Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-02-23
Captain Christie

copyright, 1906 by G. NJ. SutCliffe.1
About eighteen months before the
United States declared war on Spain
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 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 a man after
his own heart He 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
I'd matters that Christie came out as
a captain and was given a hundred
men. They were known as "Christors
| Devils" and were more dreaded than
FIVE times their number of regular
troops. When they captured a bunch Of
prisoners they spared few lives.
On one OCCASION after twelve Gu
bans had held a sugar house against
ninety Devils for two days and were
still having the best of it, Captain
/
! truce and asked for their surrender.
! They might march out with their guns
and their flag, and on the sacred honor
| of a Spanish soldier and a gentleman,
they should not be fired on. The Gu
bans distrusted him, but they had am
munition 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 a 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 a 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 i
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 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 his might
or might not be so. He haa 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 Il
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 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 Dev-
is was a prisoner.
Hines had sketched out a plan to be
followed in case Of capture, and now it
o% Of 10
FIVE spoke to the captain. He first
tried bluff and threats. He would, he
declared, be recaptCred 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
he was hustled into the jungle and not
word uttered in reply. After half an
hour passed the captain resorted TO
promises. If they would let MIN go
he would pay each one hundred dol
lars. He finally raised his offer to
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 come
up Hines led the way to the sugar
plantation and fell upon the Devils and
almost made a 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 spoils Of the Span
ish camp. He was also told that he
must die within an hour. They would
not torture him, but ne should die by
the rope The man grew white as
death and trembled like one with a
chill. He tried to buster, but it was
lamentable failure He had seen
dozens of caDt1red CubanS stand bold