St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-02-04
Lee Christmas, Soldier OF Fortune

Soto, nephew OF the famous (Hernan.
dez?l Soto was leader of the revolution,
Colonel Duron was leader Of the in
s~urrectos on Christmas train. The
leader of this revolution was finally
| driven from the country and Chr1Stnas
accompanied him. The latter returned
in about a year, surrendeFed FORMALLY
and went back to work on the railroad.
In 1902 Christmas was appointed chief
Of police of Tegucigalpa, the capital OF
Honduras, by President Sierra. The
force was b~arefooted when the Ameri-
can took charge. a very obstreperous
prisinor was accustomed to require o
policemen to get them to jail, and there
was a regulation that any escaping
prisoner who entered The house could
not be pursued beyond the door.
| Christmas put The police force in full
uniform, including shoes and collars
and gave them practice in swinging
clubs and disregarding the doorway
practice. At the end of the year the
force Of 1877 men had improved to the
point that it was said that certain soph-
isticated offenders were willing to go to
Jail alone, rather than risk the
honor Of having even one policeman es-
cort him.
It was by enforcing the civil service
rules on this police force that Christmas
obtained the first real power in Hon
duras. He discharged every policeman
whom he found engaging in politics,
and, in consequence, he had a force
loyal to him when, in January, 1908, a
junta of ministers tried to prevent
Manuel Bonilla from taking his seat
Being one Of the only two men in the
country empowered to call out an arm
ed force, Christmas summoned his po-
lice and seated BonilA. There was
lighting, however before Bonilla Sc.
cured the reins of government. Christ
mas started the shooting by executing
ten policemen who deserted after they
had refused an opportunity to leave his
banner without danger and had sworn
to stand by him.
After Bonilla became president
| Christmas continued ~ chief of police
and was commissioned a general in the
Honduran army. During the last year
of BonillR's power he again went into
railroad work at the presidents request
In 1907 Ron1lla was driven from the
country in q revolution instigated by
Zelaya, then president of Nicaragua
and supported by Nicaraguan soldiers;
part of whom were under the command
of Juan Estrada, now the president OF
Nicaragua. After ten DAYS and nights
Of nearly continuous fighting near
Tegucigalpa Christmas was wounded
II anu 0GAptuEEu anu IEAS11R1 bHhOh
The Nicaraguan c~ontingent had Christ
mas court martialled and condemned 10
be shot. Although he believed the
| Nicaraguans might let him of, Christ
| mas defed them with a little Spanish,
(which is still famous in Honduras.
| When sentenced and asked if he had
ANYTHING TO say, Christmas pointed &c
| the buzzards, which mad gathered
by the thousand during the fighting.
4Throw my body 10 those ~buzzards,"
runs the free translation or Christmas
retort. az don't want to be buried
aBut why2" he Was asked.
$50 that they will eat me n fly my
remains over your head
"The American isn't afraid yet!P x.
claimed one of the Nicaraguans.
Christmas then applied to the Hondu-
ran commanders for passports from the
conntry which he received. since then
he spent mucn of his time in Guatema,
lie. until last July, when he and Manuel
BonilIa conducted . revolutionary ex-
padition against Honduras.
This expedition failed when a con-
federate At Puerto Cortez became toe
impatient TO wait for Boniila's arrival
and with q few dinner companions at
tampted 20 capture the commandanse
and the port. The plans of the revolu'
tionists fell into the governments pos
session. resulting fn the arrest OF seve'
raj hundred persons and, It Is said, '
lnumber of executions.
Meanwhile. the expedItlon.i sa1lane
vessels, nearly sinking from the ounst,
ing Of q storm the night oeioFe arLlVsu
before Puerto Cortez too late. Wnlls
there Christmas, vessel was oecalmed