Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1906-09-06
Captain Christie

copyright. 1896. by c. II. Sutclre.l
| About eighteen months befo.r the
| United States declared war on SpaiI
| IN behalf OF Cuba the Spanish captain.
! Christie, arrived in Havana. He was
a man with very much of past. He
| had fought three duels; he had been
the warden of ii prison and had tiogged
| several convicts TO death; he had been
| chief of police at Madrid and was
known as cruel and relentless.
General Weyler wanted II man after
| his own heart He wanted n man who
| would lead Il small command against
| the Cubans in rebellion and kill every
man as fast as come to- He so arrang.
| ed matters that Christie came out as
| II captain and was given hundred
men. They were known as "Christo's
| Devils" and We're moro dreaded than
| five times their number Of regular
| troops. When they captured Il bunch OF
prisoners they spared few lives.
On one occasion. after twelve Gu
bans had held n sugar house against
ninety Devils for two days and were
still having the best of it, Captain
Christie came forward under n flag Of
truce and asked for their surrender.
They might march out with their guns
and their flag. and, on the sacred honor
of n Spanish soldier and gentleman,
they should not be fired on. The Gu
bans distrusted him. but they had am
muntion for only one more day, and
It was finally determined to accept the
terms. Christie had posted his men in
ambush, and when the Cubans appear
ed all but one were shot down.
Three or four leaders like Christie.
| working into the jungle with small
forces at their backs. might have finally
wrecked the Cuban cause, but there
| were no others TO follow In his bloody
| footsteps. The rebels dreaded him and
| thirsted for revenge. After many plans
| to capture him had been laid and failed
an American soldier of fortune serving
| with the Cubans as n sergeant came
| forward This man, who was about
| thirty years old. was known only as
| Hines. He gave no Information about
| himself, and rs he Was n fighter no
questions We're asked He asked for
| four tried men TO 30 with him, and he
! took men whose courage he had seen
| tested. During an afternoon they
marched nine miles to the house of IL
| peon friendly to the cause. He in
| formed them that Christo's Devils were
| only mile away on an abandoned
sugar plantation. He had visited them
| that morning to carry in provisions.
In marching through the junGles three
| or four days before most of the men
| had been poisoned by Il vine like our
| ivy. The peon said that fully thirty
men were blinded with poison, and of
the other sixty many could not handle
| their muskets for their swollen hands.
| The native had understood that Cap
tain Christie was to ride back to the
Spanish lines next day. but this might
>or might not be so. He had seen the
| captain and had been questioned by
him, and he reported the officer in sui
| len spirits. The rebels passed The plan
tation that night and went into ambush
| on the road beyond. 1t was taking a
chance. If Spanish troops came up
they would be cut off, If Captain Chris
to rode for the lines they hoped to cap
| ture him. They were in luck. At .
o'clock next morning the captain, at
| tended only by an orderly, made his
| appearance His horse was shot from
under him and his orderly killed, and
| the next minute the leader of the Dev-
| lis was Il prisoner
| Hines had sketched out plan to be
| followed in case of capture and now 1t
| was put into effect Not one of the
| five spoke to the captain. He first
| tried bluff and threats. He would, he
declared. be rccaptured within the
| hour, and he promised that every one
| of the five should roast before slow
| fire. With his arms tied behind his
back and guard on each side OF him
| lie was hustled into the jungle and not
| a word uttered in reply. After half an
hour passed the captain resorted TO
promises. If they would let him 20
| he would pay each one hundred dol
lars. He finally raised his offer to
| thousand dollars apiece. On top or
| that he would agree to resign his COM
| mission and go home to Spain. stu
| no reply. Coming to the cabin OF
| man who could be trusted, he was sent
| TO the Cuban camp after reinforce
| ment Of thirty men. While waiting for
| the arrival OF this force the captain
was tied and gagged and thrust down
cellar. When the thirty men had come
up Hines led the way to the sugar
plantation and fell upon the Devils and
almost made wipe-out. only ten es-
| capped.
! When Captain Christie had been safe
| " landed in the Cuban camp he was In
formed of the slaughter. He could
not doubt It, for the men around him
| were laden with the spells of the Span
| ish camp. He was also told that he
! must die within an hour. They would
not torture him. but he should die by
the rope. The man grew white as
death and trerlblcd ike one with
| cA8. 10 rrIei 10 hluster 1ut i was
a lamentabe failure He had seen
dozens Of captured Cubans stand bold
IL M TO be shot TO death by his order,