The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-08-16


Charleston. He returned in half an hour and
without another word to me ordered leuten-
ant to take me aboard the Charleston.
will not deny that was bit easier in my
mind when saw my own flag flying over me,
yet had I known the treatment was to re-
ceiVe under it would have felt quite differ.
emily.
1t was easy to see, from the reception
Captain Picking gave me, that he had been
Influenced by the attitude Of Captain Lang.
I told him that I was an American citizen.
temporarily in the employment Of the Bra
lillian government: that had violated no
law of the United States or of Brazil, and
demanded that I be set ashore He coldly
informed me that I would be confined to the
ship, at least until he had consulted with tho
American minister and communicated with
Washington, and soon after arrived on the
Charleston I was confined to my room, as
dangerous character who threatened the
peace Of nations. With this decidedly un-
pleasant recollection, however, it is a pleas
ure to know that the other American naval
officers, who arrived later, took exactly my
view Of the whole situation and became
champions of my cause. They told Picking
that Mello was pirate and, should be
treated as such, and that I was being de-
prived of my liberty without the slightest
warrant of law, but they were powerless to
accomplish my release.
Looking forward little, the matter in
which that old fighter, Rear Admiral Bepham
put an end to the revolution in the follow
ing January, soon after his arrival at
Rio, should be well remembered, for it was
a noble deed and an example Of the good
judgment generally displayed by American
naval officers when they are not hampered
by foolish orders from Washington. In the
vain hope Of arousing enthusiasm for his lost
cause, Mello had gone down the coast,
where he fguratively and literally took to
tho woods when he saw the folly of his mis-
sion, leaving Da Cana In command Of the
blockading feet The captains of several
American merchant ships, who had been
prevented for weeks from landing their car
goes for Rio, appealed to Admiral Benham,
who took prompt action
To show his contempt for tho rebels,
whom he properly regarded as pirates,
Admiral Benham assigned the smallest ship
of his squadron, the little Detroit, COM
manded by that great little man, Com.
mander (now Rear Admiral, retired) w. H.
Brownson to escort the merchantmen I'D to
the dock.
The revolution" ended right there, but un-
fortunately I was not present to witness its
collapse
1t was in vexed Venezuela that l was destin-
ed to end my days Of deviltry, but not until att
or protracted warfare, none the less bitter be-
cause it was conducted at long range, with Cas-
tro the Contemplate, who came into power
two years after had finally settled down ut
Santa Catalina as manager for the Orinoco
company. Cipriano Castro had been in con-
gress as diputado, as member of the house.
from one of the Andean districts while was In
Caracas with President Crespo, and, though he
was regarded as a good fighter and a disturbing
element, he was never considered as q presi.
Dental possibility
After getting the development work well
started returned to Caracas and early In
1879 resumed my old confidential position with
President -Crespo. His term expired the fol-
lowing February and 1 found that he had al
ready decided on General Ignacio Andrade as
his successor. He had planned to continue a
dictator Of the country, In Guzman, and spend
much of his idle time and money abroad. and
he wanted a man who could be relied on to
keep his organization intact and turn the Of
fec back to him at tho end of his term, fol
the Venezuelan constitution prohibits a presi
dent from succeeding himself
The poems idolizsd Crespo. and he had such
a strong grip on tho country that he was able
to carry out his plan. but with disastrous results
For 4 popular election It was the weirdest thiul
that could be imagined.
It was Immediately followed by mutterings Of
discontent from the better class Of citizens and
ON the night Of Andrade's Inauguration Genera