New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1911-06-21

~ ITTH General Lee Christmas.
NV who assisted Manuel Bonilla
w in an unsuccessful attempt
to overthrow the government
Of President Davila Of Honduras, en-
joying the hospitality Of the prison au-
thorities In Guatemala and William
p. Pittman until recently immured In
Nicaraguan dungeon as result OF
his activities against Nicaragua the
romance Of recent American soldiers
of fortune may be written only In
terms Of failure. From q viewpoint
purely artistic, however, this enhances
their story.
Americans remember longest the
men whose romance as well as their
lives ended with wall at their backs
and firing squad in front of them
those of the Virginius, for instance
and they cannot forget Winchester
Dana Osgood, the old Pennsylvania
halfback. lying dead across a me-
chine gun he had so CALAMITY served
on a Cuban hillside
Success, as rule, means generous
bounty or concession from the new
president or dictator, as the case may
be, and a life thereafter Of plutocratlc
ease, which, after all, Is the motive of
most soldiers of fortune, although there
are enough of the other sort-men who
fight and stir up trouble for the pure
love of fighting and intrigue and I'M
rest-to leaven the guild with that
swashbuckling devil-may care ardor
for strife and bloodshed under what
ever flag or leader.
Pittman's Case Is Typical.
The story of Pittman is typical Of
this class He is a native of Boston,
where his family still lives. About
FIVE years ago he entered the govern
ment service on the isthmus Of Pan
anna When the present revolution
started in Nicaragua he hurried from
Colon to Bluefields and offered his
services to the insurgent chief, Cen
eral Estrada. He was accepted and
received a commission as colonel Of
the signal corps.
When it became known that the CON-
mander Of the government forces in
tended to storm Bluefields, Pittman laid
mines around decoy Notifications. The
charge was made by some 400 Of the
government troops, and Pittman, stand
ing by his switches, exploded his
mines under their feet. Many were
killed, and the attack was checked.
This was on May q. Pittman, believ-
ing that after the enemy had recover
ed courage another attack would be
made, remained at his switches and
was there cut of and captured by SOL
diers sent out for that purpose by Gen
eral Lara.
Philander G. Knox, secretary Of state
of the United States, acted promptly.
He sent instructions to the American
consul at Managua and to Commander
Gilmer Of the gunboat Paducah to in
vestigate and make certain that the
prisoner was treated in accordance
with the modern understanding among
nations as to soldiers captured In war.
Pittman when at Managua was con-
fined in a filthy cell, 6 by feet, fed
only by charitable strangers. The man
was slowly starving. Consul Olivares.
who found him after some weeks Of
search, Immediately protested to Cen
eral Madriz in the name Of the United
States and secured from that officer a
promise to remove Pittman to better
cell and to see that he was properly
fed. This promise was kept
Christmas Good Filibuster.
Lee Christmas is a native Of New
Orleans and has been heard Of before
in South and Central American con-
flicts. In the recent revolution in Hon
duras he enlisted as chief military ad-
wiser to Manuel Bonilla, who had been
vice president Of Honduras. Bonilla
had been sequestered for some time on
an estate in British Honduras for sedi-
tious activity against the government
Of President Davila. His time was
spent in planning revolution destined
to put him in the place occupied by
Davila. In Christmas he found a
ready and warlike ally.
This soldier Of fortune succeeded in
getting out Of the United States with
two schooners loaded with Calling
guns and small arms and about hun
dred Americans, mostly residents Of
New Orleans and other towns of Lou
isiana. 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 organizing the
army" which, in addition to the 100
Americans, consisted Of 400 Hondu.
rams. Early in August Christmas left
Utila, one Of the Bay islands, where