The Elbert County tribune., 1912-08-02
NWE=es

Hernandez, the famed Eel Mocho," who was
minister of public improvements in Crespo's
cabinet. but an opponent of the new president
took to the hills at the head OF 1900 troops
Crespo really responsible for the curse of
Castro, for had he selected n strong man as
his successor the mountain brigand never could
have commanded q force sufficiently powerful
to overthrow him
Within month Andrade went through the
form Of appointing Crespo commander in chief
OF the army. In order that he might clinch his
Dictatorship For while Crespo contented
himself with enjoying his title and direct
ing operations from the capital, but the Her
nandez revolution finally assumed such proper
tions that he took the field in person to stamp
It out. The two armies met In the mountains
near Victoria. June IL. 1898. Hernandez
led into a trap. given drubbing and captured
After the battle Crespo walked across the field
and was leaning over wounded 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 administration, as the
price of peace Andrade, to his credit be II
said. fouted him. Castro left the yellow
house In rage. sought the councils OF An
drades enemies, and. after many confer
ences. general insurrection was arranped
for early the following summer The nrea.
idency was to go to the leader who devel
m
paign. eain-
Castro learned that he was alone in the revo.
lu.ion, MS promised partners having failed IN
take the field account of bickerinvs 80
)eaiousies among themselves This dIscovarv
and the addition of Ferrers forces y.ya ~
MIS- f1rst really serious notion that he m,ob, h.
come president and he marched forward IN .
frenzy OF bombastic 10y
ny tnis time the people of Venezuela be
neving mat no one could be worse than An.
drade. and finding out. had Castro himself
what a powerful person he really uau as-.
ed him as their master
Almost the first thing he did was IN a,r,,
our concession. along with a dozen otbers or
the ground that It's terms had not been cou
pned WITH as the beginning of his war nm al,
foreigners. denied this right to cancel opr
grant. especially as 1t contained clause which
stipulated that any disagreement between tha
government and the concessionaIre should he
referred to the Alta Corte Federale ar On.
preme Court for adjustment '
The troops were continually spying on us ana
annoying us with fictitious charges but n was
year or more before the government. angered
by its failure to get rid OF me. resorted ,n -
IRENE measures. governor was sar,
down with strict orders to remove me bv ,oa
II necessary He advanced toward the house
with about 10 soldiers l ordered nv .1
into the rifle pits and met the general =,
the gate. a.
Inc general could see my rife pits bu,
he did not know how many men they held No,
how well they could shoot After n shor,
consultation with his stan he gave the ord,
to advance. while he brayey directed onera
tions from the rear. AS his men crossed N.
line and eight OF them fell. They continued ,c
advance and we fired again dropping n,ns
more of them. while several others were bit
That was too much for them, and they brotx
and ran, leaving seven dead and ten badIx
wounded.
In two or three days they came back wiz
their force slightly increased. and the ger.
eral again called on me to surrender unde,
penalty Of being arrested as disturbing far
tor. l gave him the same reply as before. and
after thinking it over for a while. he marcbet
his troops away again.
That little encounter produced pronounced
respect for the Americans among Castro,s soI |
diers. and they did not give us much tronbI.
afterward.
This enforced idleness eventually becam. |
intolerable. and early In 1906 the company r. |
the meantime having sent one OF its officers :, |
Caracas to protect Its interests, 1 returned n |
New York, after having held the fort for fer |
years. came back much poorer in pocket
but with fund OF information regarding Ven
ezuela and its people