The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-18

had the courage to lead a direct attack.
For ten minutes the two held the mob at
bay. Then a detachment Of the Spanish
police or garde ceVile dubbed its way to
the center and then dispersed the mob.
who are you?" asked Mr.. Bowen Of the
stranger who had come to his rescue and
stood side by side with him, while the mob
ragged. s ~. ........ -. .,
II am Norman Harrington of Chicago"
answered the stranger. II thought there
was likely to be some trouble for the eagle
UP there, and wanted to have hand in
it," ..." 80 '.@-
The American consulate in Barcelona
was located in a big building, largely
given up to the offices of lawyers. There
is wide general entrance to the building,
which leads into a large entrance hall.
From this hall an impressive marble stair
case leads up to the second floor, from
which smaller staircases on either side
lead to the floors above. General Bowen's
office was located on the third floor
| In accordance with the custom of the
country all the doors of the offices In the
building are provided with heavy bars on
the inside. In the center of each door
is metal slide, which is used as peep
hole by the people inside.
Each time that a mob gathered ABOUT
the square and surged into the Railways OF
the building General Bowen aroused aston
ishment by scorning to bar hlmseI IN
| his room and peer out in terror through
the peephole. On the other hand, taking
| the ground that he had all the power OF
| the United States behind him, and that
! it would ill become the official representa-
| tive of ag reat nation to squint through
| peephole in fear and trembling, he in
| sisted on throwing the door wide open and
| standing on the threshold, ready to resist
violence far as it lay in the power
| of a single man.
His fearless attitude, it is thought, was
more effective than anything else in
calming and restraining the excited mobs.
On several observation-disclosures Bowen knew
nothing of it at the time-he had the pro-
! lection of considerable body of thorough
lily armed and desperate men. This secret
! guard was composed of fifty natives OF
! Cuba. living in Barcelona Whenever word
was brought thrat a mob was about to at
tack the United States consulate these
! fifty men took their weapons and. making
their way through the thousands In the
square, reached the consulate and. con-
cealing themselves under the stairways
and in other points of vantage, stood or
| guard until the danger was over.
For weeks at a time Mr.. Bowen's life
was in almost constant danger. But his
sense of duty would not let him run away
| or shrink in any way from facing the
danger which threatened More than once
he refused to allow other visiting Amer
| leans to assist in the defense Of the con-
sulate. One man who was In Barcelona
during the troublous time was w. r
Stringfellow. a lawyer from New Orleans
Mr.. Stringfellow offered to go with Gen
eral. Rowen when a mob gathered and
help him III the protection Of his office
and it's records.
No" said Mr.. Bowen. "You have no
official duty in the premises. and there is
no reason why you should expose your
self
But" Mr. stringfellow objected, '"you
might easily be killed while you are try
ing sigle-handed to protect the stars and
str pes from Insult"
IT hope things will not be carried that
far Mr.. Bowen answered.. j"but If life is
to be sacrificed I prefer to die alone In
the consulate Two of us could make
, small resistance to a, determined attack
and can't let you risk your life unneces-
sarily." =.
After. the war with Spain was over, Mr.
l Bowen was an applicant for the appoint
' ment of minister to Spain, but-by a Pc
: culiar paradox-his record as consul gen
eral at Barcelona was too good to make
him acceptable as minister to the Spanish
lauthOrites and people.
Instead, he was sent as minister to Per.
( STA, from which post, as all the WORLD
/ knows, he was transferred to Venezuela
when the fire eating President Castro hac
succeeded in practically forcing the resig
S nation Of the easygoing Minister LOOMS
Such is the man who is in charge o.
t the interests of the United States in the
/ present center Of excitement. More nearly
/ than in d majority Of cases he may be-
said to be q trained diplomat. In fact, HI
e was educated solely with an idea of enter