Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-29
KINGS BODYGUARD
JOINS CHAIN GANG
Spaniard, Banished from Court
for Planning EIopement, Ar
rested Here as Vagrant
PRISONER PRAYS IN HIS CELL
Juan Garcia Seeks Old Sweet
heart, Now Nun, He Once Tried
to Kidnap from Convent
PRISONER PRAYS IN HIS CELL

Crossing himself devoutly and muir
muring a blessing on the court. Juan
Garcia, scion of an old Spanish family
that has lived in Barcelona for centu-
res, and one time captain of the body
guard of Alfonso MI, father of the
present king of Spain, in the royal
palace at Madrid, received d sentence
of thirty days on the chain gang for
vagrancy yesterday from Long
Beach justice Of the peace
Half starved and clothed in rags,
with strips of hide bound around his
feet, bleeding from their contact with
the rough roads Garcia was arrested
by Constable Wilson as he knclt in
prayer on the sands near the ocean.
This morning. chained to prisoners of
the county jails road gang, with pick
and shovel, he will work on the coun-
tvs roads,
While not speaking a word of Eng
lish. Garcia converses i'll the purest of
Spanish. His features are refined. I'm
der his threadbare shirt a crucifiX
hangs from a gold chain about his
neck This the jailers, at his earnest
request, have permitted him to keep.
He passed last night kneeling on the
floor of his cell with the cross pressed
to his lips Not even the jeers and
tests of his fellow prisoners, who ridi-
culc his dcVuutncss, forced him from
his knees. He is a surprise TO the
jailers.
Garcia told his story through an in
terprcter yesterday afternoon 1t is
the strangest that has come to the
cars of the county authorities for a
long time. He says his brother Mar
celine is a magistrate of the higher
courts of Spain and that he is a grad
uate Of the University of Seville. He
appears to be 50 years old.
PLANNED An ELOPEMENT
As an officer of the bodyguard of the
king, he says, he met a young woman
of the court who was betrothed to
noble in the service and confidence of
the king They were planning an elope-
ment when he was placed under arrest
and banished from Spain. The girl,
he aftorward learned, was placed in
convent at Madrid, where she later
took the veil.
Garcia. disguised, crossed the Span
ish frontier So much, he says, did he
care for the young woman who had
become a nun that, with former friends,
he planned to kidnap her from the con-
vent His plan was frustrated and
he was arrested. and without trial or
publicity, he claims. was placed in a
prison. where he says he fought mad
ness for many years in solitary con
lnement
When the Spanish American war
broke out and the government was mo-
hilziug forces for service in cuba,
Garcia with others in the same prison
was released, on the understanding, he
says after he had taken d solemn oath,
that he would serve his country faith
fully against the American invaders.
In cuba. says Garcia. he. participated
i'm several battles. To the Interpreter
ho said he had suffered hardships even
worse than his confinement in the royal
prison and which eventually broke
down his health. He was taken pris-
oncr and narrowly escaped being shot
by the C'ubanS. whom he hates with
an intensity that astonishes the jailers.
At the close of the Spanish-Ameri-
can war Garcia was informed by
friends that his sweetheart had been
taken to the western coast of America,
where she was in "A convent as mother
speaking neutrality-suspicious. we
superior. lie began visiting the
Spauish-speakin countries and has
searched evcry convent, he says. in
both the General American republics
and Mexico
THINKS OLD SWEETHEART Is HERE
He is positive now, he says, that she
is mother superior Of d franciscan con-
vent either in Los Angeles or san
Francisco. He was praying that he
might find Mother Theresa, as he calls
the woman, and see her face once more
before he dies, when an officer ar
rested him.
All attempts to make him disclose
his SWoetheart's nane proved futile
Yesterday 1T is too sacred to men
ton souor," he said, within these
walls. | have told you my story. They
have imprisoned me, but I will find
ner. not to take her from tho service
of the church We both love, but to see
her face once again belorse my lips
are sealed i'm death"
The authorities have traced Garcia's
Wandorines through Mexico, where hc
is said to have lived tho life of her
init and made frequent visits to mon
astcries and converts His wrists and
ankles bear the scars of heavy irons
and h is shoulders arc stopped. lie
never lifts his eyes save to east them
i'm an appeal over the crucifX which he
prizes 50 highly.
II think said Turnkey kicstcr yes
tcrday. that Garcia has been on the
verge of starvation for weeks He
passes tho greater part Of his time
Ilnoeliug on tho floor of his clcll, evi.
IDENTITY praying. There is class to the
old don. lie is not of the ordinary
kind that comes in here but pure Cas-
tliau. The workmanship on the gold
chain ard crueitiN which We have al
lowed him to keep is Of the worry best
Tho interpreter tells me his Spanish s
perfect Hard luck for the old don, |
say, but wc'll make it as easy as we
can for him"