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To
the British Charge d'Affaires in Managua
Matagalpa
June 10, 1929
Sir,
I have not written you a detailed account before
now of the visit of "Pedron's" crowd, on the 2nd
of this month, as the details I received were
very vague, and now that my sons have returned
from the place I am able to write fully.
It seems that the bandits were divided into two
parties and one party of them, about 120 armed
with rifles and one 'Thompson' gun, rushed the
house, at about 8:30 a.m. of the 2nd. They were
yelling, 'Where is the gringo,' 'hands up' &tc.,
all in Spanish. The only people in and around
the house were my housekeeper, my little girl of
four years, two native cooks and a few mozos
buying milk from us. (I was at the time in
Matagalpa, and my two sons were at the other
finca, La Cornubia, so the women were alone.)
The bandits immediately commenced to hustle the
housekeeper, who had the little girl in her
arms, and by prodding her with rifles made her
turn over the money she had saved up. Then they
swarmed all over the house with machetes, axes,
&c., and commenced breaking open everything they
found locked up; they collected everything into
bundles, even the kiddy's clothes and shoes and
then went and started on the kitchen and
food-stuffs.
During this time a 'fair' native, seemingly an
'officer,' stood with several of the thieves on
the lower corridor of the house and as the girl
commenced to scold him he said that they would
take her along also if she did not 'shut up.'
After a time he asked the girl if the Marines
passed that way and she answered that very often
they did and that she was expecting them at
every moment. This seemed to scare him, so he
called out to those who were 'rustling' in the
upper story of the house to be quick and get
away. They then 'recruited' the mozos who were
on the place and made them carry all the bundles
and pots with food and go with them. They camped
in the clearing close to the house, and had
their food, after which they commenced to divide
up the spoil. Besides those that were raiding my
living-house, others were raiding the small
houses where the mozos live and these were also
robbed; they even went through the pockets of
some of the small boys who work on the place.
During all this time there was a mounted man
with a few bandits on a knoll close by looking
on – it may have been Pedron himself. After the
bandits got through their meal, they sent off
and seemingly joined another party who were not
far away in the forest.
My two sons were at the time on the Cornubia,
which is about 2˝ leagues away, and we were
ignorant of what was going on, but a native boy
managed to advise the boys and they made all
possible speed to get to La Constancia. When
half-way to the place, they met the bandits and
barely got away with their lives after running
for about 1500 yards. An Indian boy who works
for us, was following them in escaping, but was
caught and hacked to pieces by the bandits.
I hope that I have not tired you with my long
letter, but I wish to let you know exactly what
happened.
Enclosed please find list of what I consider I
have lost and the value of same. But of course
there are many things not remembered for the
moment and which may not be missed for some
time.
I am,
/s/ E. Trewin
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - -
List of articles stolen from Mr. Trewin's finca,
"La Constancia" on Sunday, June 2, 1929.
From the three bedrooms
|
From |
the three bedrooms |
Dollars |
|
|
Bedclothes, 5 beds |
80.00 |
|
|
Boots, shoes, etc. |
28.00 |
|
|
3 gold rings |
21.00 |
|
|
3 Gillette razors |
10.50 |
|
|
2 trunks of wearing apparel |
50.00 |
|
|
Small articles, mirrors, brushes, etc. |
27.00 |
|
|
1 Angle lamp |
7.00 |
|
|
5 hats and 1 cap |
27.50 |
|
|
|
|
|
From |
"Sala" |
|
|
|
From wardrobe: Woman's wearing apparel,
bedlinen, towels, etc. |
60.00 |
|
|
Seven pounds, English money |
35.00 |
|
|
Jewellery |
70.00 |
|
|
1 kodak |
12.50 |
|
|
Clothes, my own |
20.00 |
|
|
1 field glass |
40.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
From |
Office: |
|
|
|
1 "Corona" typewriter |
65.00 |
|
|
1 rifle, Remington .22 |
35.00 |
|
|
2 fountain pens, Parker |
17.00 |
|
|
1 spirit stove |
8.00 |
|
|
1 clock |
7.00 |
|
|
1 small calculating machine |
10.00 |
|
|
Cash
about |
47.00 |
|
|
Documents, and cash and other books |
? |
|
|
|
|
|
From |
bedroom of Josefa Engarris: |
|
|
|
From her trunk, cash |
320.00 |
|
|
Articles of her use and my daughter's |
50.00 |
|
|
2 waterproofs |
12.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
From |
"Comedor": |
|
|
|
1 lamp |
7.00 |
|
|
small articles |
10.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
From |
Kitchen: |
|
|
|
Pots, pans, knives and forks, plates, food, etc. |
35.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
From |
Carpenter's shop: |
|
|
|
Various tools to the value of |
25.00 |
|
|
Machetes, axes, etc. |
70.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
From |
Store-room: |
|
|
|
Sundry medicines |
5.00 |
|
|
2 natives saddles |
30.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
Animals: |
|
|
|
1 white horse |
25.00 |
|
|
2 oxen eaten |
34.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
Articles Damaged: |
|
|
|
1 large wardrobe - value or damage |
30.00 |
|
|
Office damage |
15.00 |
|
|
Chairs damaged |
10.00 |
|
|
Gramaphone |
10.00 |
|
|
Sewing machine damaged |
20.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
T o t a l |
$1,385.50 |
|
|
|
|
|
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Total one thousand, three hundred and
eighty-five dollars and fifty cents.
Matagalpa, June 10th, 1929.
sd/ E. Trewin. |
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Enrique Trewin,
Matagalpa, to British Chargé d'Affaires,
Managua, 10 June 1929, encl. nos. 1 and 2, in
Matthew E. Hanna, Chargé d'Affairs ad interim,
Managua, to Sec. State, Washington D.C., 24 June
1929, United States Department of State, Records
Relating to Internal Affairs of Nicaragua,
1910-1929, 817.00/6361.
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This report of a sacking of a coffee farm
by Pedr
It is a very telling narrative
of events, followed by an interesting 'list of
articles stolen'. (Detail of
photograph of the Club de Extranjeros de
Matagalpa, 1910. Number '14' is labeled
'A. Trewin" and is probably Enrique Trewin,
photoshopped at left.
From the collection of La Selva Negra Hacienda
coffee museum, Matagalpa; the full image appears
after the report)
