. _..-Mm;—_m’ IW ‘ W EEK LY ' 4*,N‘ 6 ii W Adi/:5; (47f; A7 z r; r'r i=3. —- ms‘<_‘1':€.'a ~. ‘ _ . v _ ....—~.—,-¢... Roomm‘oivs "“' LOVE. Alpheus Munro had made his pile as a speculator, principally in rails, but he still amused himself by dealing ‘now and again to the extent of one mil 1 lion dollars or so, although for gen- eral business he had practically re- tired from ’Change. He was a wid~ owcr, with an only daughter, Dora Munro, aged twenty—a fine, hand- some blonde, who had takenup the study of science. Dora had, of course, heaps of offers, eligible and otherwise, but she had not met the man whom she cared to mar- Ty, and, at her urgent desire, her fath- er had sent her to Harvard to enable her to pursue her studies. She went to the university with a ' mind fully made up to devote her life to science and to abjure matrimony. In fact, as she herself put it, she had locked up her heart and thrown away the key. ' But we are told that “Love laughs at locksmiths,” and, in confirmation thereof, she had not been long at Har- vard when she found herself head over ears in love with George Stanislaus Rockerton, who was studying law there. _ Young Rockerton came from a good family, was rich, good-looking, and in every way eligible; but when Dora wrote to her papa informing him of her i , tender passion and asking his consent to her engagement, she received a tele- gram (he was so urgent that he would not wait for the post to carry his re- fusal):— ““.\‘0. Come home at once.” Her father received her kindly, but with a firm-set countenance, which she knew from her observation of his dealings with others indicated that his mind was made up, and that nothing could alter it. She, of course, burst into tears to be- gin with; but that had no visible ef- fect on her parent. “My dear Dora,” he said, “you can- not imagine how it pains me to be obliged to run counter to your desires, but when I have explained matt’ rs to you I hope you will agree with m' and give up the idea of marrying this young Rockerton. (5 "When I was a lad my father had a , farm out West, the adjoining farm to which belonged to Ralph Rockerton, the grandfather of the young man you have met. I need not go into details; it will suffice you to know that my father and old Rockerton had a bitter quarrel, and that a 'feud arose between the two families which can never be healed. - “I would rather see you in your cof fin,” he added melodramatically, “than see you the wife of one of that brood.” “But, papa,” urged Dora, “it is a' very long time ago, and I don’t think that a quarrel between my grandfather and his grandfather should be any rea- son why Geo—I mean Mr. Rockerton . .—should not be a good husband to me. He is rich. I have always done as you have wished, and now, when I feel that my life’s happiness is at stake, you make this stupid objection.” “It must‘have been a very dreadful quarrel, papa, for you to harbor re- ,venge allthese years. Tell me more about it. If my'life is to be blighted,” she said, sighing deeply, “I should like to know why.” “It was about a stream, my dear, which ran between the two estates. Old Rockerton insisted that the water was all on his land, whereas it was the boundary, and we had the right on one side of the streamand he on the other. But it really distresses me to think of that dreadful time when for two whole years I walked about with my life in my hand, so to speak. I beg you will say no more on the subject.” “Well, just one question, papa,” asked Dora, with an eye to future con- tingenciés. “\Vas any one killed?” “No. No one was killed, but your grandfather was shot in the arm, and I can never forgive them—never— never?’ . ' Her father then insisted on her prom- ising him that she would never marry without his consent, which she did readily enough, but she saw it was use- less arguing with him any further, and for the time the matter ended. u ‘ It soon became evident to Mr. Mun- - to that Dora was really fretting and making herself ill about “that con- founded fellow, Rockerton,” as he said to himself. He was a man of action and determined to give her a thorough change. ’ “Dora, my girl,” he said the next morning at breakfast, “how would you like to go to England fer a bit?” “0h, papal” she exclaimed, with the ' most brilliant look on her face that he had seen there for a long time. “That would be delightful! You know I’ve al— ways wanted to go across and see the Old World. time?" “Weltuo, my girl, I can’t just now,” he replied. “I am obliged to remain here for a time, as I have a specula- tion on which requires my presence on the spot, but Mrs. Laking is going over by the next Cunarder, and she would chaperone you to your uncle’s in Man- chester, where you could 'stay and amuse yourself till I arrived, which probably would be in about three months or so." So it was settled, and the following wee Dora, having first informed young Rockerton, with whom she kept up a secret correspondence, of her de~ parture and destination, stepped on board the mail steamship under the care of her lady friend and in due course arrived at her uncle’s in Man- chester. _ She was warmly received by her English relatives. Thomas Spander, But can you spare the her late mother's brother, had a large business in thecotton spinning trade in, Manchester, and resided at‘Birk- dale, going backward and forward to his business, so she had the benefit of like ten air. What with that and the . ”sea voyage over and her new stirround‘ ings she in a very short time resumed her old healthy looks, and, as Mr. ‘ Spender wrote to Mr. Munro “she seemed to have entirely forgotten her love affair.” . . ' She also, of course, frequently wrote to her father. In one of her letters she said.— . “I am awfully comfortable here. Everybody seems to do everything ‘,possible to make me happy; Uncle Thomas’ son George is at home from the university where he is studying for the church. He seems a very nice young man. not at all solemn, as one would think, and he plays tennis love- ly. He returns to Cambridge to-mor- row.” - “Um!” reflected old Munro, as he read this letter. “That’s more like it, now; But I’d rather she didn’t marry a parson. Still, if they knock their heads together, I won’t stand in the way. I’ll give her plenty of money and,” he had rather vague ideas of church matters. “I’ll get him a dean- ery or a bishopric or something.” Dora had been in England for two months, and everything had settled down quietly, when Mr. Munro was electrified one morning to receive a cablegram from her:— “George has come all the way from Cambridge. \l’ants to marry me im- mediately. Do consent and make me happy. DORA.” “Well, this beats cock fighting!” mur- mured Mr. Munroe, as he stared at the message. “He must have fallen very deeply in love with her indeed. Oh, I consent! But how about the settle- ments? I suppose that Tom Spandex reckons on my doing what is right, and 1 will. I wish I could get over, but I’m stuck fast with that confound- er speculation for another month and I might lose me a million if I left it, and 1 can‘t afford that. Well, here goes!" “ And he sent this telegram:— “Don‘t understand the hurry, but 1 consent. Am very happy. \Vish every happiness. Cannot leave here for a month. Tell uncle I will arrange handsomely. A. MUNRO.” Ten days after this message, on the arrival of the Cunard steamship at New York. Mr. Munro was sitting in his private office when the door was 0::(«Iit‘tl and in walked his daughter, leaning on the arm of a very well set Yin.ng man—of course her husband. ’_ iio old man jumped up. “Well. this is a surprise!” he. shouted. “What on earth made you in such a hurry to get married? Ah, well. 1 was young myself once, and I know when I fell in love with your mother I was in a deuce of a hurry to get married.” “()h, papa!" murmured Dora, as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “It was so kind of you to give your consent. I am so happy. I thought you would, though, when you knew what a long way George had some to seek me!” “Oh, well, I guess it’s not such a very long way, after all,” replied her father. “England’s only a little place altogether. you know.” “Well,” said George, “that’s true; but it’s nigh upon' four thousand miles be- fore you get there.” The elder man stared at this observa- tion, which, like some of the redoubt- able Captain Bunsby’s he coudn’t un- lerstand the application of. However, ne passed it over. “\Vell, George, my boy,” he said as he shook his hand in a hearty grip, "I’m truly glad to have you for a son- ‘tn-law. And how’s your father?” “My father?” echoed George. “He‘s been dead these ten years or more.” “What does all this mean?” cried Mr. Munro in amazement. “Am I mad, or what is it? You have just left your father, my brother-in-law, Tom Spander, in England, haven’t you ?” . Dora threw up her arms, and with a wild shriek fell down on the thickest part of the soft fur rug that lay be- fore the fireplace, in what appeared to be a dead faint. time to attend to her and bumped their heads together, and everything was confusion. “My name’s not Spander,” said head with one hand and supported Dora with his disengaged arm. “My name’s Rockerton, and I went all the way from Harvard uniVersity, in Cam- bridge, Massachusetts, to England to secure your daughter.” _ For about five minutes the place would hardly hold him, and his anger was such that he took no means to restore his daughter, leaving her new found husband to ”bring her round” as best he could. However, by the time he had roared himself out of breath he saw the futil- ity of his further opposition and resent- ment and, like the good business man that he was, he veered rdund and met the wind as it. blew. "Well, Well,” he said,~ “I’ve been done, but what's done can't be helped.” He then turned to assist- Dora, but by a strzyige coincidence that young lady had just come to, and in a burst of hysterical tears begged forgiveness for the little misunderstanding.” “I forgive you, you little witch,” her father cried. “But. I have my suspi- cions about the misunderstanding.” . And Mr. Munro has never been able to decide in his own mind whether it was accidental of malice prepense on Dora‘s part that the misunderstand- - ing occurred. He has on several occa- sions tackled his daughter on the sub- ject, but she has always managed most skilfully to evade the question, and as she and her husband are the happiest couple imaginable, and “George is not such a bad chap, after all,” Mr. Munro has long— since ceased to inquire into it, and has also, of course, buried the“ hatchet” with the Ret‘keron family. ~ The two men bent down at the same . MACEO lamina? ' Said to Have Been Ambushed and Butchered Under a Flag of Truce. BBTRAYED BY DR. ZERTUCHA A Horrible Story of Treachery \Vhich. it True. May Cause Congress to Take Speedy .Action—Denials by De . Lowe and Havana Officials. JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Dec. 14.--Antonlo Maceo, the Cuban hero, is dead. He was murdered. Letters received today from Cuba leave ,no reasonable doubt; that he was led into an ambush under the‘ pretext of a. parley for peace and assassinated in cold blood. With him fell Francisco Gomez and about 34 other staff officers. Even when the insurgent general realized that ‘ he had been betrayed he fought. against hopeless odds. With his little band of pa- triots he charged his treacherous execu- tioners and with the shout of “Cuba . libre!” on his mangled lips, pierced in the face and body with bullets, he rode to death. People here can find no language except oaths in which to express their hor- ror and indignation. The news came in two letters, at first differing somewhat in detail, but substan- tially the same. They show that the plot was not one conceived in a moment, but deliberately planned and executed, and that General Weyler had approved it. The Plot. Justo Carillo, a well known Cuban of this city, brother of the Cuban General Carillo, has received the following letter dated Dec, 9 from a trustworthy corre- spondent in Havana confirming the re- ports of the death of Antonio Maceo and showing that he was killed by treachery: “.Our brave general, Antonio Maceo, and the greater part of his staif have been murdered by the Spaniards, the Spanish j regard as peculiar. ' The letter then goes ’ on to say that the corpses were buried on i sinations from being made public. bloody corpses, shot almost beyond recog- nition,,,'so fierce and concentrated was the Spanish fire, was all that remained of the gallant Cubans who had trusted to Spanish honor. Only one member 'of the staff escaped. That was Dr. Zertucha. This the Cubans the field, and every precaution Was taken to keep the details of the horrible assas- "coxcasss MAY ACT. Indignaticn In \Vashington Circles Over the Reported Assassination. WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.-—Maceo’s assas- sination and its atrocious details, now con- firmed, have aroused the utmost indigna- tion in congress circles. The military and naval branches of the government are in a state of excitement which has not been equaled since the Cuban‘insurrect-ion be- gan. The feeling of horror is so great that resolutions expressing the condemnation of the American people of such uncivilized methods of warfare undoubtedly will be offered. in the senate and house at once. This can be announced on the authority of a prominent member of the house com- mittee on foreign affairs. The committees of foreign afiairs in the house and on foreign relations in the sen- ate are substantially unanimous on this point. Chairman Hitt- of the house com- mittee was one of the first public men in Washington to be advised of the horrible news. He was deeply affected, and,’al- though be naturally was averse to speak- ing at this time for publication, there was no doubt about his opinion on the subject. Special meetings of both house and senate committees will be called imme- diately, and when the ‘reports of these committees are made the whole Cuban question will be open for a debate, in com- parison with which, it. is predicted, all previous discussions on this subject will seem tame. The subject of recognition of independence will be brought forward on ‘ the ground that this new development major Cirujeda. acting the part of the: assassin, with Dr. Maximo Zertucha as an assistant in the horrible drama. “Convinced that notwithstanding his great army he could do nothing against our leader, who has 'so repeatedly defeated the Spanish generals in Pinar del Rio, Weyler conceived the idea of appeasing his beastly instincts of cold blooded murder. and, making the best of the secret rela- tions between Dr. Zertucha and the Mar~ quis of Ahumada, he planned with the latter his hellish scheme. “Weyler took the field, and in his ab- sence Ahumadn. proposed through Zer- tucha. a conference with Maceo, to take place at a. certain point in the province of Havana, with the view of arranging plans for the cessation of hostilities. The basis was to be Cuba’s independence and a. mon- etary indemnity to Spain, together with certain advantages that should be agreed upon for Spanish commerce and Spanish capital invested there. The Assassination. “To carry out the plan the agreement was that orders should be given to the de- tach nents of troops stationed on the troc' 'a in the section between Mariel and Guanajay to allow Maceo, with his staff, to pass the military line unmolested. “Time was required to mature these ar- rangements, and to give them all the ap- pearance of truth Ahumada feigned that before acting he must make them known to Weyler for his previous approval. “ This explains the sudden” arrival of Weyler in Havana and his prompt return to Pinar del Rio. - “ The conditions and place of meeting having been agreed on,‘ Maceo crossed the trocha over the road to Guanajay without being molested by the forts, but as soon as he arrived at the place decided upon he and his party were greeted by a tremendous ' Gomez several years ago. volley from the troops under Major Ciru- _ jeda, who lay conveniently in ambush. Most of the officers of his staff fell with General Maceo. Zertucha is alive because he was aware of the scheme and remained in, the rear. “The Spaniards know where .t-he bodies , are, but are bent on feigning ignorance to blot out the vestige of the crime.” The Treachery. Another letter was received by Colonel J. A. de Huau, the head of the Florida junta, from his correspondent in Havana, giving a detailed account of the assassina- tion of General Maceo and his entire staff, with the exception of Dr. Zertucha, who was Maceo’s physician. The correspond- ent’s name, of course, cannot be made pub- lic, for, as Mr. Huau said, “The writer would be shot within an hour by Spanish authorities if they knew who gave away the details of one of the most horrible atrocities ever chronicled in modern war- fare.” ‘ - ’ The letter says that the Marquis of Abu- ‘ mada, who is o‘fliciating as captain gen- - eral of Cuba in Weyler’s absence in the George, hurriedly, as he rubbed hisl field, sent a letter to General Maceo in- viting the Cuban, leader to a conference near Punta Brav'a, saying he desired to confer with him as to some means of stop- ping bloodshed and the great waste of hu- jagan life and to get his views on the sub- ct. Maceo, who was the soul of honor, never for a moment thought that treachery was intended, especially as the invitation came from such a prominent Spaniard as the Marquis of Ah-umada, and he immediately returned the‘ answer that he would be glad to meet" the Spanish general. Accompanied by his staff, consisting of. only 35 men. and officers, he went; to the rendezvous, little dreaming of the fate that was in store for him: On his arrival at the trooha the‘ SpanishI soldiers there, acting! under orders; actually saluted the “rebel Chieftain” as he“ paSSed, but after reaching-the rendezvtius‘on the east. side of the trocha, a thickly wooded hill, the Cubaii‘leader was surprised" to see; instead of the "Marquis of Ahumada, a large body of Spanish=soldier‘s,-who'seemed' to come from 'every side. Riddled Witli'Bullé’tsT' Their actions" were so‘ su'spiCious' that Maceo felt‘that he had been trapped, and his suspicions were confirmed when per- emptory orders came from 'Major Cirujeda, who dashed up to the Cuba leader'as he stood at bay, surrounded by is staff, and demanded his unconditional surrender. ‘ ‘Never l” was the brave reply, and hard- ly had the word been uttered when volley after volley was poured into the. little band of patriots, who, although hemmed in on all sides and outnumbered 100 to l, struck spurs to their horses, with cries of “Cuba librc!”-and rode gallantly to their death, striking down as many of the enc- ~Jny as they could. . Marco is reported to have fallen at the first fire, with a. bullet through his head, which broke his jaw, and another wound in the stomach, either of which was fatal. Young Francisco Gomez, son of the Cu? b'an commander in chief, was. the next to an, and in a few moments a number of justifies it. Not only that, but the killing of Maceo is so opposed to all existing no- tions of fairness that resolutions will also be offered providing for the intervention of the United States to put an end to such practices. ' QUESADA’S STATEMENT. Part of Spanish ‘Var Tactics. WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.—The circumstan- tial details of the assassination of Maceo contained in the Jacksonville dispatches were significant to the Cuban delegation, and for the first . time Senor Quesada, the] charge d’affaires of the junta, admitted the probability that Maceo was dead. He said the cause of liberty would not be lost by Maceo’s death. for his loss would be ofi'set by a reaction that would probably follow here and in Cuba in the insurgent interest as a result; of the alleged assassina‘ tion. \ Senor Quesada said that two weeks ago he received information that the Spanish minister had informed a friend that the Spanish were negotiating with Maceo, but that he did not then give it the significance the Jacksonville dispatch indicates. Zer- tucha, the personal physician of Maceo, he regarded as the prime mover in the alleged plot, and he pointed out that Zertucha had been suspected of poisoning General Mr. Quesada said: “I am surprised that Maceo should fall into such a trap if the story is true. The phases of the Spanish campaign. Augusto Arango, during the ten years’ war on the island, was induced on a. plea to talk over the disposition of troops in his section to enter the oil? of Puerto Principe. Though carrying a flag of truce, he was shot down almost as soon as he had entered the Span~ ish lines. A similar incident occurred in the beginning of this revolution. Major General Flora Crombct, an associate of Maceo in command of Santiago de Cuba, was lured into a Spanish amwscade on a pretense of a conference over prisoners after protection had been guaranteed by the Spaniards.” ‘ . THE DBNIALS. One From the Spanish Minister De Lorne and the Other From Havana. WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.—Senor de Lomc, the Spanish minister, denounced the state- ments made by General Carillo in the letter given in the Jacksonville dispatches. He said the l'eports that Maceo was as- sassinated or killed by any treachery were false and absurd, and to give credencoto them Would be an insult to judgment. Beyond this the minister declined to dis- cuss the story. HAVANA, Feb. 13.-—-It is announced in official circles here that the accounts re— ceived by the Cuban junta detailing the manner in which Maceo met his death are absolutely untrue. The statement that Maceo Was assassinated through the in- strumentality of Dr. Zertucha, who, it was claimed, led Maceo and his stafl‘ across the trOcha, where they were met by Ahu- made. and Spanish soldiers and murdered after being invited to a conference, is Ofi‘l- cially and emphatically denied. Hondrs For Maceo’s Slayer. MADRID, Dec. Lia—The killing of Maceo is likely to result in promotion and other honors for Major Cirujeda, who command- ed the'Spanish force in the engagement in which the rebel leader lost his life. Queen Regent; Christina. today received Major Cirujeda’s wife and eldest son. The queen regent showed by her conversation that oshe appreciated fully the gain that had accrued to Spain through the death of Maceo and spoke warmly in praise of Ma.- jor Cirujeda’s bravery in attacking a large- ly superior force of rebels, the official dis- patches showing that the Spaniards were outnumbered nearly by four to one. She promised as a token of her appreciation of Major Cirujeda’s action to undertake the expenses of the education of his son. Say Maceo Is Alive. KEY WEST, Dec. 14.—Some passengers from Cuba today state that the report of Macao’s death isfalse. the boat read a letter purporting to have been written by Maceo since his reported death. It is also said that the Spanish au- thOTities have been promising daily to bring the body of Maceo to Havana, but up to the present time they have not been ableto produce it. A' Postmaster Accused. . Cax'roxy Mass, Dec. 14. -— Fred H. Holmes, for 19 years’postmaster of this téwn, has been arrested on a charge of embezzling $1,101.53 of the ‘ funds of the pOstthcé department. Our Meat In‘Ger-many. BERLIN, Dec. _li.—-The renewed remon- strances of Embassador- Uhi in the re- strictions impOsed upon American. meat exports have thus farnot. elicited a satis- . factory response. WAS hamburg Another mitigation as to the Manner of the Cuban’s Death. A PHYSICIANS STATEMENT. While the Chm-go Is Purely Circumstan- tial, Suspicious Facts Are Mention- cd—Whut Manner of Man Dr. Zertuchn I: Said to Be NEW YORK, Dec. 15.—“It is my unal- ‘urable opinion, based on the most convinc- ing sort of circumstantial evidence and backed by personal knowledge of the men and their characters, that General Antonio I Maceo was poisoned by the Spanish agent He Says Trencher-nus Assassinations Are ‘ action is in line with former peculiar .. A lady on board . I Zertucha and that the wounds which are said to have been the cause of Maceo’s death were inflicted on his dead body, if there are any wounds on it. ” This was the opinion expressed to a rep: rcsentative of the press by Dr. Jose Macha- do y Gomez, one of the most prominent Cubans in New York and a man whose years precluded the" probability that he would speak with the speculative assump- tion of hot headed youth. Dr. Machado is the brother of the last president of the preceding Cuban republic and the father- in-law of Manuel J. Moran, associate edi- tor of La. Discusion in Havana, who fled from that city just. in time to escape the fate of his distinguished chief, Escobar, who was transported to the Spanish penal colony in Africa. for publishing articles distasteful to General Weyler. “No other explanation is reasonable,” said Dr. Machado. “Not only am I con- vinced that Maceo was poisoned, but that his entire staff of 40 men, including young Francisco Gomez, met a similar fate at the hands of the same miscreant. What the poison was or how it was administered I do not, of course, know. The probabilities are that it was given in cofiee, which the Cuban soldiers drink at all hours of the day and. night, ‘and that it was a drug of such quality that. its presence could not easily be detected. How It Could Happen. “To understand how such a seemingly incredible crime could be committed, it is necessary to understand the relations that existed between the two men. Zertucha was known in Havana for years as what Americans would call a. ‘turncoat. ’ He was at times a. Royallst, an Autonomist and a. Conservati e. His public and pri- vate character v .-.s despicable, although it was obncealed from general public knbwl- “This man was commissioned nearly a year ago, as the junta in Havana after" ward learned, to form a connection with the camp of Maximo Gomez for the pur- DR. ZERT‘UCHA. pose of betraying that soldier into the hands of the Spaniards. Maceo and Gomez were then together. Gomez had been warned of Zertucha’s mission, and when the doctor made his appearance Gomez de- termined to have him shot. Maceo, who Was as kindly as he was braye, interposed, knowin nothing of Zertucha’s character, except that he was addicted to drink. He finally prevailed ppon the c mmandey in chief to spare the man’s l' e. No other 'man in tho ' army could have prevailed upon Gomez, as Maceo did, and Zertucha expressed the utmost gratitude for the in- terposition. “It was this circumstance that induced Maceo to reéeive Zertucha into his own corps. He felt that the doctor possessed a. sense of gratitude and obligation and would be loyal under any and all circum- stances. You must understand that Ma- ceo was a man of singularly open and frank character. He did not know the meaning of fear, and at the same time was as guileless as a. child. There was no sus- picion in his nature, and, although he had years of experience, he refused to regard the treacherous temperament of the Span- iard as worthy of notice. He took Zer- tucha in and treated him as he would a brother. How basely he was deceived and betrayed is now a matter of record. Whnt Maceo Did. “It was Macao’s plan to cross the trocha at Mariel with" his staff of picked men and join Gomez for the purpose of advancing . on Havana. This he did. He did not take five boatloads of eight men each, as the Spanish dispatches assert. That would have been folly. He could not reach Punta Brave. by water. His route was by land. It was the only way he could go. Zertucha accompanied him, and when the time came administered the poison and then notified his masters. “All the stories about Maceo crying, ‘Cuba libre!’ and being cut down are the veriest nonsense. His body after his death was hastily robbed by his assassin, who was obliged to do that in order to prove that he had fulfilled his mission. Maceo was killed by neither bullet nor machete. Immediatbly after Zertucha had accom- plished his purpose there was asertie by a band of insurgents against the Spanish troops withwhom Zertucha was in com- munication. If, as the Spanish dispatches state, Maceo was killed in that engage ment, there was ample time to capture his body. It certainly occupied many minutes to remove his efiects. Why, then, was not the corpse carried in triumph to Havana, only nine miles away and easily reached over theprotected public highway, or on the railroad? Simply because all the proofs of identification had been removed hours before. The sortie resulted in the rescue of the body of the Cuban commander, and it was buried. Zertucha’s surrender was all prearranged. If it had not been, he would have been killed or imprisoned. "If it wcrepossiblc to have the viscera of Macco's body brought to this country and placed in the hands of reputable pro- fessors of toxicology, there is not the slight , est doubt in my‘minfld but that poisor would he discovered and its ' character de terminal. To one would believe for an instant ti... this could be done in Havan- or in; any province when the Spaniards aro V in control. take such an examination. No expert would dare under: If he did and - was satisfied that Maceo came to his death ‘ by poison, the information would never . reach the public. -. ' . An Old Spanish Trick. ' "This sort of warfare by Spain is nothing new. In the ten years’ war General Ara- go was butchered under the protection of a. flag' of truce. He was invited to a con- ference in Puerto Principe and accepted with the full assurance that he would be accorded the usual courtesies extended un- der such circumstances. He was bayoneted on a signal and fell dead, pierced with a score of wounds. “Instead of Macao’s death ending the revolution, it will add new fuel to the fire that is now burning from Santiago do Cuba. to Pinar del Rio. Every Cuban mother and every Cuban father knows that to remain neutral means death anyhow, and, if death must come, it is better on the battlefield than in the peace of, the home.” Former Spanish Treachery. JACKSONVILLE, Dec. 15.-—The Cubans of this city will have a. torchlight procession and a mass meeting of citizens to express their indignation at the cowardly assassi- nation of General Maceo and the uncivi- lized methods of warfare practiced by the Spaniards under Weyler in Cuba. Speeches will be made by prominent Americans as well as Cubans. Joaquin Fortune, the president of El Circulo Cubana and one of the representa- tives of the junta in Florida, said today, “The cowardly murder of the gallant. Maceo by the Spaniards does not go very far to prove ‘the splendid patriotism and chivalry’ of the. Spaniards mentioned in the president’s message. ” He gave several instances of Spanish treachery in the ten years’ war in Cuba and recalled that when Generals Jose Maceo, Guillermo Moncada and Quintin Bandera celebrated a. treaty of peace with Spain in 1879 the promise was made to them that if they laid down their arms they and their families would be permitted to embark for (Santiago de Cuba and the government would pay their passage to any country they wished to go to. They embarked, but. all were immediately put in chains and sent to African prisons. In 1869 many suspects were arrested at Santiago de Cuba and carried to Manza- hills. and Ziguani, where they were beaten and put to death in the most brutal man- ner. Lola. Benites, a. bandit who served the Spaniards in the ten years’ war, was re- warded by being thrown into a Spanish prison. He was released last year and is now at the head of a. band of desperato criminals, whose task it is to assassinate Cubans. In 1880 Colonel Emilio Nunez, now in Jacksonville, negotiated with General Blanco for final surrender. Two assassins were placed in Colonel N unez’s escort, with instructions to kill him at the first opportunity. As a. reward for this they ' were to get $10,000. Other Evidences. Numerous other incidents were recalled by Mr. Fortune. He concluded: “First, Spain has falsified the spirit of the Red Cross society in Cuba, where this institution is not allowed to care for our wounded. “Second, the Spaniards attack our hos- pitals, which they destroy, killing the in- mates. Dr. Delgado, how in Jacksonville, barely escaped a raid on the hospital where he was being attended. The description that this Cuban patriot gives of how the wounded had to crawl to the woods to es- cape the Spanish fury is heartrending and excites the wildest; indignation against the Turks of America. _ “Third, the Spaniards invariably shoot prisoners of war. We are relieved from the proof of them facts because they are daily ofiiciully admitted by the Spanish government. ' ' “After all this, to speak to the world of Spain’s chivalry is the height of sarcasm. ” Bedro Sell the Spanish consul, does not. believe t at the circumstances sur‘ rounding the death of Antonio Maceo, as published, are true. “Maceo,” said he, “was killed in open battle. It is only an- other of the stories given out by the Cu- bans. When one of their leaders is killed. they report that he was ambushed and murdered. We are' not the kind of people to carry on such a' warfare, but then, this coming from me, would count for nothing; Americans him their sympathies with the Cubans, and anything we could say Would. not be believed. ” . ' “Will S ain invite an investigation of the matte" ’3 was asked. ‘ ‘No, I do not think she will. Why shOuld she? There is no reason for it. As I said before, Maceo was killed in Open battle, and it does not require an investigation, and besides the revolution is too near over. ’7 Military Men Indignnnt. BOSTON, Dec. 15.—Severa.l well known military men here were interviewed in re- gard to the reported killing 'Of Maceo. . Their unanimous verdict was that the flag of truce is the most sacred thing known in the history of warfare, and the man who violates it. is punishable by death. General Nathan A. M. Dudly, the fa- mous Indian fighter, said: “I cannot believe that either our can“- try or Europe will look on and see such barbarities practiced in Cuba without in- terfering. It is clearly optional with our government whether any action is taken in this matter or not, but it seems to me that this thing is going to arouse the people as nothing else in this Cuban business has. I am sure it is safe to say that a majority of the officers of our army are in favor of granting belligerent rig . to Cuba. ” Colonel Henry Walker, who served with distinction throughout the war of the re- bellion, believed this government should takesome action in the matter, but hoped that it would not be done in the heat of passion. . Colonel S. M. Mansfield, :United States engineer in charge of ., the construction of fortificationsin Boston harbor, agreed with the other authorities here quoted as to the sacredness of an armistice and the penalty for violating it, but he preferred not to ex- press an opinion as to the rights of insur- gentsi’whose status as belligerents has not been recognized. ' Rear Admiral Belknap said that he never heard of a more cowardly act than the killing of Maceo; that it was not war, but assassination; that the United States and every other civilized nation should in- terfere. Dnuntlels’ Owner Sues the Spnnish Consul. JACKSONVILLE, Dec. 15.——W. A. Bisbee, owner of the tug Dauntless, has instructed his attorney to institute a suit for criminal libel against Pedro Solis, the Spanish con- sul, for circulating reports that the Danni;- less was about to engage in an unlawful enterprise. A civil suit for damages will also be instituted by 'Bisbee against Solis for $26,000 damages on the ground that. the alleged false, reports caused the vessel to be detained and prevented her from as- sisting a wrecked‘schooner. '
Norwalk Chronicler