Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

ment so well that no one ever suspected its
existence.
Clearly enough, Mr.. Cleveland's second
warning was aimed particularly at the
Cuban Delegation in New York, and it had
the effect of considerably upsetting and un-
nerving Mr.. Palma. He was for leaving this
country at once and establishing headquar-
tiers in Santo Domingo, where there Is al
ways much sympathy for any revolutionary
movement, domestic or foreign.
However, with full confidence in Our new
organization and its ability to handle things
in a manner that would avoid any serious
trouble, we persuaded him that such a
course was both unnecessary and unWlse.
instead of running away, we argued, the
proper way to reply to MIR. Cleveland's proc
lamation was to send to Cuba as quickly
as possible the largest expedition that had
ever been landed there. The effect of this,
we pointed out. would be to impress the adj
ministration at Washington and the whole
country with the strength of the revolution,
gain public sympathy by showing fighting
spirit, and at the same time revivify the reb
els. There was much discussion of this
plan: but Palma finally approved it, though
| fear with some mlsglvlngs, and we pro-
ceeded to carry it into effect.
FROM a firearms manufacturing company
at Bridgeport, Connecticut we ordered
three thousand rifles, three million rounds of
ammunition three twelve-pounder Hotch-
kiss field guns, and six hundred shells, sew
eral tons of dynamite with which to blow up
railroad bridges and do other damage and
a lot of machetes, all of which were to be
fn- al,
was much too large cargo to be trans
ported in one of the tugs we were compelled
to use to negotiate narrow passages between
the reefs and go close inshore at the points
where the arms were to be delivered; so the
Laurada, thousand-ton steamship that had
been running in the West Indian fruit trade,
was chartered to carry two-thlrds of 1T to
Navassa Island, a guano covered rock lying
south of the eastern end of Cuba, midway
between Jamaica and Haiti. She belonged
to John d. Hart, owner of the Bermuda, and
was lying at Philadelphia ready to sail. |
put Ed Murphy, who had been my mate on
the Bermuda, in command of her.
Horatio Rubens then went to Brunswick,
Georgia, and secretly bought the ocean
going tug Dauntless from the Brunswick
Navigation Company for thirty thousand
dollars. He carried the purchase price with
him in one-thousand- dollar bills to avoid any
delay in completing the deal, which had been
decided on before the necessity for quick
action arose. The Dauntless was nearly
new and a splendid sea boat, and as well
suited to our purpose as she was well named.
She measured one hundred and twenty-five
feet over ALL and had powerful wheel that
could drive her along at thirteen knots an
hour, which was fast enough for all our ordl
nary needs.
The Dauntless was Immediately turned
over to Mr.. Huau, the Delegate at Jackson
vile of the provisional Government of Cuba,
and his assistant, Alphonso w. Fritot, as she
was to be despatched from their territory.
A S matter of fact, they sacrificed more
for the Cuban cause and rendered 1t
more efficient service than did the delegation
in New York, though they were not so much
in the limelight. Huau was never called on
for money that he did not respond, and his
home was always open to sick or otherwise
unfortunate Cubans.
Fritot, who was his nephew, was cast in
the same mold. He was born in Cuba of
French American parentage. His father,
who had been master mechanic of the Sa
vanilla Railroad at Matanzas, was driven
into exile after having been twice imprisoned
for his revolutionary tendencies. He died
from the effects of his confinement, and the
son GREW m with bitter hatred of every