Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-19
Written for The Star.

Written for The Star.
During a recent residence of five years in
the republic of Colombia. covering what
was perhaps the most disturbed period In
that country's history. many strange and
exciting things happened to me; but per-
haps the most thrilling and unpleasant ex-
perence was being captured by a gang Of
the liberal revolutionists. who were carry
ing guerrilla campaign in the depart
ment of the Canca, where l lived.
In June. 1901. I had occasion to take a
railway journey from the town of Buena-
venture to San Jose. In the freight car
had sixty bags of -four. which l was going
to sell in the interior of the country, where
provisions commanded famine prices be-
cause the revolution had played havoc with
the means of supply and transportation.
Like all the other passengers and the
train crew. I was decidedly nervous when
we pulled out of the station. Several trains
had been held up by the revolutonists and
the people in them plundered or killed No
body was taking railroad trips at that time
unless they had 10 do so.
All went well until We were within ten
miles of place called Cordova, at in the
afternoon. Then the locomotive came to a
dead stop, for the track was INSTRUCTED by
a number Of huge logs and tree trunks.
hC htIoCh O4 IhC 41uih
Suddenly there was a chorus of shrleks
and fierce yells from the jungle along the
side of the track, and the next moment
rifles began to crack and bullets came
whizzng through the car in which 1 was
seated
1 promptly flung myself down on the floor
and escaped injury, did also a fellow
passenger-a white Colombian. But three
other men in the were shot dead and
fell across the seats. covering the floor
with blood until the place looked like
shambleS
The shots died away when the attackers
found there was no return fire, and then
fifty or sixty revolutionists swarmed out
from the bush and boarded the train. They
were little better than savages-1poians
and mulattoes. hardened by long course
of bloodthirsty guerrilla warfare in which
quarter was neither asked nor given.
They yelled fiercely as they poured into
our car and waved their machetes as II
they intended to cut us to pieces.
II am foreigner 1 shouted, In Spanish.
Some of them replied that they did not
care about foreigners. but a man who
seemed to be an officer, though he looked
as ragged and disreputable as the rest in
terposed.
I'VE must take him up to Castillo" he
said, naming famous guerrilla leader of
the liberals.
They took away my revolver and made
me prisoner. The Colombian in the car
the only other living passenger-protested
that he also was a foreigner, as 1t was
the only way to save his life.
Take him to Castillo also" said the
officer. Il don't believe he's a foreigner,
but Castillo shall decide"
Four men guarded u.s. while the rest OF
the band broke into the baggage car and
loaded themselves up with my flour. 1t was
packed in bags of twenty-five pounds
very convenient for them to carry through
the Jungle The officer remarked to me.
sarcastically. that had been very thought
full.
Six men had been killed In the attack.
Besides the three shot in our car two
were killed with machetes In another car,
and the engineman had also been shot
dead at the first volley. The fireman and
conductor had escaped, running down tho
embankment on the opposite side to the
attackers, and getting safely away In the
jungle.
A Terrible March.
We suffered terribly in the march to the
headquarters of the guerriilas. which oc-
cupied four days and nights. A large part
of the journey was through trackless for
est, with dense underground that had to
be cut away. step by step, with machetes,
One night we had to sleep in a noisome
swamp in two or three inches Of water
or, rather, we tried to sleep. for clouds of
mosquitoes, gnats and other insects made
rest impossible.
During the whole OF the Journey we had
nothing to eat but cold boiled rlce-and
precious little of that We had plenty of
flour. and there was an abundance OF game
in the Jungle; but no fires were allowed TO
be lighted or shots fired, because We were
I'm the enemy's country, and the govern
ment troops might descend upon us at any
moment
At length. early on the morning of the
fifth day. we reached Castillos camp. The
officer led the great and In
troduced us to him, saying that We were
two prisoners who claimed to be foreign
Castillo was a general all right, and
very famous one at that; but he was the
most disreputable looking tramp l ever
saw. That was natural however, for he
and his band were constantly marching
through jungles and SwampS, seldom going
near a town, and frequently on the point of
starvation. General and private alike were
dressed In rags that would have been de-
spised by any Weary Willie" In the Unit
ed States.
But directly Castillo spoke you under
stood that he was a gentleman. 1 dis
covered afterward that he belonged to one
OF oldest Spanish families in the country
and had been educated at a German uni
versty.
Polished Revolutionist
After greeting us politely. the guerrilla
chief asked me. in Spanish. whether
spoke German. 1 told him l did. and he
then carried on the conversation in that
language. much to the disgust of the In
quisitive officer who had captured us.
He stood by and tried to look wise and
interested. Every now and then he would
interrupt US by exclaiming "Oui! QUIZ He
knew that was a foreign word; but he
didn't know what language 1t belong to,
and he didn't think 1t mattered.
Castillo knew In a moment that my fell
low captive was no foreigner Turning to
him suddenly he asked, sharply:
What part OF the country were you born
I'M"
Cali" said the man. forgetting his role
for the moment. Il am the son of the
project"
You did well to pass yourself Off as
foreigner" said Castillo. They would have
killed you. and l do not want too many
murders committed by my band. But we
must hold you a prisoner until you are ex-