The Detroit times., 1911-01-27
6EI0|lE0HNAN
ENGINE CAB
~ Christmas, Whose Home Is In
Memphis, Tenn, Has Missed Death !
BY Inches. But Persists In
Career Of Adventure.
United States Il Now Trying T.
Smash Rebellion Led by Him
In Honduras.

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 25.-Gen
/ Ice Christmas, former American loco
motive engineer, is now the most PIC
turesque soldier OF fortune in the
world.
He Is commander-in-chie OF the
rebel army In Honduras and Is nnd
ing the lighting pretty heavy Win
Uncle sam landing blue jackets
against him and Selling his whole
navy, the gnnboat Hornet.
Years ago Lee proudly piloted his
engine out OF New Orleans on tho
Illinois Central, hauling the fast ex
press banana train to northern climes
Ills one ambition then was to get his
hand on the throttle OF an eight-driyel
& passenger locomotive.
Suddenly the thread suspending the
unseen ak over Lees official neck was
deity nipped. lie was color blind and
thcy fred him.
He loafed around New Orleans har
Dor for a while. The aroma OF bananas
caught his nostrils. A steamer from
which cargo OF bananas had just
been unloaded was preparing to sail,
Lee walked aboard and didn't step
ashore when the steamer backed
away from the wharf
"Give me ticket for any old place
said Lee when the purser tapped him
on the shoulder; and so they landed
\ him at Puerto Cortez, Honduras.
A fresh revolution had just been
started down there by the outs, who
happened to be Manuel Bonllla's
henchmen, just then. Both sides
needed recruits, but Manuel saw
christmas first and made him a gen
Al that time Policarpo Bonilla-not
related 10 the other Bonilla--was In
The presidents palace at Tegucigalpa,
the capital Both of the Bonillss had
beer president and ex-presidet In
tufn several times. When one was
ont he was busy starting another
revolution to get 4in' again. Any
setting sun which saw no new revoln-
tion wasn't worth talking about.
Well. Lee started revolving In
earnest. He showed the Hondurans a
few tricks In fighting they had never
dreamed OF. Policarpo was divorced
; from the presidents palace and allow
"a TO ruminate In four-by-four cell
. IL ,the village lookup for awhile.
Besides being general In the. army,
Christmas was now made chief OF po-
Nee. too, and period of quiet set
( ~ But the treasury ran short of
fluids and he got a job on the rail-
road. This he threw up when the.
"00ts" tried to push Manuel Boniila
oK the throne
Christmas might have won again,
hit the night before the decisive bat
{Iet one OF his fellow generals got 40
drunk that he couldn't remember
which side he was lighting for and
sent the plans Of the next days at
tack 10 the wrong Bonilla.
s. Christmas was captured and sent 70
Tie cell occupied by one or the other
. Of the Bonillas for several years.
Manuel had luckily escaped with the
nations handbook into Salvador.
a few mornings later Lee was led
out into the street before line Of
+ Policarpo's soldiers. The firing squad
raised their guns, aimed at white
papcr pinned over Lees heart and.
. Christmas was saying goodby to HIM
: 1elf. when the commanding officer,
wishing to prolong the entertainment.
4 H&I<ed the American adyenturer IL he.
Had anything TO say before. he died.
Yea. he replied; -f-fo not want
nv body buried. | want IL to remain
On top of the ground"
A Hopduran's curiosity lis easily.
aroused.
~}vhy?" everybody cried at once.
Because" he yelled back, II want
the buxzards to eat me and then scat.
TER my remains all over every one Of
you"
such an insult had never been hand.
I'd out in Central America before. IL
20 enraged them that they decided
30 retaliate with some strange and
awful punishment.
While they wrangled and quarreled
ori0ne themselves over various forms
% refined and unrefined death tor
lure, Christians unbound his hands,
4 flipped back OF the prison and hot
looted II to the frontier
Soon afterwards he rode into the
& capital again at the head of another
ol1ccessful revolution and again plsc-
81 Manuel In the palace. During 4
hull I'm Honduras, Christmas kept his
AnnQ In training In other Central
american countries
When Manuel was again chased ont
az the country by Policarpo and Ze-
lava OF Nicaragua, and the present
executive, Miguel r. Davila, ushereJ
INTO the palace. Christmas returned
f 20 the United States. Going to Mem.
pDis- his home town, he found that
his wife had obtained divorce and
ren1arried. this time to a plain, un-
military. unnniformed carpenter, who,
4 abe said. would stand hitched at homo.
Hut Chfistmas didn't lose interest
"a Central American affairs. He Join
~ the large bunch Of exiles in New
Orleans and everybody began plan,
rinE another revolution for their be-
loved sweet land of liberty, Honduras.
When the Hornet was purchased In
The United States and sailed for Cen.
<ral America, she carried Christmas.
On a friendly coast he dropped ashore.
joincd Manuel Bonilla and took com.
u,nd OF Bonillas army.
C0lG1fEEDs EQUAL SUFFRAGE.
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