The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-16
GENERAL URIBE-URIBE.
A Sketch of the Colombian RcNoIu-
tiuRHry Leader.

uunurE Lender
Since the return Of General Uribc-Uribc
90 Colombia and the announcement Of an
other revolt there. interest in the south
American soldier has been aroused lie is
one Of thc most picturesque characters
/ ever developed on the isthmus He is only
I forty years old, tall. athletic, and uusm.I-
Ing There is nothing of the advcnturgr or
S"dshbuckler in his appearance He is
man who takes everything seriously and
who knows how 10 work hard and 90 dare
greatly. He came TO the United States
last February with number OF his staff
including r. Perez, his private secretary.
whose wife Is a Chicago girl. Even at
that time the revolution was well under
way. and General Uribe-Uribe directed its
operations for several weeks from his
Broadway hotel While in this country he
made friends with many prominent bust
ness men, VINO were impressed with his
plain sincerity and his patriotic fervOr
jribe-Iribe was born up in the noun
taiHS Of AutOChia. in the interior Of Co
Iombia and on the crest of the Andes. His
mother was famous for her beauty. while
his father was an athlete and ranCher-
Many patriots and fighters for liberty
have been born in the mountains. and she
friends of Uube-Uribe point out that his
was the proper birthplace for man dos
tined to rescue his country from the
hands Of corrupt and tyT1uniCaI poiiti-
clans While a boy he WIS taught by his
father 10 break and ride the wild horses
Of the hills, 70 take long tramps over the
mountain trails, and TO endure the hard
ships Of camp life in the high wilderness.
50 he acquired the splendid physique and
the courage which has enabled him 70
win no less than fDrftr-efy rFTfrHaF F.4rrTa,-
coming Of victorious and scatheless in
every one he has been engaged in.
In the meantime his ambitious parents
saw that the boys education was not neg
lected- After ne had finished at the lit
tie mountain school he was sent 90 The
great national university Of Bogota, the
capital Of Colombia. which is also a
mountain city located far in the interior
and thousands Of feet above the sea level
Here the young man graduated and then
went back to his mountain home 70 Pr4c-
tice his profession as "a lawyer.
Almost Immediately he was chosen by
his feIIOw-tOwnsmen to represent his ma
tive town in the National Chamber of
Deputies, corresponding 20 the lower
house Of Congress in this country Tribe
Tribe soon developed great powers as an
orator. writer. and leader in the House
The Conservative party was in control
Of the Government. and Tribe thunder
ed in vain in favor Of free press, free
speech, and free education
These reforms were resisted by the
Government and finally the people of
Uribe-Tribe's mountain home rose in re-
volt Their first revolution was in 1916.
and Tribe threw himself at once into
their cause. lie soon won a wide r5pUta-
ton as a brave and able soldier A sec
ond revolt occurred in 1SS5. and in this
struggle Tribe won great fame, becOm-
ing the leader Of the insurgent forces.
Time and time again. at the head Of
only 300 mountaineers. Tribe won victories
over larger numbers OF Government
troops. once when a few Of the men
under his command muuniad Tribe shot
the leader with his own hand and re-
duced the others 20 submission in a few
minutes
Finally he was captured and thrown into
prison. When be was brought 70 trial his
defence was So logical and eloquent that
he was acquitted without a moments
hesitation.
In the latter part Of 1893 another insur-
recu0u broke out al the head of which
lnDe promptly placed himself During
this struggle which has been almost con-
-lnu0us ever since. Tribe performed many
--ats Of daring and her1ism- On one Oc-
stream racing a greater force Of the
enemy. narrow bridge formed the only
pa sSageway over the deep river. Tribe
unaNE announced that al a certain hour
he personally. with the first ten yOlun-
-eers. would cross that bridge and lead a
charge on the unsuspectng enemy. The
whom Tribe took by the hand. and lead
ms aim out before his army cried OUT
Soldiers. this IS Sergeant Zuleta. who
VIII cross the bridge HAND in hand. with
Ia in -r-
bravery
Forthwith the whole rebel army volun-
teered, and when the time came the gen
eral and the negro sergeant led what
proved 10 be successful charge
During his stay in the United States
General Iribe-tribe was anxious 10 ex-
plain what led him 10 take up arms
against the government Of his native land I
de declared that personal ambition had I
nothing 20 do with II. On the contrary. he /
declared he was lighting FOR the oppressed I
people of Colombia.
The present government. ne declared
has so mismanaEed the finances OF the
republic that il takes So in Colombia cur
reucy 20 buy "a 81 United States bin He
is lighting too. the Roman Catholic
Church, OF AT least its methods of admin .
i-yrItiuu in Colombia
He declares that the church collects in /
taxes more than the National Govern !
ment itself and that il is so oppressive Z
In irs demands that IN the last fifteen /
years 10 has forced l20 600 people 20 leave I
Colombia and seek homes elsewhere 1t /
has suppressed free speech and q free {
press. forces the courts 20 decide in its I
favor I'm every case and refuses to eG- I
tabIiSh secular schools Il discOurageS /
the building of railroads or the opening Of I
mines, and has no idea OF keeping any /
of the many promises of reform which IL (
has been forced 90 make. IL is corrupt
vicious oppressive. and tyrauuicaI IL is /
managed in the interests of few greedy 4
politicians and priests
In answer the friends OF the present I
Government enter a general denial They ]
say that the frequent revolutions have |
been the cause of the depreciation OF the /
currency. and they declare Tribe 20 be a /
fraud and an ally OF Dictator Castro Of /
Venezuela. whose idea IL is To combine I
ECUADOR. Venezuela. and Colombia into /
one Government. with himself at the /
head as Emperor.