Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-04
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garded as unlikely that they win do so.
He will not. however, be released from
custody in o hurry.
Career of Christmas.
Lee Christmas 10 a native of New Or
leans, and has been heard Of before in south
and central American conflicts. In the re-
cent revolution in Honduras. he enlisted
as chief military advisor to Manuel Bopills.
who had been vice president Of Honduras,
Bonilla had been sequestered for some time
on an estate in British Honduras for sedi-
tous activity against the government OF
President Davila. His time was spent in
planning a revolution designed to put him
IN the place occupied by Dayii' In Christ
mas he found q ready and warlike ally
This soldier Of fortune succeeded In get
ting out Of the United States with two
schooners loaded with Calling guns and
small arms, and about 100 Americans,
mostly residents Of New Orleans and other
towns in Louisiana, The guns were landed
on the coast OF Guatemala, and thence taken
across the border into Honduras. This was
late In June. About three weeks were spent
in organising the army" which, in addi-
ton to the 100 Americans, consisted Of 400
Hondurans. Early in August Christmas left
Utila, one Of the Bay islands where he had
established headquarters, and base of
supplies, and made his way with troops in
launches to Los island fourteen miles from
Ceiba, where the government troops were
in force under General Diaz. From Log
island Christmas and his men went In their
launches to Truxillo, east Of Ceiba.
Christmas and BOniIIa Taken.
General Dias, in response to Christmas's
invitation TO come out and fight" sailed
forth, and a battle ensued. In which the
gatling guns, manned by Americans, did
great execution, However, the engagement
was not decisive. Christmas failed to take
ceiba, and this caused a hiatus in the
plans to combine with Manuel Bonilla s
men in an attack on Puerto cortes.
Advices from the scene Of revolution have
been spordaic and unsatisfactory. All that
Is authoritatively known is that on August
s Christmas and Bonilla, together with
seventy men, were under arrest in Guate-
mala city. Whether they fled thither for
asylum after the failure of their plans or
went to that city on a recruiting expedition
is not definitely known, At all events they
are now in custody, The failure OF this
revolution has been aseribed to the British
Honduras authorities. who brought the
cruiser Scylla into action when Christmas's
Echooners landed on British territory.
The failure of Brig. Gen" Victor Gordon
to set out with a relief expedition 70 aid
Estrada In Nicaragua last spring is like
wise TO be recorded. Gordon, who Is a
Texan, fought CALAMITY with the Beers in
South Africa, and has been through three
revolutions in Nicaragua. He purchased
with funds supplied by merchants of Blue
fields, who had banked their hopes on
afp Ne W
New Orleans. He organized. a band OF
picked fighters, whipped them into shape
at the spanish fort near New Orleans, and
filled his steamship with arms and NUM-
lions Of war The state department took a
hand, and the filibustering expedition was
called off, Gordon made his way to Central
America without the Venus and alone. The
defeat of his plans, 1t was said, was
great blow to the business men Of Blue
fields, who had already spent large sums
In equipping Estrada for his revolt
Last May there arrived from Brazil, on
the steamship Vasari, another failure, in
the person Of George Vice, one Of nine
young soldiers of fortune who went forth
TO overcome the government OF Brazil,
Vice Is a Jerseyman, reslGSHt or Hack
ensack When he and his party reached
Bahia, in the spring OF 1900 they joined a
party OF British and American Adventures
in a plan 10 capture the small BRAZILIAN
town OF Athens. and gradually 10 overcome
the entire republic. They charged one night
upon the police headquarters, but their
fire was returned, and so effectively that
one OF the party, an Englishman. was killed.
and Vice, George Gordon OF New Jersey,
who was one OF the nine. and an ex-Britlsh
army officer, were wounded and captured.