitly by Ia-sengCrs who had male trouble
for his predecessor. When the Jinene2 gov
| nj came in. however, he wa, rearrest"d
and sent 10 prison 10 serve out his term, An
employee under Mr.. Knapp asked for leave one
day to quit work At ! o "lock. tie secured per
mission aud went directly and killed Il man
with whom he had a quarrel about q woman.
He served seven months IN Jail for the crime
aud then the Governor ot his province took him
out and set i'm M IN business.
Hai I%ierpHux depended upon his army TO
MAINTAIN his power he would have bo"n over
thrown long ago. HIS soldiers got 20 cents a
day In paper money and ted themselves. They
were obliged to live on sugar cane which for
t%unateIv Sclls for about a cont a yard and, a