The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-06-13

spirit seemingly having subsidized with the in
provement in the army, / took the Juliettt
to Halifax, N S.. In the summer Of 1876, tt
have her decks strengthened and mounted
with rapid-fire guns. We returned early in thu
fall to find that the smoldering revolution hat
burst into flame and that large force wal
marching on Santo Domingo City. The presl
dent and his brother were vehemently Du
vainly advising each other to be brave wher
l reached the palace.
What shall we do? What shall we do?
demanded the president as entered the door
ut strikes me that it might be gooo
scheme to fight. replied with no attempt tc
conceal my disgust at their attitude.
They told me there were about 5000 men
In the attacking force. We had more thar
1000 men under arms. The city had no de
lenses worthy the name and / insisted thai
the thing to do was to go outside and fight
it out in the open. The president, who had
apparently regained little Of his nerve.
agreed with me and, against the continued OBJ
jections of his brother, we went out to meet
the attacking army.
General Bae3 commanded center and
right while commanded our left flank. With
the firing of the first gun he began to give
way before force that inferior in both
numbers and discipline and fell back so rap
idly that before / realized it my command
was fanked and almost cut off, with the sea
on one side of us and the enemy on two others
and rapidly closing up the fourth
In few minutes was captured. along with
about a hundred men who were so numbed
by fear that they could neither run fight
and had not enough discretion to join the en-.
envy. was furious over the cowardice OF
Baez and put up the hardest fight was cap.
able of, with the satisfaction of putting six or
eight blacks on permanent peace basis, but
with my revolver empty and my sword brok
en-, l was overwhelmed by t > inky cloud
General Baez galloped back I he city, and
he and his bewildered brotA1 6epfm&dent.
had barely time to board a small schooner and
sail for Curacao before the capital was in the
hands of the rebels: General GAMER d'Aton,
a tool Of Pimental and Cabral, was at once
proclaimed president and hailed by the popu
lace with the customary acclaim
Instead of beiEg killed at once, as had ex
pected, was taken to small port on a hill
near the town, where on the altogether false
charge that l had .fomented trouble and
brought on civil war, l was tried by drum.
head court martial and sentenced to be shot
at sunrise. The verdict was, of course, die
tated by revenge and execution of it was de-
layed because they wished to goat over me
for while.
This was little the most serious predica
ment had ever been in and with the idea
rather than with any distinct hope that it
would be answered. l gave the grand hailng
sign Of a powerful secret order which had
joined while in Caracas. l thought | saw a
sergeant raise his eyes, but, as he gave no
further sign, l concluded that if there had
been any movement it had been one of sur
prise and not of recognition.
was placed in a large sala with windows
opening on the courtyard and blank walls
on the three other, sides.
Along about three o'clock, just as had
about made up my mind that in couple of
hours l should be due to start on an indef
mite exploration, l heard short scuf1e at
each end of the path the sentries were
patrolling, and a gurgling noise as though
man were choking. The next moment Lo,
rensen's voice came softly through the door:
Are you in there captain?"
/ assured him that / was.
Stand away from the door," he said and
l obeyed the order with pleasurable a!acrity.
Three blows with log of crutch mahog-
any, taken from pile in the COURTYARD
smashed in the door, Lorensen seized my
arm and, led by the sergeant who had. after
all, recognized the sign had made. we
climbed down declivity back of the fort and
made our way to the shore, where two boats
were waiting for u.s.
AS soon as it was day sailed close in and
bombarded the fort where my execution was
to have taken place.
AT Caracas found Guzman had been elect
ed president. He was inaugurating public i'm
provements, and induced me to go upon won
derful journey of exploration UP the Orinoco
through the unmapped interior of Venezuela.
After a six monthst river journey of 1000
miles, we reached Manaos, Brazil. on the
Amazon, that great river and the Orinoco hav-
ing a common source. From Manaos we
sailed to Rio Janeiro and from there to Eng
land on the Elbe, commanded by Captain
Moir, commander Of the Trent when Mason
and Slidell were taken of. On the way
wrote a full report to Guzman, promising to
return within few years. At London Joined
Frank Norton to start for the China sea-