...  The following extracts are taken from the statement of Jesus Vasquez, forwarded to these headquarters by Lieut. Hanneken:

     "That Santos Vasquez, bandit jefe under Pedron, is his cousin; Nicolas Davila is Jefe Spy and provision provider for bandits in this area; and that Davila moves about from one finca to another, obtains all information and organizes the provision supply when Pedron is in this area; that Pedron often passes by house of Santos Vasquez to Sixto Gutierrez's house at La Pita to see his (Vasquez) house, to house of Basilio Contreras, to fincas of Guillermo Rivera and Florencio Cornejo.  That Pedron was camped for about a week at Guillermo Rivera's finca (on the southwest side of Chachagon Mts.)  Note:  All the above places with the exception of Santos Vasquez have been destroyed by our patrols.

     "That Felipe Machado of Matagalpa and Jinotega turned over to one Juan Rial at Real's finca near La Virgen about one year ago, twelve rifles (Springfields) with a box containing about 1000 rounds of ammunition with instructions that Rial would be the Jefe in the La Virgen area and that the rifles and ammunition were to be held by him for a contemplated revolution of Chamorro's.  On or about Feb. 1st, 1929, Juan Rial together with Ermenecillo Rial, Epifiano Hernandez, and Felix Hernandez and Jesus Vasquez took these rifles and ammunition and turned them over to Pedron Altamirano.  (This information about Machado giving these rifles to Juan Rial is common knowledge amongst natives as Eulalio Flores, Manuel Matute and Jefe Politico [Rigoberto Reyes] all knew about it.) ...

IR29.05.13: 4.  RG127/209/1.

...  From Lt. McFarland, Apr. 24:  Juan Garcia, a Nicaraguan who has been living in Cifuentes for the past two years, states there are bandits there at the present time, he does not know any of their names, but they have been there since Feb. 25, when a group of 40 with Porfirio Sanchez, Fernando Maradiaga, and Simeon Gonzalez as jefes came through Cifuentes, they said they had left Sandino at Oconguas in Cano del Diablo with 30 men.  His mistress [Teresa Villatoro] was with this group and went with them to Danli [Honduras] and is there at the present time.  Fifteen days ago Garcia's son was in Danli and at that time there were more than 50 bandits there.  They are still there, he believes.  All seem to have money and are buying ammunition and arms, same being easy to obtain in that town.  About six weeks ago, the jefe Tejada ]Jose de la Rosa Tejada] was killed by his own men in Danli.  Upon leaving Danli, the route of travel:  Malacate, Limon, Santa Barbara, Muyuca, Santa Cruz, Juali, Los Encinos, and from there they go either toward Murra or San Pechon.  He states he believes a large part of the force at Danli are waiting on Sandino.  They stated when they passed through in Feb., that they were to prepare for him to go to Mexico and were to go with him.  It is a rumor he is to pass through Honduras to Mexico sometime in the near future. ... 

...  Tejada, a trusted jefe of Sandino was killed in a bar room brawl in Honduras. ...

IR 29.05.12: 3.  RG127/209/1.

HEADQUARTERS,

GUARDIA NACIONAL DE NICARAGUA

MANAGUA, NICARAGUA.

14 May, 1929.

GN-2 MEMORANDUM

     1.     The following is a statement of Alejandro Molina, who was with Sandino from December 1927 to February 1929:

     "At a place called El Rempujon, jurisdiction of Nueva Segovia, in the mountains of Murra, there is hidden a Colt machine gun, a large amount of rifles and ammunition and a quantity of dynamite.  These arms and ammunition can be found by capturing Rafael Altamirano and Yamario Rocha, as they are the guardians and know the place where they are hidden.

 

     Claudio Blandon and one of his sons are and live between Plan Grande and Guapinol, jurisdiction of Ocotal.  These men know where Sandino is and his general camp (Rumbo Perdido, between Murra and Oconguas) is.  Claudio is the runner of Sandino for the Republic of Honduras.  Antonio Salgado and Gregorio Salgado are in the place named Guapinol and know and can give information about the mountain where Sandino is situated.  Sandino is furnished salt and foodstuffs from Yali.

 

     By placing a guard at the hacienda La Palmera, formerly called Gulke, the passage will be cut for Sandino's forces, as all his troops leaving the mountains pass thru this hacienda at about one kilometer from the banana plantation of Panali.

 

     I was with Sandino from December 1927 to February 1928, then I quit the forces and went to work on a coffee plantation picking coffee.  As the forces of Sandino were pursuing me I had to leave for Honduras with my mother, returning again by Sandino's camp to ask for a passport, remaining there until the 10th of April 1929.  My mother lives in Pespire, Department of Choluteca [Honduras], and my father is in Jinotega.  (Molina is the illegitimate son of Blas Miguel Molina of Jinotega).

 

     The Agents of Sandino in Honduras are: -- Antonio Lacayo and Constantino Tenorio; on the 26th of April, the date I left Tegucigalpa, a Dominican named Gregirio Gilbert also left carrying mail for Sandino and accompanying him were three Mexicans to join the Sandino forces.

 

     The columns of Sandino are under the command of the following persons:  Pedron, Jose Leon Dias, Sebastian Centeno, Francisco Estrada, Pedro Irias, Ismael Peralta, Carlos Salgado, Miguel Angel Ortez, Pedro Blandon, Abraham Centeno, Coronado Maradiaga, Ramon Uriarte -- any of them have at least thirty men under his command.  There are other chiefs who operate with Salgado and Ortez but I don't know them.   /  p. 2  /   Sandino's forces number from 1,000 to 1,500 men -- Ortez has 250 men, Salgado has 300, Pedron has 100, Peralta has about 60 and thus successively.

 

      Many refugee families are at Guapinol, the place where Gregorio Salgado is at, two kilometers from Plan Grande, headed for the mountains.

 

     Most of the arms possessed by Sandino have been captured from the Americans and Guardias.

 

     The Government of Honduras apparently does not favor Sandino, but the Sandinism has guarantees in that country because the authorities are partisans of Sandino.

 

     When I went to the Honduras authorities and confessed that I came from Sandino they gave me all the guarantees; furthermore they advised me to tell any guards that I should meet on my way that I was a Sandinista in order to get the guarantees -- they further told me that Moncada and the Yankees commanded in Nicaragua but the Hondurans commanded in Honduras.

 

     The neighbors from Honduras take salt, medicine, cigars, biscuits, and clothing to Sandino.

 

     If a consecutive attack is made against Sandino he would get away, but it happens that the Americans and the Government forces occupy the towns leaving the mountains free and unwatched; Sandino communicated with his wife frequently until she was sent to Managua and he has always sent her money, etc.

 

     Sandino's followers are composed of Hondurans and Salvadorans but also has Mexicans, Colombians, Venezuelans, and Dominicans.  Sandino is glad because of the proximity of winter.  Sandino would make agreements with Moncada but never with the Yankees; he issues orders to his troops that if the Guardia pass to let it pass on but to fire only upon the Marines as it is his desire to finish them.

 

     Jiron was opposed to the blowing up of the mines, and it was Porfirio Diaz who ordered their blowing up as he was compelled to do so by his troops -- Pedron was the third chief.

 

     Sandino sent his lover, Teresa Villatoro, to Tegucigalpa to be treated by a dentist; she lodges at the Hotel Union and she received correspondence from him on the 26th of April and she sent a reply by the same mail.  She has instructions from Sandino to await him in Tegucigalpa."

     2.     When Molina was permitted to look over some photographs in the files of this office of bandit activities, he immediately recognized the leaders, individuals, and even the places where the pictures were taken.

     3.  This information is strictly confidential and will be kept under lock and key or destroyed.

                                J. M. Bain

                                Major, Guardia Nacional

                                GN-2.

HEADQUARTERS, 2ND BRIGADE, U.S. MARINE CORPS

MANAGUA, NICARAGUA

INFORMATION FROM ALEJANDRO MOLINA, SANDINISTA

16-17 May, 1929

     Identified picture of Sandino shown him as being taken during last revolution when he was with Moncada.

     Joined Sandino at Chipote in December, 1927, because the Guardia Nacional and President Adolfo Diaz were persecuting him without reason, because he was a Liberal.  The messenger who told him where to find Sandino was going to Mr. Abraham Centeno in Yali.

     He quit Sandino when Moncada took charge because he had no reason to fight a Liberal Government.

     Jose Lagos, Porfirio Sanchez, and his woman, Leopolda Tellez, Lorenzo Blandon (a Mexican), Adan Gutierrez, altogether about twenty-five went to Honduras after quitting Sandino for the same reason -- that of being Moncadistas.

     Teresa Villatoro (Sandino's mistress) was with Claudio Blandon, living in Guapinol.

     From Los Terreros, his mother, Lagos and himself passed to La Rica, where they were joined by about twenty-five others who had been with Sandino.

     Lagos is now Commandant at Perspire, Honduras -- Porfirio Sanchez is waiting for a job.

     Mr. Westing gave him a free ride on his gasoline boat from Ampala to Tempisque.

     He knows where Claudio Blandon lives in Guapinol, and Antonio Salgado also in Guapinol.  Also Gregorio Salgado can be located through somebody he knows.

     All people in Guapinol help Sandino by bringing to him supplies and food.

     Luis Frenzel, a German who lives in Yali sent medicines and some other supplies to La Constancia in November, 1928.  He was under Peralta but a civilian who brought the supplies stated that Frenzel was sending them.

     Lagos was a chief, jefe at Yali, and Peralta was his subordinate.

     Centeno was an aide of Sandino's, to gather supplies, act as his messenger and intelligence agent.

     Peralta did not operate far from La Constancia, he only went as far as La Pavona and San Antonio.

     Forces of Sandino pass a hacienda called La Palmero, between Santa Cruz and Quilali, at night.

     Antonio Lacayo and Constantino Tenorio are Sandino's message center jefes in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

     Juan Colindres is his financial agent in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.   /  p. 2  /  

     Among Sandino's men it was said that money came from Mexico, sent by an organization known as "Hands Off Nicaragua," and "Asociacion Pro-Sandino."

     General Simeon Montoya is living in Armenia, Honduras, where he owns a house.

     While he was with Sandino he participated in about six engagements, the largest one being at Zapote, where Sanchez, Montoya, Jiron, and Sandino took part.  (This contact is known to us as the Hunter contact.)

     He was at Las Cruces under Francisco Estrada on January 1st when Lieutenant Bruce, G.N. was killed.

     His ideas since childhood made him a Liberal.  His father was a Conservative, enemy of Sandino, and he got on bad terms with his father because of politics.

     Sandino got from Padre Morales cattle and medicines that Father Morales had; also pants and some cheap cloth.

     Last day Molina was in Tegucigalpa he saw an article of Constantino Tenorio published in the newspaper "El Caduceo," supporting Sandino.

     Abraham Centeno lives in La Pavona, where he has a few coffee trees and some sugar cane.

     Antonio Lacayo's office is located at the Union Hotel in Tegucigalpa, of which Lacayo is the owner.

     Tomas and Emilio Blandon were in charge of spying at La Constancia.

     Sandino's pre-election instructions to his lieutenants were to disturb the electoral proceedings as much as possible; to advise people not to pay any attention to electoral matters; and to capture and bring to him any propaganda men of any party recognizing the election.

     Early in April Tenorio told him that Sandino was going to Buenos Aires and that rumors about his going to Mexico were not true.  Then he advised him to wait for Sandino in Tegucigalpa.  Molina replied that he wanted to come to Nicaragua to help Moncada.

     Molina went to Choluteca with Lagos, on Lagos's official business from Perspire, where he is commandant.  In Choluteca he saw Dr. Hernandez (Mairena)  [Dr. Domingo Mairena Hernandez] who is there with the Health Department.

     (Note:  Mairena is a Nicaraguan from Leon and was formerly Sandino's doctor.)

     From B-2.

[ LETTER FROM ALEJANDRO MOLINA TO JEFE DIRECTOR OF THE GUARDIA NACIONAL PLEADING FOR HIS RELEASE FROM PRISON, NOVEMBER 1929 ]

Centro penal Managua       6 de Noviembre de 1929

     Sr Jefe director de la guardia Nacional.

     Muy Sr mio

El objeto de la presente es de manifestar a Ud., que tengo 6 meses de ser prisonero, y no se cual séa mi delinto; es berdad yo andube con Sandino, pero cuando resibio la presidencia el Gral Moncada, me separe de Sandino; y me fui para Honduras, en Tegucigalpa me encontre con él ex Ministro de Nicaragua, Sr. J. Francisco Moncada, le comunique mis deseos de regresar al pais, y él me contesto que no havia inconbeniente, que me daria un salbo conducto, y que me respondia con su cuello que las garantias dadas en nombre de su govierno serian atendidas y respetadas. 

Sr suplico a Ud. sea juez de su conciensia y jusgue me delito, talvez crea Ud que sea sufisiente me castigo, o me designe cuanto tiempo mas me falta.

Si Ud me da me livertad, yo le prometo servirle en o que Ud crea conbeniente, haria mas dandome me libertad que con tenerme prisionero.  Esperando que la present no será en bano, quedo de Ud.  Con todo respeto, muy Atto y S.S. 

/s/  Alejandro Molina

            S-18

[ ANOTHER LETTER FROM PRISON PLEDGING GOOD BEHAVIOR, MAY 13, 1930 ]

     Yo Alejandro Molina, de diez y nueve años de edad, soltero, agricultor, vecino de la ciudad de Estelí y nicaragüense, por el presente documento me compreto a no tomar participación de ninguna clase de ningún movimiento revolucionario contra el Gobierno constituido ni menos formar parte de las columnas de bandoleros que infestan el País.  Esta declaración la hago de mi espontánea voluntad y me sujeto a sufrir los castigos legales por quebrantamiento de la presente promesa.  También prometo salir de terretorio de Nicaragua por el periodo de un año.

     Managua trece de Mayo de mil novecientos treinta.

     /s/  Alejandro Molina

              witness  James L. Dea---

                   Comandante de la Penitencia

    Me constituy fiador de mi hermano Alejandro Molina para el cumplimiento de la anterior promesa.  Managua trece de Mayo de mil novecientos treinta.

      /s/  Mig. Molina H.

M29.05.14.   RG127/209/7.

GUARDIA NACIONAL DE NICARAGUA

OFFICE OF THE DEPARTMENT COMMANDER, ESTELI

20 MAY, 1929

STATEMENT OF PRISONER MOISES PEREZ, CHARGED WITH SUPPLYING PEDRO BLANDON WITH CLOTHING AT SANTULE, 15 MAY, 1929.

     I live at Santule, Department of Esteli.  On 13 May 1929, Pedro Blandon came to my home and told me that I was a "Yankista" and demanded twenty five suits of clothing.  Blandon had about twenty five other bandits with him who were all armed with rifles or pistols, with a plentiful supply of ammunition, and quite a few of them were armed with automatic pistols and carried large bombs.  Pedro Blandon placed his Colt forty-five automatic pistol at my head and drew his machete with which he cut my dog in two pieces and told me that unless I procured the clothing that he would do the same thing to me and kill my wife and burn my house.

     On 13 May 1929 I went to Esteli and bought eleven shirts and 24 twenty four pairs of trousers which I purchased at the store of Juan Molina, Esteli, on credit.  I did not report this matter to Captain McDonald as I was afraid that some of the bandit spies were watching me and I knew that they would kill me if they discovered that I had reported the matter to him.

     I took the clothing back to my farm at San Tule on 15 May 1929 and on 16 May 1929 at about 11:00 a.m. two bandits came to get the clothing which they carried away in a sack and a pair of saddle bags.

     On 18 May 1929 the Guardia Nacional arrested me while I was enroute to Esteli with a train of coffee which I purchased at San Juan de Telpaneca from Rosa Rugama on 4 May 1929 and for which I paid $12.00 per hundred pounds.  I purchase coffee in large or small lots from whoever has coffee to sell.  The coffee is mine and bought with my money.

     Juan Molina stated that he did not want coffee but that he wanted cash in return for the goods furnished.  Pedro Blandon has no permanent camps but ranges around Zapote, Concordia, Las Vegas, Colon, Taberatas, San Lorenzo, Ojoche but goes to Chipoteall and Chipote.  Blandon asked me where the Guardia usually passed and which trails they used and which was the best place to set an ambush for them.  I stated that there was no suitable place nearby for an ambush.  When the bandits had received their clothing they left in the direction of the Miraflores mountains.  I do not know where they went to or where they procure their ammunition.  Blandon asked me how many marines were stationed at Condega.  I told him that I did not know.

     Testigos:  /s/  R. Zapata   /s/  D. McDonald, Jefe de Policia

     Signed.  /s/  Moises Perez.     

     M29.05.20.   RG127/212/Patrol Reports.

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 2½ 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.