Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-12

Central American capital leaped suddenly
the fire of an ambuscade and when the
fleeing patrol reached the prado the people
hurrying from their houses knew that the
long threatened revolution had at last brok-
en- forth The people were not unused to
revolutions, but this outbreak differed from
those which had preceded it in that 1t was
a revolt against the dictator, the popuiace
against the soldiery; whereas the previous
affairs had been merely the people against
the people. So that except in a somewhat
restricted quarter the bond of sympathy
was universal and the names of two men
were on every lip. They were the dictator
and his chief of espionage, respectively the
most hated and the most feared men on
the isthmus.
Hah. Now they would feel. these two,
what 1T meant to trample upon the rights
of the people, to imprison ones relations in
the black hole. to subvert the power of the
press. to impugn the freedom of speech. to
to. The voice of the populace mounting
the gamut of it's wrongs always ended IN
high pitched eXecration. When the patriots
got In they would have at them, these two.
and then-but where were they, anyway, on
this night of nights?
The dictator was with his troops holding
the suburbs against odds. The chief of
espionage was in his Office in the palace
perusing official documents and seemingly
Dbiivious to the prevailing excitement To be
wonder IL not the admiration of his aids.
Two of them stood looking through the
window of an anteroom at the crowds which
surged along the street They knew, these
aids. that the palace was after all the OBJ
jectve point Of the revolutionist. and the
echo of the distant volleys made them
anxious.
Did you tell him." asked one. that they
had the outer barrier?''
More / said there were many desert
erS."
,3t5 he
He shook his head at me"
''Pardios. what a man. Can 1t be that
he does not realize the gravity of 1t? All,
do YOU hear? / believe they are coming.
He Is concerned with those papers from
his country. the United States. They came
with the steamer this morning. 1t is the
extradition of a criminal from the black
hole
'Hah. if he but wait until tomorrow,
there may be no black hole"
The chief of espionage was not native
Central American. He had landed in the
capital a penniless adventurer and in five
years had come to he the most trusted adj
visor in the state By the revolutionist he
was called the Father Joseph of the dicta-
tor. but In government circles the distinc-
ton was declared inadequate Even the
least Of the conservatives denied the credit
or the discredit Of the existing system of
absoiutism to the clown of the house OF
Steel. as the chief magistrate was called
The chief of espionage was held to be Its
real source. Yet curiously enough his rise
to preferrnent was due In the first place to
his ignorance OF the Spanish language.
H., had joined the revoiutionists of the
day. and because he was a foreigner he had
been detailed to run an engine which was
to ok a trainload of rebels into a certain
stronghold of government troops. OF course,
Il was intended merely to approach the
stronghold. when they would reconnoiter
and perhaps do little shooting. But this
ignorant American, with no eye for the
Courtesies Of war, pushed the train into the
Very midst of the enemy. His friends
1T or GO1,t he, oiSltfN-
d-rstDod and gave the engine more steam.
They were terribly frightened. but the I'M
preCedanted movement likewise struck ter
Tor To the hearts OF the government troops.
who broke and fled precipltately.
The advantage gained resulted in the III
innate triumph Of the revolutionists. They
forced IN the front door of the palace one
day Just as the deposed president ran out
Of the back door. OF course. the new presl-
dent remembered his friends when the port
folios were distributed. and among his
friends was the young adventurer. The
young man had not at once grasped the
true significance of the part he had played
IN his first battle for the leaders were
quick indeed to appropriate the glory of the
situation. but with the knowledge when 1t
came was born vast contempt of his COM
panions IN arms. And this. added to the
palpable recklessness of his disposition.
gave him an influence which extended from
the meanest of them to the president him
self. The latter might have been ordi-
nary Central American president, who If
LETT 10 nimSeI1 Woul0 nave Deen In the
course OF time displaced But through the
discerning eyes of his energetic police agent
h opportunities and had visions OF
power such as never came to his predeces-
SurS. And presently be began to assume
prerogatives and to abolish sundry rights
and privileges until one day no one was
surprised to find the capital full of troops
and the dictatorship proclaimed. Some of
the people blamed the chief Of espionage.
but not loudly for after that II became a
somewhat hazardous thing to criticise the
dictator or his staff. After the Jail had
been nlIed with editors, politicians and dis
grgJu;lsd citizens generally. the people held
their tongues. and sent arms and encour-
acement instead to the new reyolutioulsts
who rose up on all sides.
II the chief who established the Sys-
tenn II espionage. which not only nipped in
tn bud several incipient revolutions. but
which accumulated vast amount of infOr-
nation Of the private lives Of the citizens
from which the dictator was able to levy
much political tribute. He 1t was who or
Sauiz"d the army on the basis which made
the soldier the most favored individual In
tne land and thereby attracted the best and
worst youth OF the country to the ranks
He IL was who. after the third attempt to
assassinate the dictator, had one wing Of
the palace constructed entirely of steel o.
tensIbly as protection from earthquakes
but really as n provision for state Of
Siege. He 1t was who taught the dictator
the force of silence. and who ruled his own
department with will rather than with
w0rds-a characteristic directly in an
tithesis of Spanish feeling that 1t complete
ly terrorized his subordinates No one not
even the dictator. knew of his past life or
his true name. but that only deepened the
terror in which he was held The general
estimate was. indeed. well summed up in
the conversation OF his aids: He shook his
head at me" 'Pardios. what a man"
The men In the ante-room continued to
gazr anxiously at the crowd, which in
creased as the minutes dragged by. 1t
sGrg"d back and forth along the street in
front OF the palace waiting for news OF the
r,Voluuonists. and scanning the windows
OF the executive mansion meanwhile in
EcPe OF catching glimpse Of the dictator
or his familiar. This continued scrutiny
got upon the nerves of the two aids after
"a while. and they retired from the win
uow. pulling the blinds together with
jerk Hardly had they done this when the
door OF the inner room opened and the
chief stepped forth.
Jose" he said. simply. II am going to
the prison. You will come with me-
Without a guard. senor?' TREMENDOUSLY
asked Jose. who valued his skin highly
Eut the crowd?'
What Of tt?''
The man opened the blinds. Look" he