The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-12-23
CAREER OF CASTRO
CONTINUED from Page one.)

OH the coast.
Additional evidence pointing to these
facts came in dispatch from Berlin to
the effect that DR.. Israels, the noted
surgeon that Castro had announced
was to operate on him, had received no
word from the dictator
That Castro is in fight is an ac-
cepted fact in Venezuela. Mutterings
of revolt are heard already, and new
revolution-the fifty-ninth, in the
ninety-seven years of Venezuela's
existence-is expected to start any day.
ONCE A CATTLE THIEF.
Cipriano Castro, "the cattle thief
President" 1.-THE little black monkey
of the Andes 1.-The human porcupine,"
1.-THE Bad Man of Caracas" "the AS
sassin of the Andes,"-to cite only
few of his many cognomens-is one of
the most picturesque adventures of
all history, and the story of his rise
from professional cattle thief to Presi-
dent, dictator and multi-millionaire,
who set all the civilized powers by
He is today at once a J. P. Morgan,
a Napoleon, a Captain Kidd, a Senator
Foraker and a "Fingy" Connors. He
rose from the very dregs and by
unique ability and unscrupulousness
equally unique he has made himself
one of the most conspicuous and inter
esting figures in the world. His new
est title is Worlds champion CRATER"
Castro is part negro, part Indian and
part Spanish. He was born in 1860
He was one of sixty children of
small cattle raiser at Capacho, State
of Cachira, on the slopes of the Andes
near the Colombia border his father
being a believer in Mormon doctrines.
Young Castro tended cattle, ran a
country store and finally took to the
business of cattle thieving-and it was
business in that part of Venezuela
in those days.
He had an ingenious system of evad-
ing the police.
When the Venezuelan authorities got
| after him he would take his herds
| across the Colombian line. When the
Colombian officers got on his trail he
would return to Venezuela. Finally,
the two nations got together, made a
raid on the same day, and put Mr..
Castro out of business.
The future dictator was greatly an
noyed. He vowed vengeance, and took
to politics to carry it out He Joined
a two-by-four revolution, which soon
collapsed However, he was elected a
member of Congress, and proved him
self the "Sockless jerry Simpson of
| South America.
WEARS GLOVES, BUT NO SHOES.
Like the other cattle rangers he
never had worn shoes and socks in his
life, and he entered the halls of Con-
gress in bare feet. Finding that shoes
were quite the proper thing in the
capital, he bought a pair and would
wear them to the capitol each day, re-
move them, place them on his desk and
put them on again as he left the build
ing. In spite of his lack of shoes he
always wore white gloves.
One day some one stole a herd OF
Castro's cattle. He appealed to Presi.
dent Andrade to get them back. The
President refused, and Castro returned
to his cattle ranges in a rage, deter.
mined to start revolution. AS he lef
the palace he beloved to a hootins
and jeering crowd. THE next time
return to Caracas it will be at tn,
head of an army" Indeed, he spoke
the truth.
No comic opera revolution was evel
funnier than that engineered by Clip
riano Castro at its incipiency. He haC
twenty-three followers (the figure haC
no cabalistic significance), and he pro
posed to conquer nation! He did it
His army of twenty-three grew t
hundreds and then to thousands. H,
marched on Caracas, defeated tn,
forces of General Andrade, entered tn,
capital and proclaimed himself presi
dent. Andrade fed in the Venezuelan
navy. e., a little steam LAUGH. H
proved that he had a real sporting in
stinct by sending the launch back t
La Guayra with this note to Castro
Il return you the navy, having no fur
Their use for it, You may need it i
your business. Many thanks"
Then Castro began grating in
generous, whole-souled manner tina
Ii.
: envy. He got his rakeoff on the Gus
toms, on crime, on building operations
on all commercial activities. In tw
years he had amassed $3,OOOOOO an
Y began Sailing" it away in Burop
ready for the day when he should b
Y prepared to use it. In March, 1901, h
y had himself elected President, and i
: 1905 he was elected for a second teri
this time of six years.