The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-09
KOSTERLITzSKY IS
A MILITARY GENIUS
Mexico'S Human Military Ma
chine Soldier of Fortune
He Is A ROMANTIC FIGURE
Played Gallant Role In the Recent
Trouble at cananea and ouleted
the Uproar-6orn In
Manchuria.
He Is A ROMANTIC FIGURE

great mining camp Of the border, a band
Of thirty Rurales, as the Mexican frontier
guard are called. dashed through the mar
row pass from the south and swept on to
the town. It was in an uproar. The con-
tinuous crack, crack of slx-shooter and
rife could be heard, and tho smoke of
them covered thousands of striking Mex
leans from the mines and a few defend
ing Americans who, holding the mesa or
upland. were keeping them in that part
of the town that lies In a gully, The
troop swung down the road to the canyon
News had come to 1t at Magaddalena,
ninety miles away, less than ten hours
before. The torn TANKS of the swaying
bonies told of the wild ride over tho
mountains and prairie.
Far IN front rode a tall erect man,
whose eyes were flashing almost as bright
ly as his cleaning saber, which pointed
the way to his hurrying horsemen. The
striking miners saw this man and began
to melt away. They could have wiped
the troops from the earth, a minute to
man. for they were not afraid of Mex
icans-their own kind. But the leader was
different. They were not sure of his ma
tlonality. Some took him for a Pole,
country counted for little, for all recog-
nized Kosterlitzky, the dashing, devil
may-care, fighting Colonel Of the Mex
lean regular service.
With a shout he was among them. Down
went a half score at the first volley OF
the troops. and the mob fled to cover.
Shots, however, continued to come from
the mesa, the Americans replying with
renewed vigor to the shooting of the Ru-
raes, who in the smoke they mistook for
re-enforcements for the strikers. A SER
geant rode up to Colonel Kosterlitzsky
and asked for permission to clear the NH.
While he was talking a bullet from there
carried away his hat. The colonel salu'
mo; those blankety blank Americans
don't know any better; III stop 1t.
Another officer, dismounted, rushed to
the colonel, and, grasping his hand,
begged for orders to charge the mesa.
A bullet struck his forefnger and the
colonel was nearly pulled from his sad
die by the others agony
Hi, therew yelled Kosterlitzsky In
voice that needed no megaphone Hi
there, you blankety blank Gringoes, stop
your shooting or Wen turn loose on
your
Firing Stopped.
This was in perfect English and was
The firing stopped Then
came a few hours of quick, effective
work by the human military machine. He
was tireless and fearless with American
and Mexican alike. There were some Dad
Americans there, and they were soon
on their way out of town. And bay
Mexicans, too were clapped into jail.
big posse of miners and cowboys who had
rushed across the border from B1sDee
were loaded on to the cars and sent away
before they could pot any 'greasers'
as they called the Mexicans, and several
de % II a MT
gallons of coal oil, which showed what
they might have experienced were taken
from the strikers bound for the special
train.
In a short time order was restored, and
the Rurales, increased to sixty, were en-
camped on an adjacent hill overlooking
the town on which the sharp eye of the
dread colonel has since been directed. 1t
was there that found him this morn
ing in n little house surrounded by the
tents of his men, He was sitting at
table writing dispatches, for there are
other camps of Rurales round about and
Kosterlitzky Is one of the few under off-
GERS who communicate direct with Presi-
dent Diaz. There was an army cot In
one corner of the little house, but the 9TH
ers contained guns by the dozens, re-
yolvers of huge size hung from the walls,
and saddles, sabers and other soldier
traps Uttered the floor. Without stood
two soldiers on guard with drawn swords,
and there was no noise coming from
the camp, which looked remarkably clean
for the time and place.
AS much could not be said for the
dark understood troopers In bare feet and
ragged uniforms, but perhaps that was
not their fault nor there colonels, as
their pay is only 20 cents a day gold. and
out OF that they must feed themselves.
In spite of their poor appearance they
looked n rugged lot careless and happy,
and their confidence in their commander
and ability to fight under him form many
a tale of border raids, long marches, night
attacks and victory against great odds.
This is as true now in the passing hour
of the Yaquis as 1t was in the days of
tho Apaches. The redoubtable colonel Is
a romantic figure in this frontier country.
His nationality is frequently discussed.
all sorts of stories told of a lawless past,
which are all untrue and spice Is added
by the belief that he Is deserter from
the United States army, also an unfounded
assertion. That he is a soldier, born,
bred and for love of 1t. is true. and the
story of his life loses no zest in the man
ner of his telling 1t.
Sketch of the Colonel.
rap on the door of the little house in
the camp on the hill caused the colonel
to turn round from his writing and say
welcome that could have been heard
a mile but for the noise of the big cop
per smelter near by. He was dressed In
a duck uniform, simple shoulder straps
and braided cap alone 'denoting his
rank. which his card. reading Emilio
Kosterlitzky, Teniente Coronel," shows is
Lieutenant Colonel, He explained in a
softer voice than usual that he had been
named for his mother. now dead, whose
name was Emelia She was a German
woman. and his father was a Russian.
and he was born fifty-two years ago in
his fathers camp in Manchuria, on the
Russian frontier.
II ought to speak German" laughed the
colonel. but that is one of the things l
never could conquer. Ach, those big
words Spanish, Italian. French, English?
Nothing to them; the looks of them make
me afraid My mother could not learn
Russian nor my father German. They
had a blankety blank time of It,. My wife
says she would understand me If l
couldn't talk Mexican. and l guess she
could Here, let me show you my fam
lily.
out from an old campaign chest came
the picture of group of three children
and a tall fine-looking Mexican woman.
on which the Colonel gazed with evident
pride He began to talk of home and his
babies but came to hear of wars
and your deeds afeld. Colonel" I re-
marked They say you are soldier
of fortune, a slayer of Indians, de-
serter from one army and the survivor
of others Tell me about It,"
/ S-ain the voice rang out this time
above the smelter That I'm deserter
from the United States army is a blankety
blank lie," he declared. II have never
served with it-yes have served with It.
y. a~-SF