Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1908-02-07

he Seller oil. Men. !


IS Sfcopyright 1907. by r. G. Eastment:1 =
Lopez was his name. and he was a !
Cuban patriot To hear him argue that
Il they had the proper equipments they
would drive the Spanish from Cuba
within q year was to contribute cash.
on the spot. He solicited money from
men IN every, walk Of life.r He re.
ceiFed money from women who wept
40 they gave 1t. TO be one Of twelve
or fifteen people invited to meet at |
some. residence and hear the story of
Lopez was rare treat In one sense
and a sorrowful one in another. He
had seen It all, been through 1t all.
and he was talker to catch your In
! terest in the first dozen words. Months
7 later he knew that he was monstrous
hypocrite and liar, and worse than
that, but when the human heart is big 1
with sympathy it's owner does not stop
to criticise.
From its inception to it's 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 wheaa 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 machine
guns. Then there were blanketg, ra-
lions and other things needed by the
soldiers. A steamer was chartered and
I thirty Americans enlisted. Spanish
spies in New York reported the pur-
chases to Uncle Sam. He replied that
he would attend to the matter and did
nothing. The same spies reported the
steamer. She was not even looked
over by the revenue officers. To be
sure she was chased down the coast
by a revenue cutter that belched bar.
rels and barrels Of black smoke, but
when the flibuster was at last over
hauled it was to ask If the captain
hadn't forgotten his nightshirt on leav-
Ing New York.
7 !, Lopez was aboard. He had been in
! defat1gable. He had been at Washing
tor. He had directed all while sleep
! Ing In garnet and living on one meal
i day. patriot on a pedestal! An
object lesson to the world!
The steamer was to touch at q GER
tain point on the: coast. Word had
gone on ahead and thousand Cubans
would be at hand to swiftly unload
her. False alarms would be given and
4 the Spanish gunboats called away
8 from the spot No precaution had been
q neglected. Nothing had been left to
y chance. When once the steamer got
!. headed for the spot she slowed down
q at half speed. She was to reach the
landing under cover of darkness. At 4
4 o'clock5in the afternoon nothing was in
. sight from her bridge. At 5 O'Clock a
heavy fog settled down. This was all
4 the better for the success Of the expe-
. Mdon: Five hours slow run, would
il take them to the bay selected. and bon:
\ fires and torches would illuminate the
/, discharge of the cargo ,. IT, y LIB ,;;s
Il The fog had not lifted at 6 O'Clock
4 nor at At 8 one could just make on,
u the form of Il man seven or eight feet
{ away .SssT The captain was "a prudent
{ man. All lights were extingufshed and
q all noises flushed. With the screw soft
II ~ turning. the flibuster bored her way
y into the fog like some blacker shadow
D THE captain, Lopez and half a dozen
y others formed a group BY themselves
4 and spoke In whispers. y All were lex.
Il ultant. They were certain to get III
8 safely III. ss + :3
n OF asndden the thunk. thunk, thunk
B or propeller was heard from straight
4 ahead. could not be- mistaken FOL
any other noise. ( Then came the same
noise or the port bow. Then it came
. from the starboard quarter. The grouI
4 listened with beating heartts. 81.
!, "Porpnises or whales +, whispered TO
& peg In the captains ear.
i Spanish gunbo bats Z. was the reply.
J. By the speaking tube and not by thu
B bell thesWay OF the steamer was check
4 ed, and she foated idly on the sea
u Three gunboats were conYerging OF
4 her. Three blood hounds were hunting
& their game ia the fog. They had 1 moi
q heard her, md they could not see her
!. but 1t had been planned that she would
tlSbe5 In that locality at d certain hour
/, Lopez and The Spanish had planned 1t
a The glnboats felt their az here and
there. They u most bbed sides will
their victim. ON the fl ibuster dech
men could be heard scursing ana NUT