The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-03-19


venture. sam II. Pearey is the mead
and front of the revoIutionlsts Of the Isle
OF Pines, that band Of Americans who
have Insisted that President Mckinley
and Secretary Hay were correct when
they decided that the island was Ameri-
can territory, and that President Roose-
welt aud Secretary Root were wrong in
their decision that Il Is Cuban territory.
Mr. Pearey has led the fight against the
treaty which gives q quitelaim deed 10
the island, and for four years has sue
ceeded in preventing It's ratification by
the Senate.
sam Pearcy was a youth in Tennessee
when the civil war broke out and he
joined the Confederate army. He served
with Dr. T. J. Thomas. also Tonnes
seean, and when the war was over they
went to Mexico. where both of them
learned TO speak Spanish. After two
years they returned TO Nashville and Mir.
Pearcy married DR.. Thomas daughter.
DR.. Thomas wife died and he Went to
Spain. At Madrid he set up in the prac-
tice of dentistry and in a little while
became the royal dentist 10 Queen isa-
bella. and after her abdicauon, TO Al
fOnsO XII. Two years after he went
away a message came to Tennessee that
DR.. Thomas had died Of cholera.
Twenty-Five years later an old man
came 10 the door of the warden's house Of
the Tennessee State penitentisry. Capt.
Josiah L. Pearcy. brother of sam. was
then warden. The old man asked. Joe.
don't you know me?' It WAS DR.
Thomas. whom they had thought dead
for quarter Of a century. The old man
I~aa Tor nd ca nd In
the course of time took the whole family
back TO Spain. They visited Balboa,
Madrid and other scenes where the doe
tor had amassed a large fortune. He is
now eighty-two years old.
As soon as the war with Spain ended, in
1895, Sam Pearcy went to Havana and
opened a commission house, dealing
largely in agricultural implements for the
devastated plantations Of the island. The
Spanish people OF Cuba feared they would
be despoiled Of their property. and there
was general exodus to Spain. The Isle
Of Pines was owned largely by those who
wished to so back 10 Europe, and Pearcy
obtained options on $1,000 acres. went to
New York. organized d company. and got
the money in one day to buy the land
for the Isle of Pines company, Of which
ne is now vice president. The company
has since Increased its holdings to 10000
acres, about one-fouTth of the total area
of the island.
sam Pearcy early came into conflict with
the Cuban government He has been ar
rested not less than sixty times for trivial
violations of Cuban regulations His
yacht was taken away from him. and he
has been harassed in every possible man
ner. Nevertheless, he has kept up his
night and is still contending Tor the little
Treasure Island 10 be declared part
OF the territory of the United States. ac-
cording to the Interpretation originally
placed upon the treaty OF Paris by the
State Department.
In this work he has been ably assisted |
by his brother, Capt Josiah L. PeaFey. /
It was through the latter that Representa- /
tive James D. Richardson, then leader of
the minority in the House, became inter-
ested in the Isle of Pines matter, and In
duced Senator Morgan to take uD the
fight in the Senate. Senator Morgan has
been successful ia preventing any action
whatever. and the opposition 10 the treaty
ylaims it is increasing in strength all the
time.
Capt Pearcy was an artillery officer
in the Confederate army. serving for
a while as captain and inspector on the
staff of Gen John C. Breckenridge. After
the war he went to Pulaski. Tenn. and
was one Of the nine men who formed
The original Ku-klux Khan IN the ruins
OF the old Carter mansion, near Pulaski. /
At that time there was no political signi- |
fcance attached to the order, it was
merely a Greek secret society. modelled
after the Greek letter fraternities of the /
colleges
When the Ku-klux Khan initiated its
first member, they rode through town in |
"a fantastic masque The negroes were
thoroughly frightened. and thought the |
world was coming to an end That was |
the cue and the Ku-klux spread all over |
the South. Capt Pearcy has a copy of /
the original prescript Of the organization,
showing. among other things. that the /
members were compelled 20 take an oath |
TO loyalty support the United States gov
eminent The depredations of mauraders
done in the disguise of the Ku-klux are
condemned now, as they were then, by |
Capt. Pearcy and other founders of the |
true Khan
After the reconstruction period Capt |
Pearcy became active in politics, and |
served two terms as warden Of the State |
prison. In 1888 he was sent as consul TO |
the Isthmus Of Panama, serving there |
four years. Dnring that time he made |
several explorations of the interior of 1
Colombia. penetrating 10 places where no /
white man had ever been After his re- !
turn TO the United States he was en- |
gagged by Gen. Edward serreH, OF the /
Mandingo Canal Company, to 50 to the |
isthmus and make treaty with the |
Independent tribe OF San Bias Indians for /
the right OF way for a canal This was /
before the present site of the Panama /
Canal had been decided upon. and the /
Mandingo route. which is sixty miles east /
OF the one where the canal is now being /
constructed. had many supporters.
Capt. Pearcy went To the isthmus and /
negotiated 8 treaty with Inanakina. the /
head chief and governor of the San Bias
tribe. It was the first and only conven- /
ton which that wild and untamed people /
have ever entered into. but as the other
canal route was chosen It never became |
operative. The San Bias tribe have oc- /
cupied the coast from the Gulf Of San /
Bias 10 the Gulf OF Darien ever since the
time Balboa discovered the Pacific. and
probably for centuries before. They 4
claim their blood has never been mixed /
with that Of any other tribe, aCkn0wg- 1
edge no jurisdiction of any government.
and are so Jealous of their territory that
no stranger is permitted TO stay in one /
of their villages ever night When dark /
ness falls he must get IN his boat and /
away.