The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-08-01

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 1900 troops.
Crespo really was responsible for the curse OF
Castro, for had no selected a strong man ms
his successor the mountain brigand never could
have commanded a force sufficiently powerful
to overthrow him.
Within a month Andrade went through the
form Of appointing Crespo commander in CHIEF
OF the army, in order that he might clinch MS
Dictatorship For a while Crespo contented
himself with enjoying his new title and direct
ing operations from the capital, but the her
nandoz revolution finally assumed such proper
lions that he took the field In person to stamp
II out The two armies met in the mountains
near Victoria, juno IL, 1898 Hernandez was
led into n trap. given drubbing and captured.
After the battle Crespo walked across the heiu
and was leaning over wounded man wheh
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 tho new administration, as the
price OF peace. Andrade, TO his credit BIO II
said houted him. Castro left the Yellow
house In a rage sought the councils Of An.
drades enemies and, after many confer
enceB. n general insurrecton was arranged
for early the following summer. The pres.
idency was to 60 to the leader who devel.
oped the greatest strength during the cam
paign.
Castro learned that he was alone in the revo-
luton, his promised partners having failed to
take the field on account OF chickering's and
iealousies 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 bombastic Joy.
BY this time the people OF Venezuela be-
Iieving that no one could be worse than An.
drade, and finding out, as had Castro himself
what 4 powerful person he really was. accept.
ed him as their master.
Almost the first thing no did was to annul
our concession, along with dozen others, on
the ground that its terms had not been com
piled with. as the beginning OF hls war on all
foreigners. denied this right to cancel our
grant. especially az II contained clause which
stipulated that any disagreement between the
government and the concessionaire should BIZ
referred to the Alta Corte Federale, or gu
preme Court for adjustment
The troops were continually spying on us ant
annoying us with fictitious charges but II wal
year or more before the government. angereC
by its failure to get rid Of me, resorted to ex
treme measures. new governor was sen
down with strict orders to remove me, by fore,
II necessary. He advanced toward the hous
with about rs soldiers. | ordered my mel
into the rife pits and met the general a
the gate
The general could see my rifle pits. blu
no did not know how many men they held no
how well they could shoot. After a shor
consultation with his STAFF, no gave the orde
to advance, while he bravely directed opera
lions from the rear. AS his men crossed tn
line and eight of them fell. They continued t
advance, and we fired again, dropping min
more OF them, while several others were hi
That was too much for them, and they brok
and ran, leaving seven dead and ten badl
wounded
In two or three days they came back. wit
their force slightly increased and the ger
eral again called on me to surrender undo
penalty of being arrested as n disturbing ia
tor gave him the same reply as before an
after thinking It over for while. he marche
his troops away again
That little encounter produced pronounce
tiers, and they did not give us much troub
afterward.
This enforced idleness eventually BEGAN
intJlerable, and early In 1906. the company
the meantime having sent one Of its officers
Caracas to protect Its interests. returned
New York after having held the fort for I,
years. came back much poorer In pockt
hut with q fund OF information regarding We
ezuela and its people.