The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1908-03-05
! The Seller of Men.

Cuban marriott To hear him argue tina.
r. they had the proper equipments they
would drive the Spanish from CUBA
within a year was to contribute cash
on the spot He solicited money from
men in every walk Of life. DE re-
ceived money from women who wept
as they gave it. To be one or twelve
or fifteen people invited to meet at
some residence and hear the story OF
I,opez was a rare treat In one sense
and a sorrowful one in another. be
had seen it all, been through 1t all,
and he was a talker to catch your In
terest in the first dozen words. Months
later he knew that he was monstrous
hypocrite and liar, and worse than
that, but when the human heart is big
with sympathy it's owner does not stop
to criticise.
From its inception to its close the
Cuban rebellion was kept alive by
American contributions Of cash, arms
and volunteers. Uncle Sam knew all
about It. but he rolled his tongue in his
cheek. During the last two years OF
the rebellion his vessels were almost
openly fitted out to carry arms and
other supplies, but if the United States
cutters chased them off the coast they
did not overhaul them at sea. The
government inspectors at the New
England arsenals knew where the
arms went to, no matter what the
marks on the boxes, but they winked
at each other and saw nothing.
According to Lopez, $4,000 patriots
were ready to rally as soon as sup
piled with arms. A large sum Of mon
ey was collected and spent for mus
kets, revolvers. cartridges and ma machine
guns. Then there were blankets, "a
lions and other things needed by the
soldiers. A steamer was chartered and
thirty Americans enlisted. Spanish
spies in New York reported the pur-
ciaases to Uncle Sam. He replied that
he would attend to the matter and did
nothing Tie same spies reported the
steamer. She Wigs NOT even looked
over by the revenue o&5cers. TQ be
sure she was chased down the coast
by revenue cutter that belched bar
rels and barrels Of black smoke, but
when the filibuster was at last over
hauled it was to ask If the captain
hadn't forgotten his nightshirt on leay-
ing New York.
Lopez was aboard. He had been in
defatigable. He had been at Washing
ton. He had directed all while sleep
ing in garnet and living on one meal
a day. A patriot on PEDESTAL! An
object lesson to the world!
The steamer was to touch at GER
tain point Oh ahe coast. Word had
gone on ahead and q thousand Cubans
would be at hand TO swiftly unload
her. False alarms would ie given and
the Spanish gunboats called away
from the spot. No pnecaution had been
neglected. Nothing had been left to
chance. When once the steamer got
headed for the spot she slowed down
at half speed. She was to reach the
landing under cover of darkness. At 4
O'clock in the afternoon nothing was in
sight from her bridge. At o'clock q
heavy fog settled down. This was all
the better for the success of the expe-
dition. Five hours slow run would
take them to the bay selected. and bon
fires and torches would illuminate the
discharge of the cargo.
The fog had not lifted at 6 O'clock
nor at !. At 8 one could just make out
the form OF a paaR seven or eight feet
away. The captain was q prudent
man. All lights were A4H4gMisbed and
all noises hushed. With the seneY soft
ly turning, the filibuster bored her way
into the fog like some blacker shadow.
The captain. Lopez and half a dozen
others formed a group by themselves
and spoke in whispers. All were ex-
ultant. They were certain to get in
safely.
OF sudden the thunk, thunk, thunk,
of propeller was heard from straight
ahead. 1t could not be mistaken for
any other noise. Then came the same
noise off the port bow. Then it came
from the. starboard quarter. The group
listened with beating hearts.
APorpoises or whalesv' whispered Lo-
PEI in the captains ear.
Spanish gunboats!' was the reply.
By the speaking tube and not by the
bell the way Of the steamer was check
ed, and she doated idly on the sea.
Three gunbaats were converging on
her. Three blOodhounds were hunting
their game in the fog. They had not
heard her, and they could not see her,
but it had been planned that she would
be in that locality at a certain hour
Lopez and the Spanish had planned it.
The gunboats felt their way here and
there. They almost rubbed sides with
their Tietim. From the filfbusters deck
men could be heard cursing and NUT
tering.
Only one man was watching Lopez
an American volunteer for the Cuban