The palmetto herald. (Port Royal, S.C.) 1864-1864, December 29, 1864, Image 4
JlKsE JIA1UA, THE GREAT SPANISH
K0J30UR.
The model of Spanish robbers, the Robin
i lo )d of our time, is the famous Jose
Maria, sui named El Tempr.incio; this is
tue limn that is everywhere talked of from
Madrid to Seville, and from Seville to
Malaini. Handsome, brave and courte-"
oils as a robber can be, such is Jose Maria.
If he stops a diligence, he gives his
hand to the laiy to descend, anil takes
care that they are conveniently seated in
the shade, for it is by day that most ol'
his exploits are performed. Never an
oath, never a coarse expression; on the
contrary, a quite respectful deference,
and a natural politeness which never
tails. Does he remove a ling from a lady's
linger?44 Ah, madam," he exclaims,
4' so beautiful a hand has no need of ornaments."
And while slipping the riug
from the finger, he kisses the hand with
an air that would make one believe, to
quotfc the words of a Spanish lady, that
the kiss was worth more than the riug.
I have bjen assured tuai tie always leaves
travellers enough of money to arrive at
the nearest town, aDd that he has never
refused any one permission to retain a
bijou which associations render precious.
Jose Maria has been described to me
as a tall young man of twenty years, well
made, with a frank and smiling physiognomy,
teeth white as pearls, and remarkably
expressive eyes. He generally
wears a very rich costume. His linen is
always of a brilliant whiteness, and his
hands would do honor to a Paris or Lon
don beau. He was destined by bis parents
for the church, and studied theology
at the University of Granada; but
tiiis\>ro,!ession was no't great enough lor
hiin. An affair of love obliged hint to
take his flight, and to exile himself to
Gibraltar; there, when money became
scarce, he bargained with an English
merchant to smuggle in a lanrn quantity
of prohibited merchandise, lie was betrayed
by a man whom he had made a
participator in the enterprise. The custom-house
officers knew the route which
he was to take, and lay in ambuscade by
1? ?U:~K
tne way; an uie mutes wuiuu uc uuu
conducted were taken, but be did not
abaudon tkern until after a bard fight, in
which be killed or wounded several officers.
From that moment be bad no other
resource than to lay travellers under
tribute.
A constant good fortune has accompanied
him, even to this day. A price is
fixed upon bis bead; a description of his
person is attached to the gate of all the
towns, with the promise of eight thousand
reals to him who will deliver him up,
dead or alive. Nevertheless, Jose Maria
continues his dangerous occupation with
impunity, and the scene of his operations
extend from the frontier of Portugal to
the realm of Mercia. His band is not
numerous, but is composed of men whose
fidelity and resolution have been long
Droved. One day, at the head of a doz
en picked men, he surprised, at the Veuta
de Gazin, seventy royalist volunteers
who had been sent in his pursuit. He
was then slowly returning to the mountains,
driving before him two mules loaded
with the seventy carbines which he
had taken off as a trophy.
Wonders are related of his skill at firearms.
On a horse, at a full gallop, he
pierces the truuk of an olive tree at a
hundred paces.. The following narrative
will make known his skill and generos
iiy
A Captain Castro, an officer full of
courage and activity, who pursued the
robbers, it is said, as much to satisfy a
personal vengeance as to perform his
military duty, learned by one of his spies
that Jose Maria might be found at a certain
day in a remote aldea. Castro, on
the day indicated, mounts his horse, and
to avoid suspicion in taking too many
over the country, orders to follow him
only four lancers. Notwithstanding the
precautions, however, which be used to
conceal his expedition, be could not prevent
it from reaching the e.ir of Jose Maria.
At the moment when Castro, having
passed the deep gorge, entered the
valley where the aldea of the enemy was
situated, twelve well-mounted cavalry
appeared at once on his Hank, and interceded
Lis only retreat, wjiich was by the
g irge. The lancers thought themselves
A man. mounted ou a bav horse
,4raatvd on gallop from the troop of
j robbers, and stops his horse short at a
: hundred paces lrom Castro,
j "Jose Maria is never surprised." cried j
i he, "Captain Castro, what have I done!
| that you wish to give me tip to justice ? \
j I could slay you, but men ot courage \
j have become scarce, aud I graul you j
i yotfr lite. Ilere is a souvenir which will j
; teach you to avoid inc. At your cap!' j
So saving he takes aim at niin, and a
I ball passes through the top of the Cap- :
! tain's cap; then turned and departed J
j with his men.
! Here is another example of his couple- j
i sy?- wedding was being celebrated on
j a" farm near Andujur. The married pair j
I had already received the compliments of i
1 their friends, aud were about sitting down |
! to table under a large tree before the door of!
I the house ; the peribrmances ?>t jessamine I
I and orange flowers mingled agreeably I
j with the more substantial odors which!
| exalted trom the several dishes that causj
ed tue table to 6eud beneath their weight,
j All at once a nun appeared on horseback,
I coating trom a thicket at pistol shot trom
; tue house. The unknown leaped to Jhe
! ground, saluted the guests with his hand,
j and led his horse to tue stable, lie came j
j unexpectedly, but in Spain every passer- j
I by is welcome to the least; besides the i
| stranger, by his habiliments, seemed to !
j bo man of importance. The husband !
| immediately followed him to invite him
| to the repast. While everyone was aski
iug in a low tone who the stranger was,
the notary of Audujar, who assisted at
the celebration, became as pale as death.
He tried to rise lrom the seat he occupied
by the side of his bride, but his legs refused
to support hi in. One of the guests
who had been for some time suspected ot
engaging in smuggling, approaeued the
bride.
| "It is Jose Maria!" said he. "lam
much deceived, or he comes here to do
some mischief. It is the notary he will
aim at. . What shall we do? How shall
he escape?"
14 Impossible! Jose Maria would soon
overtake him:"
44 Arrest the robber."
44 But his baud is doubtless in the neighborhood;
besides, he carries pistols iu
Hiis girdle, and his dagger never leaves
him."
44 But, Mr. Notary, what, then, have
you done?"
Some one murmured, in a low touc,
that the notary had said to his farmer,
two mouths betore, that if ? ver Jose
Maria came to ask a drink of him, he
i should put a drain of arsenic in ms wine.
They were still deliberating, when the
unknown appeared, followed by the husband.
Beyond a doubt that it was Jose
Maria. As he passed he casted a tiger's
glance at the notary, who begen to tremble
as if he had been seized with an ague
tit; then he gracefully saluted the bride,
and asked permission to dance with her
at her wedding. She took care not to j
refuse him, or put on an unpleasant air.
i Jose Maria then took a small stool, drew
I near to the table, and familiarly seated
j himself beside the bride, between her!
i and the notarv. who seemed every mo-!
meat to be oa the poiat of fainting.' Tbe |
least began. Jose Maria was full of at-1
teutions to bis neighbor. When the ex- i
tra wine was served, tbe bride, taking a
?iss of Montilla (which, in my opiuiou,
much better than tbe XeresJ, touched
to her lips, and then presented it to tbe
robber. This is a courtesy which one is j
accustomed to show to those whom he
esteems. It is called ma Jineza; unfor-!
tunately this usage is unknown in good !
society, which endeavors here, as else- j
where, to remove itself trom all natural j
customs, Jose Maria took the glass, ;
thanked her with great gallantry, and de- '
clared to the bride that be besought her I
to regard him as ber servant, and that he ;
would joyfully do whatever she felt in- i
clined to command. Then the lady, |
? t i.M/11 tr lw.tuHrur nvpr Lo I
irenj uuug uuu uuuuij uvuv.?Q ?. -- ? ,
the ear ot her terrible neighbor, whis- j
pered:
i 4* Grant me a favor ?"
t4 A thousand!" exclaimed Jose Maria, i
44 Forget, I conjure you, the evil feel-!
j ings which you have * probably brought j
! hitner. Promise ine that, for tue love of j
me, you will pardon your enemies, and i
j that nothing unpleasant shall be connect
' ed with my marriage feast"
j ''Notary," said Jose Maria, turning to
; the noted man of law, 4* thank uiadumo.
| Had it not been for her 1 woulu have!
slain you betore you could have digested
your dinner. Feat* no more. I will do
you no harm." And holding towards
him a glass oi' wi" he added, with a
somewhat wicked smile, " come notary,
to my health! This wiue is good and
is not poisoned 1"
The pdor notary lelt as if he were swallowing
a hundred pins.
" Come, friends, said the robber, "now
o,v?.K. L?-wvft f ilinr 1'lVii till*
W'k OVSI.A4V> C^Ull . I II fv kUV >L>* 1VIW
And rising quickly lie ran to seek- the
bride, and Ix'gan to improvise a couplet
in honor of the newly-married couple.
In a word, during the rest of the dinner
and the ball which followed, he
showed himself so amiable, that the women
had tears in their eyes when they
tnought that so charming a gallant might
end his days on t e gal o.vs. lie dance;
he sang, he contributed to the mcrriineut
in every way. Towards midnight a little
girlOf twelve years, half covered with
rags, approached Jose Maria, and said
some words to him in the patois of the
gypsies. The robber started up; lie ran
to the stable, from which he soon returned.
leading his horse. Then, advancing
to tab bride, with the rein banging on his
arm, he said:?
"Adieu, child of my heart. Never
shall I torget the momci^ which 1 have
tiassed with vou. They Iffe the happiest
I have seen for many years. Be kind
enough to accept this nilie trom a poor
outlaw, "who wishes he had a mine to offer
you."
"Jose Maria,' said the bride, "as long
as there is bread in this house, you shall
have a share of it."
The robber shook hands with all the
guests, even with the notary, aud embraced
the ladies, then nimbly leaping to
the saddle, returned to the mountain ?
Not before did the notary breathe freely.
An hour afterwards a* detachment of
miguelets (special guard; arrived, but no
one had seen the man of whom they were
in search.
Tiui &tv>nich neonlp. who know bv
A Person complained to Dr. Franklin
of having bcei^ insulted by one who called
him a scoundrel. "All," replied the
doctor; "and what did you call him?''
" Why,'' said he, "I called him a scoundrel,
too." "Well," resumed Franklin,
"I presume you both spoke the truth."
. .
PAUL A PITT#,
unai.ekti l!f
ARMY AND NAVY SUPPLIES. DRY GOODS,
BOOTS AND SHOES,
GENTS' FURNISHING GOODS,
? Ac., Ac., Ac.,
No. 3 Merchants.' Row, Hilton IIrao,
A'no Bay Point, S. C.
/ T NTITELLOWS. Np. S SUTLERS' ROW
I . Dealer in BOOT* SHOES, CLOTHING.
} I iiNiSUING GOODS, and Sutlers' Good* of
Lr?i-. Description, Wholesale aud Ketaii
heart the romauceof iicnaud de Montuuban,
must necessarily teel much interested
in the ouly man in an age as
prosaic as ours, revives the virtues of
chivalric braves. Another motive contributes
besides to increase the popularity
of Jose Maria?he is extremely generous.
Money it costs him very little to
obtain, and he shares it liberally with the
unfortunate. Never, it is said, does a
man address himself to him without receiving
abundant alms. A muleteer told
me that having lost a mule, which constituted
bis whole fortune, he was on the
point of casting liiinselt headlong into the
Uuadalquiver. when a box containing six
ounces of gold was remitted to bis wife
from an unknown source. He doubted
not that it was a present from Jose Maria,
to whom he had poiuted out a ford
one day when he was closely pursued by
uie migueii-ia.
A witty fellow, at a little ale house one
day, called for a glass of the refreshing
beverage. After drinking it, he said to
the laudlady, with the air of one who
has some great secret to communicate,
"Misses, I'll tell you how you can sell a
great deal more than you do." " How is
that" she asked. " Don't sell so much
froth," was the reply.
" "Talkin' of law," says Pompey, "make
me tiuk of what de mortal Cato, who lib
most a tousand year ago, once said: "De
law is like a grouu' glass winder, dat give
light enulf to light us poor mortals in de
dark passage ot lite, but it would puzzle
de debble himself to see troo it."
A
C1 SAVILLE & CO.,
/ WuoLKSALE a.ni> RCTAIL stationkjm.
Palmetto Herald Stoic,
Hilton Head S. 0.
J2T- A Liberal Discount to Purchasers ut
, Wholesale.
! Cash Orders by mail or express promptly tilled.
| tjlank notes and drafts
! For Sale at the
I
PALMETTO HERALD STORE,
i Palmetto Herald Building.
|
Drugs and medicines;!
Just landed from New York, a larjje assort*
! meiit of Drujrs, Chemicals, and Perfumery, viz.
T.iihm'rf Extract*. Edrihi'?. do. . Colognes. Pom
: ades, Hair tonics of the finest quality, Tooth Pow
dor. Pastes atnl Washes.
J A lars;e quantity of Patent Medicines, Pills
I and Ointments.
A nice lot of Bathing, Carriage and Velvet
: Sponges.
Flea Powder, producing instant death.
Pure Soda Water from" Stone Fountains, with
the choicest syrups.
All orders will receive i?rompt attention. ,
W. M? WALSH, M. 1).,
13 Merchants' Row.
PROFESSIONAL NOTICE.
B. B. ANDREWS,
j Attorney and Colnseu.oe at Law, Solicitor ix
Chancery and Proctor and Aj?vooatk is At>m1ralty.
Ail Confiscation Cases in the District Court of
the Northern District of Florida examined and
defended promptly and reasonably.
Address, B. B. ANDREWS,
Jacksonville, Fla.
Reference at Hilton Head, S. C., S. W. Mason,
Editor Palmetto Herald.
J' UST RECEIVED
By C. W. DENNIS A CO.,
And will be sold at
. VERY LOW PRICES !!!
10,000 Lbs. Butter, Hardware, of every d?10,000
' Cheese, scription,
100,000 Cigars. Yankee Notions, of every
10,000 Lm. Cakes and kind.
Crackers, Matches,
j loo Bbls. Potatoes, Caunefl Peaches. Toma1??0
" Flour, toes, IVas, Green:
I 3.000 PrsrOloves, Meats?H"ef, Veal,
j 500 Camp Stoves, Chickens, Turkeys.
Stationerv, in variety.
Nuts, Raisins, Figs Fi? Paste, Confectionery,
Blank Books Ledger". Day Hooks. Shirts, Drawers.
Collars Handkerchiefs. .^vk-Tics, Boots and
Shoes, Army Ranges, Cooking Stoves, Stove
Pipe, Herriu<j's Sates, Abbott's History of the
! War, Fish Lines. Cutlery. Metallic Co'fflns. Tin
j Ware, Woodeu Ware, Ac., Ac. Call and exj
amine.
Hilton* Hud, 8. C., Nov. 14, 1804.
48 p OOD LIVING,"
\JT At reasonable prices, can be had at the
nWTl'p ??H RRFHF*<sll\fKXT SA
LOON. in the rear of the New .Post OjffiOfcJTf.pn
Head S. C. I have the very bes: maKt Ljx
furnish in if OYSTERS, CLAMS. MEAT8, PwTL1
TRY, VEGETABLES, Ac., from the North and
| other places in this vicinity. Cooked to order
i from 0 A. M. to 9 P. M.
PETER FITZGERALD, Proprietor.
P. S.?One trial is respectfuily solicited.PEABODY
A MORGAN,
No. 1 Broadway,
j Dealers in SUTLERS' GOODS, Wholesale and
j Retail.
AOK NUMBERS OF THE PALMETTO
HERALD.
Those who desire . '
COMPLETE FILES
Of Thi P.\i.Mrrro Herald, to date, can procure
them at this otllce, at the regular price per cony.
We have reserved, each week, a sufficient number
to supply any reasonable demand, and we believe
no more complete and accurate compendium of
eveuts in the Department can be procured.
S. W. MASON A CO.
? QQQ LBS. CINCINNATI BACON;
j 60 Bbl*. Fresh PILOT BREAD:
i - teimiaotvu ait |m d<.?a nallati
i,'?w (jallOLLK liuiuol.>i. vim lu nm-uuuuu
Cans;
For Sale, Cheap, bv
C. N. BELLOWS,
No. 8 Merchants' Bow.
T>ROTOGRAPHS, CARTES DE VLS1TE,
JL Ac., Ac.
Large Photographs,
Cartes De Visite,
Ambrotypes,
Melainotypea,
Frames, for Photographs,
Large Albums,
Pocket Albums,
la Good Style,
At '24 Merchants' Row.
J. T. READING A Co,
RC. FOSTER. PHOTOGRAPHER, M0RPJ9
- toi a \n i.oar PORT SHAW CARTES
i UE V1SITES,*AMBROTYPES,~&c., made iiftke
I best possible manner by experienced artisTg.
. W. SINCLAIR,
PHOTOGRAPHER.
Galleries at Beanfort, and Hilton Head, S. C.
j and Jacksonville, F!a.
D' UNBARS & FKANZ, 10 SUTLER'S KO\f,
Dealers in Sutlers* Goods, Wholesale and
Retail.
TAYLOR'S ALBANY ALE,
By the Barrel, at Peauodt A MoaoiVa.
Fresh Goods of all kinds now Wcia^ lauded, Lorn
j Bidtf Mast C^is. t
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