Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-01-26
How a Mother
Saved Her Son
BY EUNICE BLAKE

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 1t wished to elm
mate.
Manuel Fernandez, a 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 a 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.
- AhoO o1ISN koat oAy o3
would result in his own death.
"If you do your duty like a 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
boy and told her all.
Sonora Fernandez was a woman of
great She began at once to-
think out a plan for saving her son
and when she had come to a decision
said to him:
"My boy, we must find a way to con-
vince your associates that you are
dead. Appear to be making prepara-
tons for the crime you are expected
to commit, and l will 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 nan
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 n of which was ca
pable of killing a 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 no.
longer. The nan went away, caution
ing Manuel to be very careful lest he
cause a premature explosion with him.
self for the victim.
One night, or, rather, mOrning-for'
1t was about 2 o'clock-those livir ;
neal the Fernandez home were awaK-
ened by a terrific explosion. The po-
lice at once rushed there and found
Sonora Fernandez bending over a body
which she said was her son. 1t was
so mutilated that it's features were not
distinguishable but the clothes on It
were those worn by Manuel. The wo-
man was loud in her grief, especially
that her SOB should have died In such
a cause, for there was plenty of evf-
dence hat he had been making bombs
for an illegitimate purpose. The po-
lice made their notes, then told the
mother that she might bury the body.
She waited till she saw the man she
had seer working with her son come
to view the corpse.
"How do you know that this Is the
body of your SOM" he asked. "The-
features are unrecogniZable."
Because Of the clothes. Do you not
remember that suit he wore?"
The man seemed satisfied and went
away. The same afternoon there was
a 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 to-
America. He was fortunate in tho
fact that one from Genoa stopped
there the day after his arrival. He ae
once took passage in the steerage md
In due time reached New York.
While he had been learning how to-
make the bombs his mother was ar
ranging for the explosion. She went
to a medical college and made a conf
dante of the man in charge of subjects
provided for the use of students in
anatomy. He agreed to furnish her
with a corpse about the size of her son,
and on the night of the explosion he
had Il cncrotlu cnnunrnd Ia hor honnn