Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-08-01

master at arms and placed me in his charge,
ordered his launch and dashed off to the
Charleston. He returned in half an hour and
without another word to me ordered a lieuten-
ant to take me aboard the Charleston.
will not deny that l was a bit easier in my
mind when l saw my own flag flying over me,
yet had l known the treatment l was to re-
ceive under 1t l would have felt quite differ.
emily.
1t was easy to see, from the reception
Captain Picking gave me, that he had been
influenced by the attitude of Captain Lang.
l told him that 1 was an American citizen,
temporarily in the employment of the Bra
lillian government; that l had violated no
law of the United States or of Brazil, and
| demanded that l be set ashore. He coldly
informed me that l would be confined to the
ship, at least until he had consulted with the
American minister and communicated with
Washington, and soon after l arrived on the
Charleston | was confined to my room, as a
dangerous character who threatened the
peace Of nations. With this decidedly I'M
pleasant recollection, however, it is a pleas
ure to know that the other American naval
officers, who arrived later, took exactly my
view of the whole situation and became
champions of my cause. They told Picking
that Mello was a pirate and should be
treated as such, and that / was being de-
prived of my liberty without the slightest
warrant of law, but they were powerless to.
accomplish my release.
Looking forward a little, the matter in
which that old fighter, Rear Admiral Benham,
put an end to the revolution in the follow
ing January, soon after his arrival at
Rio, should be well remembered, for 1t was
a noble deed and an example of the good
judgment generally displayed by American
n 49,
by foolish orders from Washington. In the
vain hope Of arousing enthusiasm for his lost
cause, Mello had gone down the coast,
where he fguratively and literally took to
the woods when he saw the folly Of his mis-
sion, leaving Da Cana in command of the
blockading fleet. The captains Of several
American merchant ships, who had been
prevented for weeks from landing their car
goes for Rio, appealed to Admiral Benham,
who took prompt action.
To show his contempt for the rebels,
whom he properly regarded as pirates,
Admiral Benham assigned the smallest ship
of his squadron, the little Detroit, com
manded by that great little man, Com
mander (now Rear Admiral, retired) w. H.
Brownson to escort the merchantmen I'D to
the dock.
The revolution" ended right there, but un-
" LulhtCaJ ""o hSS iSCOh " llO lie
collapse.
1t was In vexed Venezuela that l was destin-
ed to end my days Of d~eviltry, but not until aft.
er a protracted warfare, none the less bitter be-
cause 1t was conducted at long range, with Cas-
tro the Contemplate, who came into power
two years after I had finally settled down at
Santa Catalina as manager for the Orinoco
company. Cipriano Castro had been in con
gress as diputado, as member Of the house
: from one OF the Andean districts while I was In
Caracas with President Crespo, and, though he
was regarded as a good fighter and a disturbing
element, he was never considered as a presi
Dental possibility. s
After getting the development work wei
started | returned to Caracas and early IL
1879 resumed my old confidential position will
President Crespo. His term expired the fol
lowing February and / found that he had al
ready decided on General Ignacio Andrade al
his successor. He had planned to continue Al
dictator of the country, a la Guzman, and spent
much Of his idle time and money abroad, ant
he wanted a man who could be relied on t
keep his organization intact and turn the Of
fee back to him at the end Of his term, TO
the Venezuelan constitution prohibits a pres
dent from succeeding himself.
The poems idolized Crespo. and he had sucl
a strong grip on the country that he was abb
To carry out his plan, but with disastrous results
For a popular election 1t was the weirdeet thin
that could be imagined. IA 9A
II was Immediately followed by mutterings 3
discontent from the better ciass Of citizens an
on the night of Andrade's inauguration Geners