Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1898 — BRAVED BULLETS. [ARTICLE]

BRAVED BULLETS.

The Adventure of a Caban Patriot Among a Band of Spaniard*. During the early part of the Cuban rebellion an officer In the patriot army wanted a few packages of cigarettes, and to obtain them went openly Into a town held by the Spanish soldiers, purchased what he desired and safely retreated, holding at bay, single-hand-ed, 200 Spanish soldiers who attempted to capture him. This officer is Maj. Henry E. Brooks, who recently came to New York from Jamaica, where he went to recover from wounds received In battle. Maj. Brooks, who was born In the province of Santiago de Cuba of English parents, was among the first to engage In the Insurrection aaginst Spain. When in command of the Cuban forces around Guantanamo he ran out of cigarettes, so he left his command In charge of the next officer In rank and started for Guantanamo to get them.He crossed the long bridge leadlhg Into the city and proceeded to a cigar store. He had with him his repeating rifle, his revolver and the always present machete. In telling of his adventure Ini Guantanamo Maj. Brooks said: “Yes, I did have a little fun there. You see I wanted some cigarettes and decided to go after them. I got Into tho town all right and entered the cigar store. I placed my rifle on the counter where it was handy and bought what I wanted. Just after I had placed the cigarettes in my pocket I happened to look toward the door, and there I saw a party of Spanish soldiers drawn up in line. They had their guns pointed at me and their officer said in Spanish the words which in English mean ‘hands up.’ Instead of doing that I grabbed my rifle and let go a shot at the crowd. One of the soldiers dropped and I rushed out of the door during the excite-

ment and got into the street. The soldiers ran after me, shooting all the time. “I ran up the long street toward the bridge that leads across the river into the country. The soldiers followed me, shooting as they ran. Their bullets flew wild and did not strike me, but one poor old woman was billed by a shot which was intended for me. The sol-! diers who had first attempted to capture me were joined by reinforcements until there were at least 200 after me., When I got to the bridge I turned and sent a couple of shots at the crowd, and then started across the bridge, which Is long and narrow. Several times I turned around and fired at the soldiers who had attempted to follow me across the bridge, and I rather think I killed a few'of them, for I saw some drop. I finally got up Into the hills, where I hid behind rocks and took a few more shots at the Spaniards. Then they gave up the chase and I went back to my men.”