The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-24
BR|GAND MENACES
S u c A R FIELDS
Soils Asks Cuban Planters for
Money on Penalty of Burn
ing Their Cane.

Havana, December a3--whuc Soils
tho kidnapping brigand, continues his
profitable activities the newspapers
here unite in ridiculing Nonteagudo.
commander Of the ruralcs, for an in
tcrvicw expressing his dlscouragemcnt
and blamins the country people who
protect the outlaw for misleading the
rurales with false information.
ono ncwsr npcr says that Montoagudo
Is just like the captains general In
Spanish times, who put the blame for
brigandage on the peoples sympathy
with hrigunds This journal points out
that the peoples sympathy must now
again be against the government.
Senior lIcra. who was captured II few
days ago and ransomed for $4,000.
gives an interesting account OF his cx-
perionce while lie was with the ban
dts Soils, he says, divided the money
separately with his lieutenant, half
and half. telling the captive that this
was his invarlublc practice, because
he believed that fairness best promoted
harmony and concentrate safety. After
making the division Soils, before re-
leasing his captive, said IL panied him
immeasurably more than it did the
captive to be compelled so to despoil
Il guest. but that the cxigoncies of
fession necessitated the action. The
outlaw expressed the sinccrest affcc-
ton for his captive as comradc in
arms in the war for independence, and
hoped he would not bear ll-wlll
His captive further relates that h.
observed the greatest cordially he
tween tho inhabitants of the country
side and the bandits, due, perhaps, TO
the EATERS paying double for every
thing purchased and stealing nothing.
The outlaws at frequent intervals re-
ceived news Of the movements of tho
rurales the country folk gong and
coming freely.
Rumors of new representations have
reached Havana but 1t Is no. po5slblc
20 eonfrm .hcm as faGts. lac idea III
using ploodhounds TO catch the Srl5and
Is ridiculed. on tic ground that tn.
poison the dogs. Every cody Is won
dering however why no reward has
been offered for Soliss capture or
dcnth. General Leonard Wood havinG
got rid Of the last bandit in mis- tim
by offering a reward OF $500. The
offer in this case EE.cilly resulted IN
the killing of the bandit. who was
named Limo Lima. and who had ter.
rorized the great sugar province OF
The planters OF the cicgo dc Avila
region are the most alarmed now. none
knowing who will be the next victim
Perez. from whom the rurales took thf
$4,000 which he attempted to de.ivei
to the brigand for his nephcw's ransom
is trying TO recover the. money. which
is in the possession of the court, which
It Is said, declares that the aonen Is
forfeit, because Perez was attempting
to compound felony
II the authorities insist on this pol
icy soils viii 5n'n the sne fields an in
lars worth of damage and provoking
the planters violently against the gov
eminent.
Opposition papers are already i'm
quiring why the Rurales are concen'
trated In Havana. while briEardage Is
rampant in the country, soils having
many inferior imitaters. The same
papers are intimatin5 that the gov
crnment does not want TO capture the
outlaw, insinuatins that he is buying
immunity
Soils knows every foot OF the region
of his operations. around which are
the toughest and most mpenetrablc
woods and mountains. He operated il
that section in the war for indcpend
ence. The fact that the brigand has a
sweetheart who is schoolmistress al