CUBAN BRIGANDAGE. This Fair Island Under a Veritable. Reign of Terror. The Most Shocking Crimes Committed In Broad Daylight—The Authorities are Powerless to Check the Evil.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 250, 28 March 1888, Page 3

CUBAN BRIGANDAGE. This Fair Island Under a Veritable. Reign of Terror. The Most Shocking Crimes Committed In Broad Daylight— The Authorities are Powerless to Check the Evil.

A Key Wkst (Fla.) despatch to the " Globe Democrat" says: The pre?s of the entire island of Cuba have raised a cry as to the present state of the island. It is claimed by both the LlibcralandConservatiro parties that are interested in the political moves of Cuba, that brigandage, murder, arson, kidnapping, rape, and other diabolical ciimes are gaining such headway in the principal cities in the island, such as Havana, Matanais, Cardenas, Villa Clara, and others, that the authorities have no control whatever over the criminals, and the inhabitants of this poor island are living in perfect terror, not knowing what moment they may be •stopped and murdered in cold blood. It is an every-day scene in Havana to see a man stopped on the streets by desperadoes, and after relieving him of what he carries, he is brutally murdered in cold blood. If an honest citizen should see the crime perpetrated and attempt to make known the facts to the authorities, ho is either exposed to be murdered by some of the murderer's i " chums " or he is anested and kept in gaol for six or eight months, so that ho will be on hand when required to testify to the criminals. Consequently, if an honest citizen should see any crime committed he dare not say a word about it.

Crimo Stalks In the Streets. Thus crimes aro boldly committed in broad daylight, and on the most crowded .streets, such as El Parque, Central Calle, De Obispo, Calzada, De la Reina, El Louvre, etc., and the most remarkable feature concerned in these outrages, and which reflects very little credit on the Spanish tyrants that now occupy the island, is that the entire city of Havana is patrolled by no less than 6,000 police soldiers, who are paid about §15 per month, and get paid two months in the year. Consequently they rob and plunder and even murder a man for 25 cents in Spanish paper money, which is about 10 cents in our currency. Matanzas has always been the residence of rich sugar-planters that own large plantations, and during the dull season they geneially come to the city, as a change. Kidnapers, formed in bodies of from fifteen to twenty men, come boldly into the city and watch one of these planters as he goes out to take a ride or some place of amusement, and when he least expects any trouble he ipounced upon suddenly by two or three of these murderers, who immediately pub him into a cairiage and ho i= driven he does, not know where, us he i 3 blindfolded and is kept in the den until a ransom is paid for his release. This fame thing happened to Senor JToares, a rich planter, in Matanzas last week. He was " secuestrado " (kidnapped) and held a prisoner fifteen days, and was relea&ed after his cheque for $30,000 in Spanish pecos was paid by the Banco Espanol de Matanzos (Spanish Bank of Matanzas.)

Kidnapping as a Fine Art. The pirate? have another way ot kidnapping. They will watch a planter's maid go out with his children for a walk, when they deliberately come up, seize the child and away they go. Two or three days after the occurrence the parents receive a letter by mail, bearing; the city stamp, saying, "If you don't deposit such and such an amount in such and such a place we will in ten days send you the child's head by a peon." Last week the merchants of Havana gathered to the number of over 200, and, accompanied by hundreds of citizens, appeared before the palace of Captain-General Marin and demanded protection. He said he was doing all he could and would do no more. No one in Havana, or in any other city of Cuba, is. allowed to carry arms under a heavy penalty, yet all criminals in Cuba are always armed to the teeth, and always ready at any moment to kill. About n month ago thieves broke intn the CaptaiuGeneml's garden, " Quinta de los Molinas," occupied by a whole regiment of guards, and not only stole all the furniture, but went so far as to carry away over one hundred gas-fi?cturo3 belonging to the piemi&es. Tho Spanish authorities claim they cannot stop the brigandage in Cuba, yet it is hardly expected of them to do so, when they require all the time they can get to pnx-ecute the editors of the Cuban press. Victorino Reiner, tho famous Cuban editor, ha? beon in gaol for over a year for .saying in hi* papei that Olivares was a Gentile thief. "La Lucha" was suppressed by the authorities on December 24th, 25th, and 26th for having articles derogatory to the Government. "El Crioilo " had the samo mishap last week for abusing the Government. What would Columbus say if he wa3 to get out of the Havana Cathedral and take a look around ? Olivares, who was Administrator-General of Custom?, was lately bounced by CaptainGeneral Marin. He stole oier $1,000,000 of Government funds.

"I'm goiusr to leave, mum." "What for? lam sure I have done aU the work myself, in ordor to keop a girl." "Well, mum, ther work's not dono to suit me !" " Boy, what is your father doing to-day ?" — " Well, I s'pose he's fnilin'. I heard him tell mother yesterday to go lound to the shops and set trusted all &he could ; and do it right etraight off too— for he's got everything ready to fail up to nothm', 'ceptin' tliat." The prospectus of a new Australian Mortgage Company has been issued with a capital of £2,000,000. Turlcev's right to bess the Sues* Canal is admitted by Frartce. This is a nasty knock at parjtde Albion. '