The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-08-01
Betrayed TO
TbeSranisb
By SAMUEL LOvELACE
Copyright. 1905. bp 7. C. Mcclure
By SAMUEL LOVELACE

was an hour after midnight when one
Of them awoke and softly crawled over
to another and whispered in his ear:
'Diaz, awake! 1t is timer
els the Yankee sound asleep?" asked
the other as he sat up.
HE sleeps like pig. Things could
not be better for u.s."
The two moved away like serpents
through the rank grass and jungle I'M
til they had covered a hundred feet,
and then they stood up and made their
way swiftly along in the direction of
the Spanish lines.
There were plenty of American ad
venturers In the ranks of the patriots
men whose sympathies were on the
right side and who ran the blockade
and Joined the insurgents to fight for
them as they had fought for the Union
years before. Such men were at first
given the hand of welcome, but when
their dash and bravery had earned
them promotion there were envy and
jealousy to be reckoned with.
The man left lying alone in the jun
gle was Tom Warner, good natured,
reckless and careless. Here. where he
had been fighting for six months, near
ly always on scout duty. he was called
Captain Warner. He had a commits
sion from Garcia, but the title was
barren one. He had furnished his own
weapons and clothing and had never
drawn a penny from what facetiously
might be termed the insurgent treas
ury. He had won praise and admira-
ton for time, and then jealousy crept
in to make certain men hope in secret
that the Spaniards might make him
captive. They had heard of the Yam
kee fighter-aye, and felt his blows
and they had said that they would give
him no quarter II they were lucky
enough to capture him. He had sent
back a message of defiance and gone
his way, and it never once entered his
mind that some of the men whose bat
ties he was assisting to fight might
bctray him.
$50 you wish to surrender your
selves and at the same time put the
Yankee into my hands?" asked the
colonel into whose presence they were
conducted from the picket post.
"Si, Senior Colonel We wish TO fight
against our good friends the Spaniards
no longer, and In surrendering we
place in your hands one who has killed
many Of your brave men. The reward
shall be what you will"
The colonel looked at them for a mo-
ment In contempt The Spaniard is
bloodthirsty and cruel in wartime, but
he also has a code of honor He might
condescend to play the spy, but he
would not condescend to betray for
money.
Each one Of the men was handed a
five dollar gold piece and ordered to
report to the officer of the day, and the
colonel wrote few lines and dispatch
ed them by his orderly and lay down
to sleep.
Two hours later he heard the ser
geant's squad that had been sent out
coming back with their prisoner, but
he turned over and slept again. 1t
would be time enough to settle with
the Yankee in the morning The squad
had been guided to the place where
the captain still slumbered, and he
had been made prisoner without re-
sistance.
"And 30, American, you are here,
fighting among the rebels against our
kingr' sneered the colonel when he had
eaten his breakfast and the prisoner
stood before him.
Il am fighting for the independence
of Cuba" was the quiet reply.
1.-THE independence Of a mob of dogs!
However, that makes no difference.
You are not one of them. You have no
right here You may have commits
sion, but do not recognize 1t. No reb-
ell dog has authority to issue commits
sions You know your fate, senorf
II believe you sent me word only
month ago that you would shoot me
without trial If had the misfortune
to be captured"
"And rest assured shall do so. No;
l will not shoot you; 1 will hang you.
You are a spy, and you shall die by
the rope"
ION what day and hourY was the
calm inquiry.
days and hoursp' Numbered the
colonel as he showed his teeth at his
prisoner. Il have no days and hours
for the hanging of such as you. l
string them up at my own convenience.
At 10 o'clock an hour and half from
now-you shall dance on nothingg'
Every well, colonel" said Tom as he
saluted and fell back and was marched
away by his guard.
he is a brave man." unused the
colonel later on, but he def1ed me.
Yes. will hang him, and l will make
him afraid before he is swung Off.
When the dogs of renegades hear how
he died. begging for his life, 1t will be
lesson to be needed He Is hungry
and thirsty, but he shall neither eat
nor drink before the execution"
The force under the colonel comprised
about 400 men, Orders wer~ sent out
to parade, all but the sentinels, under
arms at 1918, and corporal was de-
tailed to see to the erection Of a gal
lows. His work was not arduous or
lengthy. A small tree trunk was
passed from the crotch of one tree to
another and a noosed rope tied to its
center. The prisoner would be placed
on pork barreEan American pork
barrel for the grim irony-and it would
be kicked from under him.
AT the hour named by the colonel
the troops were under arms and form
ed three sided square around the gal
lows. Then the prisoner was brought
out. His elbows were tied behind him,
and In his contempt for the Cubans
who had sold their officer the colonel
ordered the two men to march with
the condemned man and act as his ex-
ecutioners. They had sold a man for
money, but when 1t came to playing
the part of hangmen they rebelIed
They hung back, but the colonel or
dered the lash applied.
When the prisoner was led under the
noosed rope the colonel faced him and
made him butt of ridicule. He point
ed at his rags, at his starved looks, at
his unkempt appearance. and the sol
diers In line laughed From ridicule
he turned to sarcasm and thence to
abuse and revilement, and during the
long half hour the prisoner faced him
calmly without a word. There were
not ten men In the lines who did not
feel secret admiration for him. The
colonel had failed to shake his nerve.
and, chagrined and angered, he order
ed one Of the deserters to place the
barrel and the other to assist the pris-
oner to mount.
Then it was that one of the betray-