The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-03-24
AMERICAN SAVED ESTRADA

AMERICAN SAVED ESTRADA
Took the Word Which Brought Re-
endorsements.
OF real Americans, there nave been
a handful In the ranks OF the provi-
SIGNALS SO far. and these have acquitted
themselves with credit. Many on the
light have claimed American citizen
ship for the protection 1t affords. but
investigation has shown nat this claim
Is too remote to be seriously considered.
so far. as at present asccrtatned. there
States to Bluetields for the purpose OF
aiding the revolt against Zelaya. These
We're: Ralph Lees. of New Orleans;
Matthew Finnegan. of Denver, a Philip
pine veteran; @. r. Fowler, of Texas.
and also late of the Philippines; Pa"
Dolan. who hailed many years ago from
Nebraska: Phil Graves. a trick pistol
shot, who for is years was a demon
strator for n of the worlds best
known arms manufacturers, and Ga
brfel Conrad, Of New Iberia, La, who
has a medal for aiding the English
against the Beers, and who before that
chased the Apache Kid" With the
western regulars some II or Is years
ago. To these may be added James
Bransheld. aid to have been a mem
per OF the Panama c~onstabulary, and
the only foreigner wounded at Recreo.
and James Edwards, an American who
has been SO long in Central America
that he pronounces the letter "a" as
though 1T We're short o." the same be-
Ing a distinguishing mark in the vari-
GUS methods Of handling the English
Language on this coast.
Craven is prematurely gray, but his
eye Is an anachronism. It's young and
shoots sparks. AS a pistol salesman for
many years it was his business to show
what could be done with the short arm
from shooting off the ashes OF a cigar
to doing other tricks common to the
stage. 1t Is related to his credit that
although he handled a pistol with an
eXpertness seldom seen, he never killed
his man. Most of them he shot in the
trigger hand as generally that was all
tnat was visible above the cover AIKEN.
Conraa and Fowler are two OF the
most soldierly figures who joined the
Estrada forces. Both had been fighting
IN the Philippines and VENT. into the
brush without Illusions. Both ere In
charge OF quick-firers and according to
General Chamorro, handled them with
a skill which went far in attaining vic
tory. In this connection it may be
stated that according to DR.. Pugh, sur
geon of the U. S. 8. Des Moines, prac-
t1cally every wound dressed in the
American hospital, among the first
patch OF Zelayan wounded brought
here was due to automatic gun fire.
Conrad. however, had another distinc-
ton, and a greater one, for it was he
who acted as General ChamorrGs mes
senger to General Mena, who is admit
ted everywhere to have turned inn,
pending defeat into victory for the
PROFESSIONALS.
AS has been cabled, and as is now
conceded by Estrada. Chamerro, For
'nas-Diaz. Matuty and others, the fight
Ing of December 20 and 81 had been
undecisive. The Zelayans had been
driven II their main entertainments
at Recreo. on the Rio Mico, where their
resistance was desperate. However,
they We're battling in self defense,
which probably explains that Mena,
known otherwise as Montana Tiee'
lMountain Lion), with 600 men. had,
been sent from a point down the Rama
river, to cut off retreat to the west.
AS planned on the first day, he cap
station there. On the next and final
day Of the battle, however. he en-
countered bad roads. His arrival In
the rear Of Recreo.t therefore, was de-
layed. and the other generals, outnum-
bered. We're merely able to hold their
own. Find Mena and tell him we are
beaten unless he can get here within
W hours. He can't be more than a
mile or two in the bush now" said
General Chamorro to Conrad.
Conrad forced his way through the
jungle with it's Dogs and tough inter-
threw Mena and his men into a frenzy
Of energy. Brush which it had been
deemed necessary for the macheteros
to cut were ignored-the men simply
swarmed YER them. Not even waist
deer. bog halted them. They were
nearly exhausted when the sight of
Recreo lent them fresh energy.
They shouted "vive Estrada" and
swept up the hills. and from the thick
cts came the answering cry of the other
Comanches. This assault Quickly
brought the battle to a close. Finding
themselves surrounded, Gonzales and
his men surrendered. Chamorro left
arm about Conrad's broad shoulder,
and later told the story.
Without exception the Americans
mentioned in this dispatch declare that
the Nicaraguan natives have in them
the making OF soldiers the peer of any.
Ihey can live on almost nothing, and
they can carry the burdens Of a
Chinese coolie, through a country which
would put the average coolie, hardy
though he is, out OF commission. And
they do not finch at hand-to-hand
combat. Greater disciline In concerted
movements and rifle practice are all
that is needed. AS 1t is, they are prone
to over excitement and consequent
bad shooting. To the fact that most
Of the firing was done at close range
when they ran into each other in the
brush. is due the large number of cas-
ualties now reported-6OO dead and an
equal number wounded on both sides.
Too Much Hustle.
From the Washington Star.
Senator Tillman. discnuuin~ n--