Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-25
NAN|GOS ORGANIZING
A Secret Body Long Existing
in Cuba.
FORMED FOR CRIME
ITS INITIATION FULL OF MYs-
FERROUS CEREMONIES.
It's Members Bound by Strongest oaths
"A Band is Barred That Has
a Bad History.

Advices from Cuba state that the Nanigos
are again organizing. This organization
has been connected with the history OF
Cuba for over seventy years. 1t has been
the terror of children and the threat to
call the Nanigos has brought the most re-
fractory child to submission. But 1t was
not by any means a myth. and was far
more dreaded by adults. And for cause,
too, for the history of it's crimes would fill
| many volumes. 1t was a band organized
for crime, bound together by the strong
est and most secert ties man could devise,
and so mysterious in its movements that it
could not be guarded against nor con-
victed for its offenses.
The members now in Cuba were not ac-
tive during miltry occupation, and the or
ganization was only heard Of historically.
Weyler found it very detrimental to his
campaign in Cuba, and for one cause and
another, without conviction OF any one
crime, depOrted a large number OF the
leaders, so that while there was no appar-
ent movement to suppress the society the
members to a large extent. found them
selves occupants of the Spanish criminal
camps in the Isle of Pine and the penal
settlements in Africa. General Bianco iol-
lowed a different policy. apparently paying
little attention to the crimes charged. ana
a general amnesty was granted to polltlcal
and other prisoners against whom no Sc
| rious charges had been made. strange 10
say, the political prisoners were simply
turned adrft. while the Nanigos were fur
nished transportation home. Blanco evil
IDENTIFY had no conception of the extent or
power for evil Of the organization. one
vessel alone brought three hundred mem
bers from a penal camp. and turned them
loose in Cuba without means 81 subsistence
or occupation. American occupation lut
| IF he oh a
Reported Reorganization.
1t is not surprising now that the report of
their reorganization comes authenticity
from Cuba, for Spain was never able TO
cope with them, and Cuba will be less likely
to. The exact date of the organization Is
not known. 1t was known TO the planters
as an organization among their slaves about
1880. AT that time II was d comparatively
harmless organization among the slaves OF
African birth. No native born negro was
eligible to membership. There were some
religious features, though beyond general
belief in supreme being of some sort. there
appears to have been little of religious
character. Superstition and ignorance SEEM
ed to govern principally. Crime was not 4
purpose at that time and many of the plant
ers encouraged their slaves in il, with the
idea that it made them more contented With
their lot In many respects il resembed
voodooism, though cannibalism was not
u.
dos and the chief cahildo was called Apapa
Epi. All the terms and phrases We're Afri-
can, the meaning of which is not clear at
the present time. Many Years later the or
ganiZation was hrOadened somewhat and
negroes of Cuban birth We're admitted to
partial membership. They were initiated
with the usual formalities. but We're COM
PEELED to meet in bodies of twenty-five by
themselves and were not in the entire conf
dence of the regular members. 1t was only
about twenty-five years ago that whites
were admitted on the same terms, bu: they
gradually worked into the inner circle and
dominated the order, making it fuil-fedg-
ed instrument of crime. Weyler. in his
wholesale deportations omitted the whites
and this caused internal dissension. the ne
groes claiming that the whites had betrayed
them.
The limitations.
The original initiation consisted of few
| mysterious ceremonies with the oath of al
legiance taken over a crucitix. This grad
ually changed with the other Innovations
and in later years blood was necessary to
seal the oath, and often human blood was
used. Usually it was the blood of the
rooster, whc- vas drunk by the candidate
but human blood was often substituted
though there is profound silence as to its
source. 1t does not appear that the flesh
of any of the many victims eaten.
| There were orgies lasting far into the night
in the most secret recesses of the noun
y,
brotherhood and crime were impressive
as savage ingenuity could devise; and the
candidate, final test was compelled 10
put his life and liberty in the hands of the
organization. This was done by means of
a Vow taken to commit serious crime. A
vessel was handed to the candidate who
had for the purpose been blndfolded. The
vessel contained three marbles or balls one
| black. one white and one yellow One was
| drawn and the victims color was thus de-
cided If black was drawn, it indicated a
negro, white meant white and yellow a
! mulatto. To succeed to full membership
| the candidate shot stabbed or robbed as
| the color indicated. He was then at the
| mercy of his comrades who could disclose
| his crime at any time should he prove un-
| faithful and no one in the order cared to
put him out of the way.
Form Of Organization.
The organization has no head and no CEN
trail body. Each "juegos,' as they were
| sometimes called, was Independent. The
rites, ceremonies and obligations We're the
! same, but there was a separate seal and
coat Of arms. The oath of brotherhood
vengeance and loyalty was binding only in
| the lodge to which each member belonged,
| and very often the wrongs of a brother of
| one lodge would be avenged on the brother
| of another lodge. Ten years before the
| SpanishAmerican war it was estimated
| that over a hundred of these bands We're
| organized in and around Havana. They
| We're at that time engaged in a bitter war
| among themselves, the details of which
! the police could not secure, so ironclad was
| the oath. Shooting, stabbing, assassin;-
| ton occurred daily without trial or
| conviction. Often the judges themselves
wild and reckless in their younger days
| had become members, and an oath once
| taken can never be revoked. The offense
against a brother member often was I'M
! suspected, trif1e and the victim would be
| found by his door with cash over his
| heart, the murderer unknown. Robbery
was one of the inalienable rights of ti.o
members and later became cardinal prin-
ciple; murder was merely an incident Thus
| developed one of the most powerful and In
| famous bandit organizations of modern
| times, and it may we'll be hoped that the
L ,atill L.