The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-07-07
Her
Mission
How She Kept 1t a Secret and
How She Performed 1t
BY MANUEL CORDA
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911


fore Gonzales left it, and it was dur
ing this year that l 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
he was able, kept his converts apart,
maintaining great secrecy in all his
PROSECUTING work. I 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 mem
Der who should assassinate the person
in question.
Up to this moment | had been fasci
mated by the romance | conceived to
pervade these efforts to equalize the
social strata. When | put my hand
in hat to draw a bit of paper that
might compel me to kill a man and
probably be executed myself as
felon, the illusion vanished like mi
rage or, rather, it was changed into
repulsion, and when the paper | drew
was opened and saw by skull and
crossbones on it that l had drawn the
order to commit murder I was frozen
with horror.
I did now what l should have done
in the beginning-l made a confidant
of my father. He saw at once the
terrible position in which I was placed,
but. instead of making 1t worse for me
cred what it would be best for me to
do. The result of his deliberations
was that l should pass out of exist
ence-that is, that l 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-
post 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 l had been born of an American
father and a Spanish mother.
1t was year later that | 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, I continually wore dark
glasses. 1t was not absolutely neces.
sary that I should earn a living, for
once a year my father RENTED sufh-
cient funds to carry me for twelve
months. We knew that my family
would be watched. that my location
might be discovered: hence there was
to he 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 |
had condemned me to death, |
hat they knew where | was and |
hat / must be warned at once With |
mt thinking what she was doing my
mother told her where would be
'ound In New York. My father was
absent at the time and when he re-
urned my mother having learned that
he had been indiscreet In giving my
did not dare tell him
What she had done. She trusted Do
ores implicitly and preferred to rely |
N her to protect me rather than reveal |
Ter action to my father The conse-
luence was that ] was not advised of |
he matter.
Living with sword suspended over
mes head is by no means pleasant.
n my case 1t brought on a nervous
reakdown. The summer was on, and
was advised to go up to the Cats
Ill mountains ! therefore went to |
ne of the hotels on the summit. hop.
1g to recover my lost nervous vigor
had not been there week before
net with great surprise. Walking
ut one afternoon, I i2et girl coming
Dward me, and when we met who
hould ii be but Dolores Sierra
Cut off rs | had been for more than
year from every one had known
efore. her appearance gave me a
brill. l sprang toward her with n
~ of joy Instead of meeting me in
ne same spirit she stood as if para
'zed, all the color leaving her face.
Dolores exclaimed What
rings yon hereY"
II am so surprised" she stammered
at meeting you that r. she could
ct no further
But, Dolores, how strange that
Iould meet you of all others, and the
cry one | would rather meet
She put her hand to her breast. Her
reath was coming quick. For mo-
ent thought she would fall