The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-09
How a Mother
Saved Her Son
BY OUNCE BLAKE
BY OUNCE BLAKE

duced a condition in Europe more ter
rible than anything the widest an
archist had ever dreamed of. There
was time when the anarchists Of the
world were well organized. being in
touch with one another all over the
world. and the circle was more pow
erful with respect to its members than
any of the tyrants 1t wished to elm
mate.
Manuel Fernandez, Spaniard, was
In his youth converted to the theories
OF the anarchists, and when he was
twenty-one years old he offered him
self for any purpose by which be might
serve the cause. He was informed
that lots would be drawn by a num-
Der Of devotees as to who should as
sassinate sovereign. Manuel volun-
teered to be one of those to risk having
to perform the work and drew the ia
tai black ball.
He was at once taken apart from
the others and given the name of the
sovereign he was to assassinate. He
was also warned that any baking
would result in his own death.
''If you do your duty like a man, :"
said his instructor, 'you VIII be hon
ored; If you shrink from it you win be
followed to the ends OF the earth. No
country is remote enough to shield
you"
Manuel being face to face with the
reality, the ideal faded away very
OY1fcklv HI vxyoe hnv--sf3ra NJ Tho x1o.t
ton in which he had placed himself.
Going to his mother, he threw himself
into her arms as he had done when a
boy and told her all.
Sonora Fernandez was a woman of
great resource. She began at once to
think out a plan for saving her son
and when she had come to decision
said to him:
my boy, we must find a way to con-
vince your associates that you are
dead. Appear to be making prepare
tons for the crime you are expected
to commit, and / viii be making
preparations for your pretended DEATH
Manuel at once began to appear to
experiment with bombs in a little out
house In the rear of his home. He ap-
piled to his anarchist associates for
some one versed in chemistry to be
sent him as an instructor. A man
was detailed for the purpose, and
Manuel appeared to be an attentive
student. The two secretly worked to-
gether at such times as they could do
SO without running much risk OF being
discovered, and in time several bombs
were made, any one OF which was ca
pable OF killing dozen men.
Manuel succeeded in impressing his
instructor with the belief that he was
really studying how to make bombs
that he might do his duty by his an,
archist comrades. He proved an APT
pupil and as he progressed insisted on
making the explosives himself. When
he seemed competent to do so he told
his instructor that he needed him nc
longer. The man went away, caution
ing Manuel to be very careful lest he
cause premature explosion with him
self for the victim.
One night OF, rather, morning-for
1t was about 2 o'clock--those living
near the Fernandez home were awak
ened by terrific explosion. The po
lice at once rushed there and found
Sonora Fernandez bending over body
which she said was her son. 1t was
so mutilated that its features were moi
distinguishable, but the clothes on II
were those worn by Manuel. The wo
man was loud in her grief, especially
that her son should have died in such
cause, for there was plenty Of evil
dence that he had been making bombs
for an illegitimate purpose. The pc
lice made their notes. then told the
mother that she might bury the body
She waited till she saw the man she
had seen working with her son come
| to view the corpse.
"How do you know that this Is the
body Of your sonT' he asked. "The
features are unrecognizable."
Because Of the clothes. Do you moi
remember that suit he wore?"
The man seemed satisfied and weni
away. The same afternoon there was
funeral at the Fernandez home, and
the body was laid away.
| The evening before the tragedy Man
uel Fernandez. disguised as an old
man, took a train for Gibraltar. where
he waited for a ship to take him Il
| America. He was fortunate in the
fact that one from Genoa stopped
there the day after his arrival. He al
4 L.. s.ko o. ~
in due time reached New York.
While he had been learning how t
make the bombs his mother was ar
ranging for the explosion. She wen
to a medical college and made conf
dante of the man In charge Of subjects
| provided for the use OF students IN
anatomy. He agreed to furnish heI
with a corpse about the size OF her son
| and on the night of the explosion ht
had it secretly conveyed to her home
She dressed 1t in the suit Of clothes
her son was used to wearing and con
veyed 1t to the clubhouse where the
bombs were made.
Manuel had run q wire from the out
house to a point where his mother
could easily make an electric circuit
and explode a bomb. Placing the sub
| ject In the clubhouse, she pressed the
key and before any one had arrived OF
the scene removed the wire.
Sonora Fernandez's plan worked sue
cessfully In every respect. But her sol
has never been known in America by
his true name. None Of his anarchist
associates doubted that he met biz
death through earelessness.