The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1912-08-16

Hernandez the famed "El Mocho," who was
minister Of public improvements In Crespos
cabinet, but an opponent of the new president.
took to the hills at the head of 5000 troops
Crespo really responsible for the curse OF
Castro. for had he selected a strong man as
his successor the mountain brigand never could
have commanded force sufficiently powerful
to overthrow him.
Within a month Andrade went through the
form of appointing Crespo commander In chlel
of the army in order that he might cllnch MS
dictatorship For while Crespo contented
himself with enjoying his new title and direct
ing operations from the capital, but the her
nandez revolution finally assumed such proper
tons that he took the field in person to stamp
it out The two armies met in the mountains
near Victoria June II, 1898. Hernandez was
led into trap given a drubbing and captured
After the battle Crespo walked across the field
and was leaning wounded man when
he was shot from behind and instantly killed.
Some few months after Crespo's death. Cas-
tro. who had made himself governor of the
state of Los Andes visited Caracas and
called on Andrade to demand an important
position in the new administration, as the
price of peace. Andrade. to his credit be 1t
said fouted him. Castro left the Yellow
house In a rage sought the councils Of An
GRADES enemies, and, after many confer
ences, a general instruction arranged
for early the following summer. The pres.
idency was to go to the leader who devel.
oped the greatest strength during the cam
paign.
Castro learned that he alone in the revo-
luton, his promised partners having failed to
take the field on account of chickering's and
jealousies among themselves. This discovery
and the addition of Ferrer's forces gave him
his first really serious notion that he might be-
come president and he marched forward in a
frenzy of bombastc JOY.
BY this time the people OF Venezuela be-
lieving that no one could be worse than An
drade, and finding out, had Castro himself
what powerful person he really was, accept
ed him as their master
Almost the first thing he did was to annu
our concession along with dozen Others or
the ground that its terms had not been com
Piled with, as the beginning of his war on al
foreigners. l denied this right to cancel ou
grant especially II contained clause which
stipulated that any disagreement between tn,
government and the concessionaire should b.
referred to the Alta Corte Federale, or Su
preme Court for adjustment
The troops were continually spying on US an,
annoying with fictitious charges, but 1t wa
year or more before the government angere
by its failure to get rid of me, resorted to ez
IRENE measures. A new governor was sen
down with strict orders to remove me- by fore
If necessary. He advanced toward the hous
with about rs soldiers. l ordered my me
into the rife pits and met the general a
the gate
The general could my rife pits bu
he did not know how many men they held nc
how we'll they could shoot After shol
consultation with his staff, he gave the orde
TO advance, while he bravely directed oper;
tons from the rear. AS his men crossed tn
line and eight Of them fell. They continued
advance and we fired again. dropping min
more of them while several others were hi
That was too much for them, and they brol
and ran. leaving seven dead and ten bad
wounded
In two or three days they came back. wi,
their force slightly increased and the &c
eral again called on me to surrender und
penalty of being arrested as a disturbing ia
for ! gave him the same reply as before. an
after thinking 1t over for while, he march,
his troops away again.
That little encounter produced pronounce
respect for the Americans among Castros s,
tiers. and they did not give us much troub
afterward.
This enforced idleness eventually BEGAN
,ntolerable and early in 1906, the company
the meantime having sent one Of its officers
Caracas to protect it's interests. / returned
New York after having held the fort for Z
,, wars. / came back much poorer In pock
hut with fund Of information regarding We
essnela and its people.