The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-07-17

in a memorial Bile charge on an intrenched
hillside where the insurgents had made d
stand.
THE GUN HE CAPTURED.
II took this gun them he said to a Re-
public correspondent, who met him in
1901, placing his hand affectionateiy on
the barrel or a modern rapid-fire field
piece standing in the glare Of sunlight
IN front of the main barracks OF Panama.
He was then a Lieutenant Colonel in the
Colombian Army. and he seemed even
TIMER than he does now.
he was proud of the crushing defeat that
had been administered to the enemy, but
he did not care to expatiate Upon his own
exploits. a story current In the town IS
that when he found that his arm VAS
nearly severed he hacked off the rest with
his own knife. had the short stub bound
and then resumed his work in the field.
When informed that The Republic would
like to have him photographed he replied
that he would be ready at any time. At
the hour appointed he was in front of the
barracks in all the gorgeousness of d
heavy cloth uniform. suitable for the
mountaip air OF BogOta. but intolerable
in the heat of the istlimus.
His right sleeve was pinned TO his breast
and his coat blazed with decorations; His
band was in readiness.
With one foot resting on his gun. he
posed for the picture and then he drilled
several goats and a contingent of yellow
dogs. scampering to the ramparts.
Outside of experience, did you ever have
any special military traintng?' 1 asked
one day.
NO; needed none" he replied. IT knew
by intuition what to do in a military way"
NEW HONORS FOR HIM.
As the long revolution then in progress
continued there were new honors for the
little man. The liberal insurgents had won
some boats and had killed General Carlo
Alban, Governor OF the Department of
Panama and commander of all the coast
forces of colombia.
Huertas became a full-ledged Colonel
and then a general officer. The country
had reached the lowest possible ebb finan-
cially when a treaty of peace was signed
between the Conservative and the Liberal
leaders, one Of the clauses giving a general
amnesty.
From among all who had taken up arms
to overthrow the Bogota government one
alone was selected TO die in a country
where the death penalty is practically UNI
known. That man was Victoria Lorenzo,
insurgent general and a fierce indian
chieftain. who ruled in the mountains east
of Panama. He was arrested and a court
martial headed by Huertas was selected
to try him..
TIL charge was tina he had not acted
as n mere rebel but as a brigand He was
found guilty and sentenced to death.
Huertas won the affection Of the Indians
plea for mercy and obtained the sigma
lures of his colleagues. When this was re-
fused he made a personal appeal, and he
continued his efforts and his agitation
until the very moment when the sentence
was carried into effect.
Huertas was the commanding general
in the department of Panama throughout
the long debate over the canal treaty in
Bogota last year.
Many shrewd persons living on the 18TH
mus knew that the treaty passed by the
United States Senate at Washington
would never get through the Colombian
Senate. and it was only a question of
time when the talk would end and the
negotiations would cease. Objections were
offered in Bogota To a dozen clauses, and
the sentiment of the Legislators was mani
fest. In vain ~Panamanians pleaded and
wanted more than SIC. 0Oo. 900 in cash and
the other advantages to accrue under the
treaty.
|. CRUSHING BLOW TO PANAMA.
Despite the evident trend in affairs the
actual rejection Of the treaty came rs a
come of the isthmus comes from the
traffic by rail from ocean TO ocean. and
the residents long since learned to believe
ths5 i r,jtb tEe b sTisdIer df o. cansy T T5sIa
had long been discomfort with the abso-
lutte rule of Bogota, and the desirability
Of establishing an independent republic
had been under discussion for years. The
rejection of the treaty famed the smoul-
dering embers of rebellion into a fierce
blaze.
L { a DAl ItlCtu ILd1 Ill
the event OF a revolt the Colonbians
would fight. They were ready to begin the
fight with their fellow countrymen, but
they did not care to engage in a quarrel
II the United States would aslo take up
arms against them. Under a treaty made
in 1876 with New Grenada, subsequently
named Colombia, the United States was
empowered to keep traffic open across the
isthmus.
From time to time during revolutions
the American Government had landed
marines to preserve the railroad property
and TO prevent any interruption Of traffic.
The effect of these landings had inva ria
bly, been favorable to the cause of the
Government. The rebels had no chance
TO capture or to hold towns along the
line of the railroad.
Before starting to set up the new Re-
public ii was essential to discover what
the attitude of the United States would
be. Influential men visited Washington
and on their return whispered TO their
friends that the great Republic of the
North would intervene to maintain traffic,
no matter what Government was in
charge. and that no fighting could be done
between Colon and Panama.
To bring the new Republic into life IL
was necessary to rave the army turn
over in a body. This Huertas undertook to
bring about. He was a leader In the move
ment for separation, and he had lived on
the isthmus long enough to consider it
his home.
He felt that every officer and every
man under him would follow him under
a new flag, His enthusiasm convinced
doubters, who could not see how the SOL
diers could be turned over in a day, and
without having any fighting; The plan
for creating the Republic of Panama was
then perfected. The army was to be
turned over, the local officers were to be
seized and there was to be no fighting.