The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-01
TORN FROM HIS
DAY Old BRIDE
Patriot of Venezuela Relates
Horrors of Prison.
SOME OF CASTRO'S WORK
FOREIGN Powers are Welcomed
to South America.


The roar of the German guns at
San Carlos is sweet music to the wives
and mothers of Venezuela" said a sad
eyed Caraquena to me. while the walls
OF the fortress at Maracaibo were crumb-
ling before the Vineta's eight-inch rifles.
This remarkable statement, coming
from one whom / had always regarded
as the very incarceration of patriotism,
led to an investigation, which revealed
a condition of affairs under the present
administration in Venezula shocking be-
yond measure.
When pressed for an explanation of
her remark, the young woman glanced
timidly across the room as though she
feared to reply without the approval of
a youth standing near the open window.
Carlito knows why the foreigners cam
not destroy all of our fortresses too
quickly for me- she replied Was he
not taken from me on our wedding night
and sent to that awful dungeon below
the walls of San Carlos? Did they not
keep him in chains like a wild animal
for two years? Ask the poor boy to
tell you all that he has suffered and
you will no longer wonder that /, a
loyal Venezuelan thank the Holy Mother
every night for having sent the foreign
er to our coast.
Through the wasted form and hollow
cheeks of the Venezuelan youth bore
silent yet impressive testimony of days
and nights of misery beyond descrip-
ton. il was only with great difficulty
that 1 succeeded in persuading him to
ell If he
Castro doubtless thought and hoped were
buried beneath the blue waters of Lake
Maracaibo. Strange as it may appear.
the poor fellow had an idea that it
would be disloyal to speak even of his
sufferinss. now that the country was
menaced by a foreign foe. 1t did not
take me long to convince him not only
that his patriotism was misplaced but
that the greatest service he could rem
der his country would be to let the
world know the true character of the
man who alone was to blame for the
present situation.
We were married" he began. lust
after the rains had stopped in 1900 and
enjoyed the customary dance at the home
of the brides family. About midnight
1 was asked to escort home my wife's
cousin. who lived only few doors. away
in the same street. l had scarcely wish
ed her a ''muy buenas noches' when |
was seized by squad of ragged. dirty
Indians and marched away to the Ro-
tunda the military prison of the capt.
tai.
In vain did l endeavor to persuade
them 10 allow me the privilege Of at
least sending a note to my bride OF
three hours: in vain did / explain TO the
officer in command the exact situation.
recalling to him at the same time the
fact that the country was not under
martial law. l might as well have ap-
pealed to the stones under our feet. on
the way to th, prison 1 managed to dis
cover from fragments of conversation
that my arrest was due TO the fact that
/ was known as an intimate friend OF
Gen. Matos who. President Castro had
been informed intended that night TO
organize a revolution. 1t was OF course
useless for me to state that / had no
connection whatever with this revoiu-
tionary movement-had not even seen
nv supposed chief for three months.
Il looked around and. by the light OF
the moon. saw that ! was not alone in
my misery for no profession in Caracus
had been sighted. Eminent physicians.
whose names were merely associated
with politics. had been torn away from
the bedsides Of their patients Lawyers.
merchants and even priests swelied the
number Of unfortuuates TO three nun
dred by actual count. The Rotunda con-
sisted Of two large circular buildings of
two stories. each containing forty-hve
narrow cells Into these were crowded
one hundred and eighty prisoners. the
others being herded together in the cor
ridors like cattle. / was fortunate
enough TO be among the latter. for the
cells were not only miserably ventilated
but filthy as we'll That night my nup-
tial consisted OF a piece OF old mat
ting thrown upon the hard cemented
floor
Toward noon I began 20 realize ny
worst fears. and the very blood seemed
t. freeze within me when ] heard my
rans called and. with twenty other IN
sortu,ates. was lined UP in the court
xa-d To each was given small bun
de which. upon being opened. proved
70 contain a change OF underwear ana
few toilet articles that or families
had sent with the breakfast looked
into the eyes 81 ny COMPANIONS and
saw there. perhaps reflected from my
own despair. without even word
., exclamation We passed oct of the
rrison gates. preceded ard followed By
: SQUAD 81 soldiers. and were marched
:, the direction OF the depot Of The
r,elish railroad. This confirmed the
za-s, that we poor devils could have
feared
Al Castillo. Al Castillo each wis
rares as The tears trickled down his
cheeks and visions OF home seemed shut
on, bv foul dungeons. sickness and cis-
ease perchance death At the depot We
were hlddled into a freight car. upon
The sides Of which were Two inprovised
b.,~h.s II seemed 70 M then that !
~ sounded the lowest depths % misery
tn, a mortal could reach. and fhe mem
orr ~ that afternoon was etched uTon
ny soul 50 deep that even eternity car
,s,-s- eYsce 9. II was q simple matter
- understand. even approve n creed
., a, anarchist. ard had the osth beer
presented 70 ne then ard there slac4y
would have signed
After al hours winding sHa tSizs-
t,r around the lower peaks % TIE Al
d.. We caught a glimpse q The opea
- u Cus~a .rt the dirty little