The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-06-10
He CAPTURED FIRST
PRIZE w THE WAR

which recalls pleasant memories
Lieutenant r. r. Magruder. de-.
tachcd from the Naval Academy and
ordered 20 the Buffalo
Magrudor ls The man who took into
port the first prize captured when our
brush with Spain was begun This
country has been at war continually
ever since. so the echoes OF that frst
gun fred of Key West on the morning
the American feet sailed TO blockade
Havana are no longer noisy.
out past Sand Key steamed the
most oGecuye feet ever launched
against an enemy The morning was
Of the finest. At last war has been
declared. At last the dogs Of wal
had been loosed Never was. there
more enthusiasm among men charg
ed with a task which, as It then
seemed. was desperate. No one
thought 1t possible that there would
be long weary weeks Of waiting. The
general idea was that Havana was to
be subdued by a rain of shells from
the sea off Hcrro.
The Flag Of Spain.
Suddenly there was a diversion.
Bearing down upon the fleet from the
northward came a single vessel fly
ing the Spanish hag-that yellow and
red ensign which someone thinking
of the cruelties perpeti ited under it in
the long ago, described as "a river Of
gold flowing between two rivers OF
blood" It new above the good mer-
chant steamer Buena Ventura. Her
captain long from port, had heard no
tidinss # war. From his deck he
viewed with amazement the vast
armament moving toward Cuba. He
never suspected for a moment that
there was trouble In the air but
trouble there was.
Lieut. Magruder was an ensign on
the Nashville then, a good fellow, hail
ing from Mississippi A string Of
fags was seen at the signal mast of
the flagship 1t was read by the Of
hceis OF the Nashville Almost in
stantly there was pun of smoke
through which ran red tongue of
FIRE from the gunboats bow A shot
skipped across the Buena Ventura's
stem The mighty feet slowed down
10 see
Thought it a Salute.
The flag of the Don was dipped in
answer to what the misguided captain
thought was salute Again there
was signal from the flagship. An
other pun OF smoke from the Nash
VILE and another shell, nearer this
time, Confusion on the Don. Full
speed astern,' signailed his gongs.
What could his American friends be
about?
p Oversize fell one of the Nashville's
boats, and in it were Ensign Magrud-
er and a sturdy crew in the blue OF
Uncle Samuel the long patient who
at length had taken the old rusty gun
down from above the mautlepiece aud
gone cunning for the oppressor OF the
Cubans, the Ges rogers of the Maine.
give wayi' says Magruder. Of Mis-
sissippi. The Don's screw had churn-
ed the Buena Ventura to standstill.
"oars.' says Magruder, as his boat
shot alongside.
Thought L an Honor.
Welcome, senorl" quoth the Span
ish captain. 1T is a grea, honor this
you do mel"
business says Maguder of the
Nashville You know war has been
declared?g
~warl" gasped the other Then
this aeeto
Has made yon a prize replied
the ensign.
"And those says the other
palms
Wore to heaye you to, answers the
ensign. III you submit quietly and
my mon win take you into Key West,
To your cabin, sir If you win be so
good Jones, take the wheel Steady
as she goes Down With that flag, Up
with Old Glory Full speed ahead"
And thc Buena Ventura steamed
through the feet into Key West under
command of Ensign Mogruder
Ho did sterling service in the stern
or weeks which followed And he
plays as good hand at poker as one
could wish. congratulate the Of
hcers OF The Buffalo whose luck It is
to have so good a man among them.
1 might add as a friendly hint that
Magluder seldom blufs.
Seven Years In Red