The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-05
How a Mother
Saved Her Son
BY EUNIcE BLAKE

Ten or fifteen years ago we heard
more of anarchists than we do to-
day. Possibly the great war has pro-
duced a condition In Europe more ter
rible than anything the widest an
archist had ever dreamed of. There |
was a 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 IT 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 he might
serve the cause. He was informed
that lots would be drawn by num-
Der of devotees as to who should as
sassinate a 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.
eff you do your duty like man"
said his instructor, you will be hon
ored; If you shrink from it you will 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
| quickly. He was Mortified at the posi-
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 plan for saving her son
and when she had come to a decision
said to him:
my boy, we must find way to con
vince your associates that you are
dead. Appear to be making prepare
lions for the crime you are expected
to commit, and / will be making
preparations for your pretended death
Manuel at once began to appear tc
experiment with bombs in little out
, house in the rear of his home. He ap
! piled to his anarchist associates fol
, some one versed In chemistry to b.
sent him as an instructor. A mai
was detailed for the purpose, ant
> Manuel appeared to be an attentive
. student. The two secretly worked to
|, gether at such times as they could d.
4 SO without running much risk of beinl
z discovered, and In time several bomb
! were made, any one of which was ca
pable Of killing dozen men.
l Manuel succeeded In impressing hi
Y instructor with the belief that he wa
9 really studying how to make bomb
Y that he might do his duty by his ar
q archist comrades. He proved an ap
IF pupil and as he progressed insisted o
q making the explosives himself. Whe
% he seemed competent to do so he toll
k his instructor that he needed him
It longer. The man went away, caution
h ing Manuel to be very careful lest b
Ie cause a premature explosion with hin
d self for the victim.
One night or, rather, morning-ft
W 1t was about oclock-those Twin
lie near the Fernandez home were awal
-e ened by terrific explosion. The p
g, lice at once rushed there and foun
1t Sonora Fernandez bending over bod
In which she said was her son. 1t WI
n so mutilated that its features were m
distinguishable, but the clothes on
I'd were those worn by Manuel The W
Id man was loud In her grief, especial
ne that her son should have died In sue
I'd a cause, for there was plenty OF eS
is dence that he had been making bonn
Mt for an illegitimate purpose. The
Ia lice made their notes. then told Il
ne mother that she might bury the bod
IL She waited till she saw the man 81
Gu had seen working with her son cor
!. to view the corpse.
IA "How do you know that this Is t
ny body Of your SOM" he asked. ST
features are unacceptable"
Because of the clothes Do you
~ remember that suit he wore?"
ne The man seemed satisfied and we
~ away. The same afternoon there W
ny a funeral at the Fernandez home, a
ne the body was laid away.
"a The evening before the tragedy Ma
uel Fernandez. disguised as an
nis man, took train for Gibraltar, whit
70 he waited for ship to take him
gu America. He was fortunate in
'ut fact that one from Genoa stopI
there the day after his arrival. He
once took passage in the steerage q
Il, due time reached New York.
aid vhile he had been learning how
nef make the bombs his mother was
teu ranging for the explosion. She W
ny to medical college and made co
dante of the man in charge Of subje
ave provided for the use of students
yer anatomy. He agreed to furnish
Is with a corpse about the size of her S
and on the night OF the explosion
IA had it secretly conveyed to her no
as She dressed it in the suit of clot
NAT her son was used to wearing and {
ood veyed it to the clubhouse where
TOO bombs We're made.
Manner nau run wire from Gne
on house TO a point where his mot
yer, could easily make an electric cir
IN and explode bomb. Placing the
lone ject in the clubhouse. she pressed
key and before any one had arrived
ON the scene removed the wire.
He Sonora Fernandez's plan worked
rom cessfully In every respect. But her
him has never been known in Ameries
him his true name None OF his anarC