Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-05-30

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~TT%A URING the Franco russian
war, which ended in the capitu-
lation of the French at Sedan,
A September /, 1870, 1 had three
- ships busy with honest cargoes,
but | did not get a chance to do
Y any contraband running until
~ just before its close. Under fire
of the guns at Trieste l ran out
n cargo of guns, which delivered to the COM
Enittee of safety at Bordeaux only a few days
before the battle of Sedan. Shortly after this
L placed the Leckwith and my other ships in
the hands of Nickel & Co. for charter and
sailed for New York.
The first word that reached me on my arr.
vas was that my wife, who had sailed ahead
OF me, was seriously ill at her old home in Illi-
nois. | went to her at once and remained
at her side until the end, three weeks later.
When l returned to New York after the fu-
neral l was greatly depressed and was in a
mood for anything that offered excitement. A
few days later l met Frank (Francis Lay Nor
anu. Knowing each other by reputation, we
soon became friends. Later we became part
mers in some of the most gloriously exciting
exploits in which have been fortunate enough
TO participate. Norton was a natural born pt-
rate, and he looked the part.
When first met him he was Wild about the
China sea, where he had spent several thrill
hng years and made several fortunes, but |
heard SO much of Venezuela and of Guzman
Btanco that my heart was set on going there
before l undertook to explore any other
strange lands. The upshot of our many dis
cussicns was that l sent Norton to London
TO take command of the Leckwith until | was
ready to join him, when it was agreed we
should go out in the yacht to his beloved
China sea.
After Norton's departure ! bought the small
GDre-and-aft schooner-yacht Juliette, fitted her
out at New London, Conn, for a six months
cruise and started for Bermuda to test her sea-
w0rthiness, with Lars Lorensen as sailing mas
ter, formerly of the Leckwith and a brave
and loyal Norseman. Guzman Blanco was not
at st Thomas, so we went on to Curacao,
always a revolutionary rendezvous, and there,
in the latter part of December, / met Guzman
and General Pulgar, his chief of staff. Guz-
man. after many exciting political and mill
eary ups and downs, was planning an invasion
of Venezuela against the Monagas faction,
then in power.
After he had studied me, asked all sorts of
questions and apparently satisfied himself
that I could be relied on, Guzman told me, In
IA general way, of his plans and asked me to
secure for him 5000 old Remington rifles and
cartridges and deliver them as quickly
as possible at Curacao.
Some two months later | arrived at Curacao,
where. instead of Guzman Blanco, l found
General Ortega, who was with Guzman when |
first met him and seemed to be fully in his
confidence. Ortega handed me a note, bear
ing what purported to be the signature of Guz-
man, which directed me to deliver the cargo
at a place to be indicated by Ortega, and
stated that payment for it would be made on
my cabin table. | showed the signature to
two men who knew Guzman we'll, and both
pronounced it genuine. l had no suspicion
chat anything was wrong and took this pre-
caution simply as a matter of ordinary bust
ness sense.
Ortega directed me to deliver the cargo at
Tucacas point, about one hundred miles west of
La Guayra, and, on arriving, Ortega went
ashore and returned with a request that I
0rder off the matches and start the unloading
OF the cargo in my boats and then go ashore
with him and get my money. This was not
IN accord with my contract with Guzman or
with the note Ortega had handed me, but l
had great confidence in Guzman and did not
wish 10 offend him. AS soon as the unloading
was well under way l went ashore with Or
tega- We climbed the bluff and walked half a
mile inland to a mud-thatched hut before
which a sentry was pacing. ortega gave the
countersign and we stepped inside, to find
General Pulgar, who was chief Of staff for Guz-
EDan when was introduced to him, wrapped
In a chinchora and smoking in a hammock.
HE explained e~vasively that he was there In.
stead OF Guzman, but when / asked him for
my money he smiled and Strengthened up.
Il told Ortega to deliver that message to
you," he said, but there is no use mincing
words and l may as well tell you that you
are my prisoner. Your cargo is being taken
care OF and will be put to a very different pur-
pose from that which you expected. AS I
have said, you are my prisoner, but l have an
offer to make you. 1t can't make much differ
ence to you whether you serve Guzman or
me II you will join my forces I will make
You a colonel and give you command Of a
battalion, and when the revolution is over I
will pay you for your rifles, Just as Guzman
agreed to do"
7 again inquired where Guzman was, but
a shrug Of the shoulders was the only answer
u could get to questioning along that line. Not
knowing SO much about Venezuelan revolu-
lions then as ! did later, could not fathom
this strange situation to my entire s~atisfac-
Zion. but It was my guess that In some way
Pulgar had become arrayed against Guzman,
and IL turned out that ! was right
4 told sPulgar that / would give him an an
gwer In the morning, and spent the night with
Ortega. under guard. I tried to draw him out,
nut. evidently according to orders, he would
2 mot even talk about the weather.