The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-08-17


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 was responsible for the curse OF
Castro, for had he selected 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 new title and direct
ing operations from the capital, but the Her
nandez 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, June II, 1898. Hernandez was
led into a trap, given a drubbing and captured.
After the battle Crespo walked across the felo
and was leaning over a wounded man When
he was shot from behind and instantly killed.
Some few months after Crespos 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 rage, sought the councils Of An
dfade's enemies, and, after many confer
ences, general insurrection was arranged
idency was to go to the leader who deyel-
oped the greatest strength during the cam
paign.
Castro learned that he was alone in the revo-
lunaa his promised partners having failed to
taka "a g1ad on account of chickering's and
5ea1sa@ssD aBaoog themselves. This discovery
and tho eaaition 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-
lieving that go one could be worse than An.
drade, and finding ont, as had Castro himself
what powerful person he really was accept
ed him their master
Almost the first thing he did was to annu]
our concession, along with dozen others. on
the ground that it's terms had not been com
Piled WITH as the beginning Of his war on ali
foreigners. I denied this right TO cancel orr
grant, especially as it contained clause which
stipulated that any disagreement between The
government and the concessionaire should be
referred to the Alta Corte Federale or su
preme Court for adjustment.
The troops We're continually spying on us anl
annoying us with fictitious charges but it wa.
year or more before the government. angeref
by its failure to get rid Of me, resorted to ex
GIeme measures. new governor was sen
Gown. with strict orders to remove NE By fore,
II necessary. 1ae advanced toward the house
with about rs soldiers. I ordered NV mo,
into the rifle pits and met the general !
the gate.
The general could see my rifle pits bu
he did not know how many men they held no
how well they could shoot After a shor
consultation with his staff, he gave the orde
to advance, while he brave1y 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 ge,
eral again called on me to surrender unde
penalty of being arrested as a disturbing fa
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
respect for the Americans among Castro's sc
diers, and they did not give us much troub
afterWard.
This enforced idleness eventually secan
intolerable, and early in 1905, the company
the meantime having sent ono of Its officers
Caracas to protect its interests, I returned
New York, after having held the fort for te
years. ! came back much poorer in poke
but with a fund OF information regarding We
ezuela and its people.