The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-08-27
Captain Christo


| Christie, arrived Iii Havana. He was
man with very much Of past. He
had fought three duels; he had been
| the warden OF prison and had logged
several convicts to death; he had been
| chief of police at Madrid and was
! known as cruel and relentless
General Weyler wanted man after
his own heart. lie wanted a man who
would lead 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
/ a captain and was given a hundred
men. They were known as "Christo's
Devils" and were more dreaded than
! five times their number Of regular
troops When they captured bunch ot
prisoners they spared few lives
On one occasion, after twelve Gu
| bans had held sugar house against
ninety Devils for two days and were
| still having the best Of 1t, Captain
| Christie came forward under q flag of
truce and asked for their surrender.
/ They might march out with their guns
| and their flag, and, on the sacred honor
Of Spanish soldier and gentlemen,
| they should not be fired on. The Cus
/ bans distrnsted him, but they had am.
! munition for only one more day, and
1t 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 q sergeant came
forward This man, who was ABOUT
thirty years old, was known only as
Hines. He gave no information about
himself and as he was fighter no
questions were asked He asked for
four tried men to go 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 a 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 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 n
chance. II Spanish troops came up
they would be cut of; If Captain Chris
to rode for the lines they hoped to cap
ture him. They were in luck. At 8
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 Dew
lis was prisoner.
Hines had sketched out a plan to be
followed in case Of capture, and now IL
was put into effect Not one OF tha
five spoke TO the captain He first
tried blum and threats. He would, he
declared, be recaptured 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
be was hustled into the jungle and not
word uttered In reply. After half an
hour passed the captain resorted TO
promises. III they would let him 20
he would pay each one hundred dol
lars. He finally raised his offer to q
thousand dollars apiece. On top OF
that he would agree to resign his com
mission and go home to Spain. Still
no reply. Coming to the cabin Of
man who could be trusted, he was sent
TO the Cuban camp after a 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 como
up Hines led the way to the sugar
plantation and fell upon the Devils and
almost made wipe-ont Only ten es-
capped.
When Captain Christie had been safe
" landed in the Cuban camp be was In
formed OF the slaughter, He could
not doubt It, for the men around BIN
were laden with the spoiis Of the Span
ish camp Tie was also told that no
must die within en- hour They would
not torture him, but he should die By
the rope, The man grew white as
death and trembled like one with a
chill. He tried TO buster, but II ives
a lamentable failure. lie had seen
dozens OF captured Cubans stand bold
" up TO be shot to death by his order.
but the presence Of the grim specter
unnerved him. He cried like child.
He stated that he had $4,000 in bank
at Havana, and every cent should 60 to
the Cuban cause II his life was spared.
He offered to lead a Spanish force into
Q trap. He even offered to turn rebel
and fight for the cause.
When the rope was prepared he
screamed and fought and groveIed and
licked the feet Of the men In charge
Of the execution Ills cowarffen wae