River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-09-07

who had sat throughout the trying
scene up to that time as if they had
been petrifed, suddenly found the.r
voices at seeing me about to be taken
away from them, and they fell on
their knees crying to the bandits lot
to take me away, and for me to salts
fy their demand with what money
could. You can imagine how des-
perate l felt at being myself SO pow
erless to allay the grief of my family
1--WE were on the point of leaving
when the chief hesitated moment
and gave. a signal with whistle
which he had tied about his neck. AT
the signal three more men appeared,
and all withdrew to one side, where
they exchanged some sentences, the
import of which | could not make out.
when the bandits had finished talk
ing the pleadings and tears of my wife
and children determined me to make
some effort to satisfy the villains, for
| feared they might attempt violence
to my family. l perceived that they
were men who would stoop to any
thing, and the possibilities to my fam
lily if did not satisfy their thirst for
money filled me with dread. | Of
fered the chief 81, 900, which l told him
was all the money l could possibly
| obtain in cash. One of the bandits
exclaimed:
"'Such a sum means only trouble
for eight men to bother themselves
with
1.-THE chief then said:
"'Give us a little more, and we will
leave you in peace
Impossible | replied; this is the
last cent l can get, and if it does not
satisfy you l will have to go with
| YOU
Very WE'LL replied the chief; we
will take the money, but you must give
us some guarantee that you will de-
liver the money
cat this my 15-year-old boy spoke
up and said:
"'My fathers word is sacred
"The bandits held another confer
ence, and then it was that l recOg-
nized one of them as drunken Span
around for years. Finally the chief
returned to me and said that they had
decided to accept the $1,000, and I was
| instructed to go in a boat with my
wife and oldest son the next day at
| II o'clock in the morning to a swamp
| called Cojimar, where they would be
awaiting me. Death was threatened
the family if I mentioned the matter
| to the police or brought anyone
armed with me when l delivered the
money.
''Then the men backed out of the
house and quickly disappeared.
Immediately went out on the porch to
see where they had gone. l then
called my servants, and found that
the bandits had locked them up in
the kitchen.
'The next day took my entire fam
lily and went from my pretty little
summer home across the bay from
Santiago to the city. 1t is needless
to tell you of the sleepless night we
spent while waiting for the dawn. But
with the coming of the day our spirits
rose, and we went to the city with
lighter hearts. I secured tho money,
and with my wife and Oldest son we
took a small launch and went to the
Cojimar swamp. AS we neared the
shore we saw some one signaling to
us and approached as near as possible.
The man whom I recognized as the
chief of the night before waded out to
u.s. and to him I delivered the money.
AS he took the money my wife ex-
claimed:
Now you have money. Don't come
back To this the chief replied
"'No tenga cuidado, sonora Don't
worry, sonora
Mr. Cendoya on returning to the city
notified the police. He had recognized
the man Pineiro, and the police lost
no time in hunting for him. They
finally found him. A search of his
clothes revealed but few cents, but
a search of the place where he was
stopping uncovered a little over 5000.
Under the severe crOss-eXamination of
the police he broke down and admitted
that he was one of the robbers, and
that he was with the man, who waded
out and received the money from Mr..
Cendoya.
No amount of persuasion or threats
could, however, induce him to tell who
his accomplices were or where they
could be found. He says he does not
know who the other parties with him
were He also claims that he had no
gun when he called on Mr.. Cendoya,
although a revolver was found on
his person when he was arrested. The
gun he says he bought after the rob-
berry The police believe that the
confession of the man will be followed
by still further weakening, and that
the rest of the band will be secured
soon.
A Spaniard was arrested on the 18th
just as he was about to embark for
New York, and Julian Cendoya, Jr.,
declared that he was one of the ban
dts, but the senior Cendoya and an
other brother disagreed, and the man
was released. Pineiro was positively
identified by the three male Cendoyas,
each picking him out of a row of six
Spaniards This was the cause of
Pineiros breakdown. Pineiro former
ly sold brass and copper to Mr.. Cen
doyas business house, he having Sc
cured the metal from the wrecked
Spanish warships outside the harbor
of Santiago. During the hold-up he
appeared partly intoxicated, as he