The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02
A GOOD HUNDRED DICTATOR.
RAMON CACERES, PRESIDENT or
SANTO DOMINGO.

SANTO DOMINGO.
Laughs as Ne Orders . Man shot; a. He
Calls fSr CoNee: ~ He Eishts -Hsw He
Killed tire Wicked Heureaux In His
Tracks His B~Odyguard all Generals.
He Is a big man. fully six feet In height
n weighing considerably more than
$50 pounds. Hin word is law, but he rules
with a laugh. whether he orders a mar
shot before breakfast or calls for his accus-
toned CUP Of coffee after q hearty meal.
Il is always q laugh; sometimes a hearty
laugh. usually a careless laugh. when
besieged In the citadel above Santiago
city he looked around at his twenty Generals
and laughed.
"G~entlemen," said he. III you do not
wish TO remain here you will have to follow
me, and VaultinE into his saddle he ordered
the gates swung pen and with q wild
yell dashed down into the city and drove
the enemy pellmsll out Of IL and then he
looked around at his Generals who had
followed, yelling too, and he laughed.
When Jiminez got the fort and he In
turn had to dee for his life he spurrsd his
horse into the Yaqui River, and swimming
the stiff current climbed the opposite
bank. and looking back upon the city
laughed again. Probably this man never
took anything seriously, not even when he
shot down in his tracks his wicked prede-
oessor. Ulysses Hsureaux.
Such is the impression you get Of the
Dictator-P President Of tho Dominican Re-
public. Thu writer first met him In. the
midst OF a revolution; q division OF his army
had just been defeated and put TO routA
his Minister OF Wal had been killed. and It
was expected that the enemy would follow
up their victory with q general assault
on the city.
Yet this man laughed. He read the letter
which the writer presented TO him with
q laugh and he babe him make himself
at home with another laugh. He then
vent to the funeral Of the Minister Of War,
whom they buried under the floor Of the
oh1rch by the side Of the former President
whom this man had shot down in his tracks,
and scarcely was the funeral over than he
was laughing again.
His full name with his title 10 Gen. Ramon
Caoeres, but no d calls him General,
President, or even by his last name, Senior
Caoeres. He 10 known throughout thu and
which he rules as Mon h name by
which his mother and sisters and play
mates knew him when a child. No other
name or title has ever taken its place and
1t may be doubted II IL would occur to the
most abject prisoner pleading for his life
10 call him anything else.
Blu here a misleading term has orept In.
for there are 10 abiect p~risouers, or people
either, in Santo Domingo. IL IL doubtful
II the most degraded Dominican ever bo-
comes ~servile. II he begs II IL with as
-.u.l - Gl---I--k = -. - 1871
be were asking what was his by right.
When Morales ordered the two prisoners.
Gen. Mansuetta and Commander 0illheaux
shOt the next morning at sunrise, 0ilIheaux
called out to him 90 he was passing ais
prison door:
Say, Morales, you ought to let us Oh In
celebration Of your Inauguration to-mor-
row T" and there was not the slightest tremor
in the prisoners voice.
Morales replied with equal serenity:
Cant. I've already signed your death
Warrants.'
step UP to the cemetery gate, faced about
and sAluted the firing squad. and the next
moment their souls were sailing into
eternity.
Caceres put Morales into the Presidential
C0NH OOOAuHo nc ~ nOJ WMAAh bHG yOb nAm-
seR. Morales was ambitious. He wanted
to rule, but he found Caceres ever at his
elbow. He would have killed him II he
dared, but he did not dare.
Then the story went out that Morales
intended 10 poison Caceres. When the
story got 70 Mon he only laughed, but
be watched Morales all the closer.
Il can't do a. / want to" unused Morales,
81 - -s-A,..lIw q z-f.AnA~ ~ -a~ A-n a.-ls.I
and then he Negotiated with the revolu-
~tionists on the outside, and counting ON the
aid Of the United States gunboats through
Minister Dawson, he preoipitated q revolu-
ton against his own Government.
But he had not reckoned upon the quick
eye and the cool nerve Of the man who
always laughed. Caceres sprang into
the vacated seat, told Minister Dawson to
mind his own business, and taking up the
reins Of government himself, quickly put
down the revolution INC allowed Morales
to get out OF the country without killing
him. He then addressed his people, saying
he had little aptitude for the job and he
wanted some one else to take It, but with
cheers they insisted upon his Keeping It, |
90 thai he now holds the job INC will con-
tinue to hold II until some other fellow
rl9o8 WHO Onh SuVVS WOh cnOuBu 70 put
him out Of IL.
President Caoeros Is q descendant Of an
old family OF landed proprietors inhabiting
the central part Of the island OF Ssnso
Domingo. On the walls and shelves OF
his house he has guns OF all makes, and
sabres, too, but no books. and no never
reads.
In appearance he is a pure Caucasian, |
without a drop OF negro blood in his veins,
but he never boasts OF it. He very seldom
talks about himself anyway, unless it be
to relate some hairbreadth escape or in
glorious defeat in the past revolution,
which would be bloodcurdling enough
did he not make a funny picture Of it and
laugh himself.
His father was a minister Of something
under the rule Of Luperon about tho time
Ulysses HeureauX, an sx-horsethief, boy !
soldier, and then General, was rising to
power. Caoeres the minister, was shot
in cold blood at the capital, Santo Domingo |
city, while seated in his doorway In the