T R A N
S C R I P
T I O N
2nd
Platoon, 77th Company, 5th Regiment
Marines, Masaya, Nicaragua. 30 May 1928.
From: The
Commanding Officer
To:
The Commanding Officer, 5th Regiment,
Managua.
Subject: Report on banditry in
Masaya section from 28 May 1928 to 30
May 1928, inclusive.
1. Between 2300 and
2315, 28 May 1928, I was called by a man
who said he is an agent of the Guardia
National and showed a card signed by
Major Parker. This man said there were
fifteen bad men in town and that they
might make trouble. Immediately after he
left the barracks a native came to
report that a member of his family had
been killed in Mornibo. I sent two
Marines to Mornibo to arrest the
murderer as I connected the murder with
the report I had just received from the
agent. The two Marines were gone about
an hour, and returned and reported
Mornibo quiet, and that they did not
find either the murderer or the body of
the dead man. After they had been in the
barracks a few minutes, about 0030, I
recieved a telephone call from the man
who had said he was the same agent. He
said the bad men about town whom he had
spoken had killed a man in Mornibo and
that the were robbing peoples homes on
the road to Niquinohomo. I immediately
put three squads under arms and left for
this vicinty just before 0100, 29 May,
1928. We passed through Mornibo on the
way and found all quiet with no lights
or activity. On leaving the town of
Masaya on the Niquinohomo road we ran
into a party of police, about eight as I
recall, and all except two said a party
of bandits had taken their arms, and had
gone down the same road toward
Niquinohomo about two hours before. I
took the two armed civil policemen with
me as guards, and proceeded toward
Niquinohomo. Found on the way, a finca
that had been robbed of two horses and
that a son of the family had been made
to join the bandits whom the women said
numbered about seventy. Picked up two
members of the rural police of Masaya
who could not give a good account of
themselves. On later investigation I
believe they wre a rear guard of the
band put there purposely on the trail to
report our passage. They were hurrying
in the same direction as we were when
picked up and said they had escaped from
the bandits. These two men Juan and
Ascension Espinosa were armed, one with
a rifle (loaded) and the other with a
cutacha. They are being sent to Managua
to be confined.
2. At Niquinohomo we
found much excitement, were told the
bandits had robbed the police station of
four rifles, and that the bandits had
left town fourty minutes before. The
road indicated to us we followed, but
later found the bandits had turned off
the road about four miles out of town.
We finally picked up their trail and
followed into a section known as
Portillo, a section some ten miles wide
and extending to about ten miles south
to southwest of
[p. 2]
Niquinohomo.
Heard much from fincas passed of
robberies committed. The most reliable
reports seemed to indicate they were two
hours ahead of us. Finally lost the
trail about ten miles south-southwest of
Niquinohomo, where hoof prints indicated
the band splitting. Since we started out
to make contact outside the town of
Masaya, we had no rations with us, and
returned to Niquinohomo, arriving there
at 0915, 29 May 1928. Found none of the
Sandino family home. Called Managua for
planes, and reported by phone to Granada
and Masaya. Requested food from Masaya,
which was sent to Niquinohomo in the
auto of one Perez. Planes arrived from
Managua, indicated direction of bandits
to them. Left for Masaya by auto
sergeant in charge with orders to return
to Masaya by afternoon train, which he
did with marines and five prisoners who
had been picked up on suspicion. Learned
in Niquinohomo that there had been much
trouble in Masaya the night before and
desired to find out about it
immediately.
3. Upon arrival at
Masaya started investigation of the
affairs in the town. Deductions as
follows: At about 1500, 28 May 1928,
fifteen men, more or less, in charge of
one Alberto Larios, arrived from Managua
on the train, went to the house of Gen.
Salvador Reyes, talked over how the
affair in the evening was to be
conducted, went about town town singly
or by twos or threes, assembled on and
off at the house of Enrique Tejerino,
until about 1045, when by twos, the
police stations were robbed of their
rifles, homes previously indicated were
entered and robbed, and within fifteen
minutes to half an hour the entire band,
swelled by that time to about thirty,
assembled on the Masaya - Niquinohomo
road just outside the town of Masaya and
started for Santa Terese, and points to
the south. They were led by Alberto
Larios and Enrique Tejerino. They had 23
rifles and 35 rounds of ammunition
stolen from the police stations of
Masaya, where they met with no
resistance on the part of the police,
and four rifles taken from the police
station at Niquinohomo, with 30 rounds
of ammunition. One pistol was taken from
the Inspector of Police Santo Flores.
4. Arrested Gens.
Salvador Reyes, Joaquin Espana, and Luis
Zelaya. Freed three of the prisoners
returned from patrol on further
investigation. The five are being sent
to Commanding Office 5th Regiment,
Managua, together with sketches of what
they know and what is suspected by the
undersigned.
5. At 2000, 29 May
1928, recieved call from Capt. Strong
that 25 bandits were passing through
Sabana Grande and would possibly pass
through Masaya. Took patrol of twenty
men to outskirts of Masaya, on
Masaya-Managua road. At 2300, a party of
five persons all men advanced down the
road, one mounted and four walking. They
were ordered to halt twice, and the
point then fired, killed the mounted
man. The other four fled immediately
into the brush. Before expiring the man
said he was Fernando Garcia. He died in
a few seconds. He was armed with a
loaded revolver, .30, and had an empty
cartridge belt. His body was turned over
to the civil police of Masaya for
disposal. His horse was taken into
custody, as was also the revolver.
Patrol remained on duty until 0600, 30
May 1928, with nothing more to report.
No marines were wounded.
[p. 3]
6. Sent out patrol of
one corporal and ten privates this
morning, 30 May 1928, with orders to
stay out four days and cover the area
south for about fifteen miles of
Niquinohomo.
7. Statments taken
from various persons are enclosed.
E. E. Linsert
1st Lt. USMC
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Cy to CO, Granada
Cy File
127/113C/12
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