Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-11-05
Native of Island.


Thomas Estrada Palma was born in
1885 in the province of Bayamo. where
his father was a rich land owner and
cattle raiser. The boy had all the
advantages money could give him. He
studied under a private teacher at
home and finally was sent to Spain to
enter the university at Seville. There
he was graduated in the law and it
was his intention to become a barrister
in Cuba
That he was never TO achieve this
ambition was due to the spread Of the
revolutionary fury. His return to the
island was followed by the mutterings
that preceded the long fight for lib
erty. His father died and it devolved
upon the young man to manage the
estate. The war began. The Span
iards, besides confiscating his lands,
captured his mother and practically
tortured her TO death.
They tortured her in an effort to
extort from her information she did
not possess he said, in describing
his bereavement years afterward ''and
then they left her half dead in the
woods. where, after wandering for
days, she was rescued, too late to save
her life
Lived with Soldiers in Bush.
Casting his lot with the revolution
lists. giving them what ready money
he could raise, and fighting with them
whenever the chance came, he quick
ly rose to leadership, was chosen a
deputy. and finally became president
of the provisional government. This
government was a migratory estab-
'lishment, moving its headquarters as
often as the enemy made it necessary,
but it was recognized by the natives
none the less, and Cuba Libre contin-
ued to look upon Palma as its chief,
with General Maxine Gomez as his
secretary of war.
While on march with few troops
Palma was captured by the Spanish
captain, Mozo Viejo. Having spent a
few days in Moro castle, Havana, he
was sent to Spain, where he spent 10
months in various prisons. his last
stop being in the fortress of Fisueras,
, in the foothills of the Pyrenees. II
was there that he again proclaimed
himself president of the republic.
Marries and Comes to United States.
When they let him go free, in 1878
the 10 years war was over, and Spain
had tightened its grip on the island
to such an extent that it was useless
for him to return. He went to Hon
duras. of which republic he became
postmaster general. There he married
and he and his bride moved to Orange
county. N Y. They established 6
school for the education of boys from
the South American republics and con
Quoted it for 90 years.
Palma did not consider it extraor
dinary that he, county schoolmastel
of New York state, should be trans
formed suddenly into president of tht
republic of Cuba.
In his own mind he had been the
legal possessor of the high title nearl,
80 years before he was installed Ma.
20. 1902. Had not the revolutionist!
formally elected him their leader be
tween skirmishes with the Spanish ty
rants in the 10 years war? To hi:
peaceful neighbors at Central Valley
IN Y, he said little, but the few VIII,
knew his history had heard how h
persisted in claiming the office. ever
in tho midst of caDtiyity in the SDan
ish fortress.
Il am president of the Cuban re
public" he had said to his guards
when they demanded his occupation
in the course of census at the battle
mented prison among the Pyrenees il
l1S7S.
Rights Restored by Election.
4 His election, therefore. after th
Spanish-American war, he looked upol
merely as a restoration of his rights
With. no special election, though wit
the modesty that has always charao
terized him. he leaped out of enforce,
obscurity into the Havana palace ono
occupied by the gay lived captain
general of Spain
AS if he had been accustomed to tn
new position in all the decades of re
! ltirement. ne went about the compile
task of running a government with a
much apparent confidence as he ha
shown when he established a privat
academy in the United States to It'd
over his Punishment.