The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-06-08

III citation, ISL. III
| | was born In Madrid OF eminent
though not noble parents. When was
( sixteen l formed the acquaintance Of
Alonzo Gonzales, an anarchist.
entered the university a year be-
fore Gonzales left II, and II was dur
ing shis year that was converted TO
the theories OF the anarchists. There
were others of our set that were cap
tured by Gonzales, among them a girl,
Dolores Sierra. who had been a play.
mate OF mine. But Gonzales, so far as
be was able, kept his converts apart,
maintaining great secrecy in all his
proselyting work. l conceived a great
reverence for him, which later was
turned to horror. When was nine.
teen he persuaded me to Join one OF
the anarchist circles Of Madrid. | had
been initiated only few months when
the society decided TO put out Of the
way a statesman high in power, who
was considered an obstacle to anarch.
istic principles. One night when
went TO a meeting of the circle 1t was
announced that lots were TO be drawn
with a view to determining some men,
ber who should assassinate the person
in question.
Up to this moment had been fasci.
mated by the romance l conceived TO
pervade these efforts TO eQualize the
social strata. When | put my hand
In q hat to draw bit Of paper that
might compel me to kill man and
probably be executed myself as a
| felon, the illusion vanished Ike a mi
rage, or, rather. 1t was changed into
repulsion. and when the paper drew
was opened and | saw by a skull and
crossbones on 1t that | had drawn the
order to commit murder was frozen
with horror
I did now what l should have done
in the beginning-I made a con6dant
of my father. He saw at once the
terrible position in which was placed,
but, instead Of making 1t worse for me
by reproach, kept his head and consid-
cred what 1t would be best for me to
do. The result OF his deliberations
was that | should pass out Of exist
ence-that is, that should disap-
pear from the world as myself and re-
appear as far away as possible from
the place of my exit as some one else.
A few days later, with what ready
money / needed and certificates Of de-
posit In the Bank of France, payable
to me as Ebenezer Swift, disguised as
an old man, left the city. My object
in taking an English name was that
proposed to settle eventually in
America. and intended to give out
that had been born of an American
father and q Spanish mother.
1t was year later that l turned up
at New York as nature made me, ex-
cept that my beard had grown. Pre-
tending that my eyes were sensitive
to the light. | continually wore dark
| glasses. II was not absolutely neces-
sary that should earn a living, for
once year my father remitted suft-
cient funds to carry ne for twelve
months We knew that my family
would be watched, that my location
might be discovered; hence there was
to be no communication oftener that
that interval
One day, so learned long after
ward. Dolores Sierra went to my
mother and told her that for my
safety she must know where was,
stating that the circle to which / had
belonged had condemned me to death,
that they knew where was and
that | must be warned at once. With
| out thinking what she was doing my
mother told her where l would be
found in New York. My father was
absent at the time and when he re-
turned my mother having learned that
she had been indiscreet in giving my
whereabouts, did not dare tell him
what she had done. She trusted Do
lores implicitly and preferred to rely
on her to protect me rather than reveal
her action to my father The conse-
quence was that was not advised of
the matter.
Living with sword suspended over
ones head is by no means pleasant.
In my case it brought on a nervous
breakdown. The summer was on, and
I was advised to go up to the Cats
kill mountains. therefore went to
one Of the hotels on the summit. hop
ing to recover my lost nervous vigor.
/ had not been there week before
met with a great surprise. Walking
out one afternoon, met a girl coming
toward me, and when we met who
should It be but Dolores Sierra.
Cut Off as l had been for more than
a year from every one l had known
before, her appearance gave me q
thrill. / sprang toward her with a
cry Of Joy. Instead Of meeting me In
the same spirit she stood as if para
lyzed, all the color leaving her face.
"Doloresg exclaimed. What
brings you hereT
T am so surprised" she stammered,
"at meeting you that p She could
get no further.
But, Dolores, how strange that
should meet you of all others, and the
very one ! would rather meet
She put her hand TO her breast. Her
breath was coming quick. For a mo-
ment I thought she would fall. !