The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 10, 1896, Page 1

@all VOLUME LXXIX.— 0. 101. PRICE FIVE CENTS. SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENT, Proof of Great Butchery Among the Natives of Cuba. KILLED BY SPANIARDS. Tactics of Certain Officers Cause a Reign of Terror on the Island. WEYLER TRIES TO CHECK IT. Outrageous Abuse of-Power and Wan- ton Murders by Some of the Army Leaders. HAVANA, Cusa, March 7, la., March 9.—Arrests of civilians under the sweeping provisions of General Wey- ler's proclamations of kebruary 16 have been made at such a rateand in many cases with so little evidence of guilt that n- eral Weyler was compelled a week ago to issue instructions to his officers to be mer- ciful, as he required more proof than verbal denunciation. Yesterday he issued a cir- cular in which he stated that absolute proof must be furnished by other than in- terested parties before accused persons will be deported d warning command- ers that-they will be held responsible for false answe: Without doubt General Weyler has in view the effect of this order abroad as well via Tampa, as here, for the manner in which Cubans who have never borne arms against Spain Lave been dragged from their homes, from their families, their stores or their farms and thrown into prisons with felons and aiter a few days’ delay placed on board ships for what is probably the vilest penal colony on the face of the earth, has become a shame that cries aloud for redress. Genéral Weyler upon his arrival set at liberty a number of these civilian prison- ers whom General Pando had taken from their daily occupation in the eastern end of the island. I saw twenty of them at the palace one day. They were white, in- telligent looking and bore the appearance of being shopkeepers or clerks. They were not- bronzed by exposure to the weather as all are in the field. The only eviden e against these men was a paper purporking to be a list of the people who were afling and communicating with the It was made up by a Spaniard. Since that time General Weyler has re- ased others captured in the same way. "Hundreds have, however, been sent to Ceuta,” Africa, and to the isle of Pines, and the arrests are increasing in number. (General Weyler has removed the alcalde of all towns in whom he had not absolute confidence and has appointed the ranking military officers of regular troops or volun- teers alcalde or Mayor. These men are usually of the grade of lieutenant or major. They possess arbitrary powers. Under the proclamation the life or death of any man, woman or child in their zone is in their hands. A large proportion of these commanders believe Weyler to be a man of severe measures, a man who will quickly approve any extreme act on their part. They look on his circulars as intended for effect in the United States. sThey expect praise and promotion for shooting war prisoners as soon as taken. In their reports they reful to have the prisoners or the peaceful citizens killed found in the field after an engagement, but between the lines the manner in which the victim met his death is not difficult to decipher. General Canella was sent back to Spain by Weyler either for having shot cown seventeen prisoners or for having reported “seventeen bodies were found in another part of the field,” but the man who con- fessed to his friends here and probably to General Weyler of having killed seventeen people in cold blood received no more severe punishment than being deprived of his command. When the horrible story of the butchery of eighteen peaceable citizens in the little hamlet of Guatao was published in the United States anrd wired . back here General Weyler announced that he would make a thorough ex- amination and would punish who- ever was responsible for the outrage, if one had been committed. Two weeks have gone by since the affair occurred and no official has lost his stripes. Guatao was so near Havana that Ameri- can correspondents succeeded in demon- starting the absolute truth of the story. Dozens of reports of affairs similar in that unarmed citizens are killed by Span- ish troops have been received here, but tiie authorities have placed obstacles in the way of correspondents so that it is im- possible to visit the localities and estab- lish the facts. In a dozen cases refugees from towns where fights have occurred state that after the rebels are driven away citizens who took no part were shot down and counted in the official reports as dead insurgents. The Government officials deny these stories, and while it is common talk in Havana that certain affairs were butcheries, the correspodents are in most cases obliged to accept the Government's version. I have visited towns where nearly every family had fled in terror, leaving dishes standing on the table and everything in disorder, showing the haste in which homes were abandoned. I talked with the few who remained and was told that the people did not dread the insurgents, k?uz fled from fear of the excesses of the Spanish troops. On the other hand, in some sec- tions where towns have been used by the Spanish the insurgents have burned the whole town and the people were left home- less. Other towns which kave harbored the insurgents have been destroyed by the Spanish troops and the wreck and ruin which are being visited upon the fair island of Cuba are pitiful to contem- plute, But for the warmth of the climate and the ease with which life is sustained in the tropics, thousands would have perished ere this and the isiand would be a charnel- house before the end is reached. In many towns there have been no provisions for we People have lived by sucking sugar-cane and eating plants., Fami- lies have camped for days upon the rumns of their homes in the burned dis- tricts, sleeping upon the ground nights and crawling under a thatch during the beat of the sun. Those who could have sought refuge in the cities, and the few in proportion who had the means have escaped to the United States, Mexico and some other country where peaceable citizens are not liable to summary execution. - BURN, FORTS, INSURGEN Considerable Arms, Ammunition and Provisions Also Seized. SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Feb. 29 (via Tampa, Fla., March 9).—On the 25th in- stant the rebe! forces under command of General Matias attacked the town of Sagua de Tanamo seizing after a three hours’ fight cne of the forts which defend the place. The rebels encered the fort and seized arms, ammunition and provisions, afterward burning the fort and several houses. The rebels had two killed and ninety wounded. A rebel force of 100 men under Captain Dominguez appeared yesterday, the 28th, in Moron. They burned the two forts of the place, and took with them all the arms, ammunition and provisions they found there. There was no Spanish gar- rison in Moron, as the Spanish troops had left the day before in compliance with the general order of the military Governor of | Santiago to abandon all small villages. | On the 23d inst. the rebel forces of | Brigadier Periquite Peres had an engage- | ment in Ramon de las Saguas with the | Spanish column under Colonel Recas. The | Spaniards retreated, losing eight soldiers killed and twenty wounded. Two mules laden with ammunition were captured by the rebels. The rebels had one killed and seven wounded, among the latter Captain Vega, who fell into the hands of the trcops and subsequently died from the effects of | his wounds. | Insanrgent Leaders Salvador Rioz and Puyala, with their party, had an encoun- | ter with the Spanish column of Lieuten- ant-Colonel Escudero, 700 strong, on the | 24th, in Monto Oscuro, Bayamo. The Spanish columns retired to Bayamo after half an hour’s firiug, leaving three soldiers prisoners with the rebels, three killed and | eight wounded. The insurgents had one wounded. On the 27th a party of rebels compelled the garrison of Fort Escondido, near Caimanera Guantanamo, to surren- der. The insnrgents blew up the fort with dynamite bombs. The garrison was com- posed of one officer and forty soldiers. On the 24th inst. the Spanish general Gonzalez Nunez, with 1200 men, infantry, cavalry and artillery, had an encounter in La Herradura and Sal, near Manzanillo, with the rebel forces of Mendicta, Vera and Estrada, 2000 in number. The Span- | iards retreated, leaving in the ficld twenty- five killed and eighty wounded. Among | the former was Lieutenant-Colonel Lolo | Bonitz of the Spanish guerillas, whose body was taken to Voquita and buried there. Amone the latter was Lieutenant- Colonel Tejorizo, who was very seriously wounded. There was a fatal fire last night in the town of Cristo. Several houses were burned, and the bodies of two soldiers were found under the ruins burned to ashes. The sugar estates of San Luis and Santa Anna have stopped grinding, all the em- ployes baving joined the rebels. e HOLDING THE BERMUDA. It Is Done by Detaining the Engineers as Witnesses. NEW YORK, N. Y., March 9.—Captain Erabazon, the commander of the alleged Cuban filibustering steamer Bermuda, who was arrested as a witness and who 1s under | $1500 bail as a principal, was discharged as a witness this afternoon. He was before | the United States Grand Jury, and his discharge is regarded as indicative of the fact that he gave no evidence of value | against the so-called filibusters. The engineer, assistant engineer and steward, who were also arrested as wit- nesses, were brought before the Grand Jury to-day and were held until next Wednesday. It is estimated that the de- tention of the engineers and steward as witnesses was with a view to prevent the departure of the Bermuda, and there is also another rumor to the effect that the Bermuda has been re-equipped and may ship her anchor at any minute. ST. LOUIS, Mo., March 9. — George Gomez, a Cuban soldier and nephew of General Gomez, arrived here to-day. He is here to arouse the interest in the Cuban | cause. He said: “If the United States recognize us we will win. But we will lose all we have gained if they fail to do this, Spain is sending additional forces to Cuba every day. We could meet this increase if the United States would recognize us as a re- public.” BRSNS ATTACKS ON CONSULATES. No Information Can Be Obtained From Secretary Olney. WASHINGTON, D. C., March 9.—The news of continued attempts to attack American consuiates in Spain naturally excites interest, but no information can e obtained at the State Department as to whether Minister Taylor has cabled to Secretary Olney the facts. Gratitication is expressed, however, over the manner in which the Spanish authorities are protect- ing American interests. The statement in the Unitea Press dis- patches from Madrid that the American consulate at Valencia, which was attacked, is occupied by our Consul at Denia, clears up the mystery heretofore prevailing. When the news came that the consulate at Valencia was attacked, State Depart- ment officials were unable to explain the statement, as the United States h2s no consular officer stationed there. Andrew Fay of Illinois was recently appointed Consul at Denia, Spain, to succeed Gen- eneral McIvor of Alabama. Before leaving for his post Mr. Fay ex- pressed a desire to reside at Valencia, a much pleasanter city, and transact the Denia business from that place, although Valencia is geographically within the limits of the Barcelona consulate district. As no objection was made it is presumed that Mr. Fay settled in Valencia and is the United States Consul whois being pro- tected from the fury of a Spanish mob. “The United States has a consular agent at Bilbao, on whose residence’ an attack is Continued on Third Page.” C. P. Huntington—You won’ catch me taking that thing any more. It is too much like a red-hot stove. STOLE A TRAY OF DIAMONDS, Cool Nerve Displayed by a| Thief in a Denver Store. SNATCHED COSTLY GEMS. Pursued by a Clerk Who Fired Shots at the Retreating Robber. | DONE DURING A SNOWSTORM. Jeweler Gottlesleben Loses About Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars by the Raid. DENVER, Coro., March 9.—A tray of diamonds was stolen from the jewelry establishment of P. Gottlesleben on Six- teenth street at 5 o’clock this afternoon and the thief managed to make good ,his escape, though he was followed for several blocks by the clerk who had waited on him. The cool nerve of the thief makes the feat seem simple enough. About 5 o’clock a well-dressed man of medium height and age entered the store and asked to be shown some diamonds. At the time there were a few customers in the store, while without a snow squall was driving the pedestrians to shelter. The robber stated that he wanted to buya diamond for his wife, and the clerk, C. H. Leppla, produced a tray containing a large stock of gems. BSelecting one he offered it to the robber, who took it in his hand, and after examining it critically asked to see another. The clerk selected another, but before passing it over the showcase held his hand out politely for the first one, which was returned. The robber suddenly looked toward a tray of watctes and suggested that possi- bly a watch would do instead, evidently expecting that the clerk would step along and pull out a tray of watches. Instead of this, however, the clerk reached out for the second diamond, with the purpose of returning the diamonds first to the show- case. At this instant the robber drew a small piece of board from under his coat, and, with an oath, laid it over the tray, which he coolly drew out of the reach of the clerk, and turning ran out of the door, leaving his overcoat behind. 4 Leppla snatched up a revolver and ran out, catching sight of the robber a short distance up Sixteenth street. The robber turned at the corner of Arapahoe and ran diagonally across toward the alley in the rear of the postoffice. Leppla fired one shot, hoping to attract attention from by- standers, but no one offered to assist in the pursuit. Emerging into Fifteenth street the rob- ber made for the alley above. *“Greek’ George, a candy vender on Fifteenth street, started in pursuit, when the robber turned and fired a shot. The bullet lodged in the candy vender’'s wrist. Leppla fired twice ou Fifteenth street, but failed to bring down the robber, who dodged into the alley and was lost to view. Mr. Gottlesleben was unable to give the value of the contents of the tray, but it may be $5000 and it may be $25,000, but he declined to fix upon any sum. The police department arrested a num- ber of suspects found in the neighborhood. That thereis an experienced.gang of dia- mond Tobbers in Denver at this time there can be no doubt, as last week several valu- able pins were nipped in the corridors of the Brown Palace Hotel by rolbers ming- ling with the guests. Among the losers is Hon. C. S. Thomas, a prominent attorney of this city, whose $250 sparkler was lifted from his shirt front. DIAMONDS NOT ON THE FREE LIST A Decision Rendered That Saves the Gov- ernment Over One Million Dollars. NEW YORK, N. Y., March 9.—The contention on the part of a number of 1m- porters of precious stones that, by virtue of paragraph 67 of the aciof August 28, 1894, diamonds are on the free list, has been definitely disposed of in the negative by a decision rendered in the United States Court of Apneals in this distriet to-day. A test cayi.®as brought in the Unitea.| States Circuit Court some time ago, . Judge Townsend decided that diamonds were not exempted from duty by the act referred to. An appeal was taken by the firm of importers who brought the suit. The Court of Appeals has sustained Judge Townsend’s decision. Something over $1,200,000 is involved in the decision, as, bed the Government been defeated, all of the duty paid upon diamonds since the passage of the act of 1894 would legally have to be refunded on demana. PR RUDINI RENOUNCES HIS VIEWS. General Ricetti Is Also Agreeable to Continuing the War in Abyssinia. LONDON, ExG., March 9.—A dispatch from Rome to the Central News says that Marquis di Rudini, upon accepting the Premiership, renounced his own views favoring withdrawal of the Italian troops in Africa. General Ricetti, Minister of War, the dispatch says, has also aban- doned the proposed reduction of the army corps. ROME, ItaLy, March 9.—Official reports of the battle fought on March 1 between the Italians and Abyssinians at Adowa confirm the previous reports of heavy losses on both sides. Those of the Abyssinians were enormous. BERLIN, GermaNy, March 9.—Count Goluchowski, Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, arrived here from Vienna at 9 o’clock this evening. On Wednesday he will take. luncheon with Emperor William at the Schloss. The object of the Austrian Premier’s visit to Berlin at the present time is to confer with Prince. Hohenlohe, the German Im- perial Chancellor, in regard to the situa- tion in Italy as affecting the alliance be- tween Germany, Austria and Italy. LIENS ON THE PACIFIC ROADS, Morgan’s Bill to Give Sole Jurisdiction to One Court. and |REFUNDING THE DEBT. Nine Government Directors to Control the’ Central and Union Pacific. REMOVES PRESENT OFFICERS. The United States to Own and Operate the Property Until Final Settlement. ‘WASHINGTON, D. C., March 9.—Sena- tor Morgan, who has been conducting such a rigid examination of C. P. Hunt- ington in connection with Central Pacific affairs, to-day introduced a resolution which will lie on the table and upon which Morgan will address the Senate ata fu- ture time. This resolution directs the Committee on Pacific Roads to report a bill giving the Supreme Court of the Dis- trict of Columbia jurisdiction in cases in- volving the question of Government liens on these bonded .roads. It also directs them to provide for the refunding of the debt of both the Union and Central Pacific at 3 per cent for thirty years, giving the Government the right to settle the same at the expiration of. ten years if it sees fit, both roads te be turned over to a board of nine Government directors, the present di- rectors to be ejected from their offices and to suffer a penalty of fine and imprisonment on their failure to transfer to such Govern- ment board all the deeds, papers, con- tracts, etc., that may be in their possession MARQUIS DI RUDINI, THE NEW PREMIER OF ITALY. relative to the road, its construction and operation. These directors are to be given full authority to establish rates and to operate the Union and Central Pacific asa con- tinuous road. The stock is to be reduced to the actual value of the property, and all holders of stock are required to have their holdings registered. A declaration is also made that the United States is in posses- sion of the property and that it will oper- ate the same through its board of directors until the debt is lifted. TS NO CHANCE FOR METTLEMENT. Receiver Anderson Talks About the Union Pacific’s Debts. OMAHA, Nesr., March 9.—E. Ellery Anderson, receiver of the Union Pacific; Alexander Millar of Boston, secretary of the system, and Lawrence Greer, -epre- senting heavy bondholders of the road, arrived to-day from the East. Receiver Anderson is here to attend hearings before Master in Chancery Cornish. About the prospect of reorganization of the Union Pacific road Mr. Anderson said: “The Union Pacific is making very slow progress with Congress. There have been an endless amount of explanations, propo- sitions, consultations, but nothing satis- factory can be agreed upon. I estimate that the chances of securing any legisla- tion at present are done for. All parties interested cannot agree on any practicable plan of settlement. One proposition which bhas been made public is that maae by General Hubbard of the Central Pacific, by which tke Government will apply the sinking fund of $6,000,000 to the payment of the principal in‘currency sixes, without applying any part of the same to the inter- est. The company then agrees to take up the currency sixes,amounting to $21,000,000, and would give the Government 2 per cent income fifty-year bonds to adjust the in- terest, which is about $35,000,000. The same proposition applied to the Union Pa- citic would result in the application of $15,000,000, the amount in the sinking fund, to that amount in currency sixes, leaving the reorganization to par $19,000,000 and also to adjust the outstanding arrear- ages of interest, about $35,000,000, with 2 per cent income bonds. “The proposition is favorably received by the commission, and I am satisfied would be accepted by the company, but I am not able’ to see, personaily, where the Central Pacific is going to get the $21,000,- 000. I am emphatically in favor of the plan and think it is the most intelligent and fair way bf coming to a settlement. The Government can get more money out of it than in any other way, and it is the best plan for the company. It is a good square basis of settlement, but there is only one thing not in its favor, and that is that it won’t pass.” EARTHQUAKES [N MEXICO Shocks That Caused Great Fear and Consternation Among Natives. All of the Trouble Attributed to the Volcanoes of Colima and \ Vicinity. COLIMA, Mexico, March 2. —Colima and vicinity felt the two largest earth- quakes ever experienced in Mexico last night. The first was the largest, lasting over sixty seconds. The second, coming four hours later, was not so severe, last- ing only thirty seconds. The confusion was ereat, not only among the people, but with the animals and fowls. and could be seen kneeling on the street with uplifted hanas. Many houses were totally demolished, while in others the plaster was torn off and tables, safes and chairs upset. The cause for these earthquakes can only be attributed to the volcano Colima. This volcano, which has always been in a quiet state of action, is now quite violent, there being now, besides the large one, three smaller ones surrounding it, which are also in eruption. The cause is at- tributed to this because in the towns close to it the shock was far more great and severe. The natives have become so terrified that many are leaving the city for fear the volcano will become more active. The laya which issues forth from the moun- tain has run down the side to a greater distance than it was ever known to before. TG e COULD NOT BE DOCKED. Naval Officials Annoyed by an Accident to the Indiana. WASHINGTON, D. C., March 9.—A dis- patch received at the Navy Department this afternoon reported that the battle- ship Indiana had met with a slight acci- dent to her machinery to-day while leav- ing Hampton Roads for Port Royal, 8. C., which would prevent her from being docked at that place on Thursday next. The accident consisted in the bending of her valve stem, and several days will be required to make repairs. There is much disappointment over the delay at the Navy Department, as the high tides neces- sary at Port Royal to allow the Indiana to gointo the dock will not be again avail- able for some time and the docking may be further postponed. The new Government drydock at Port Royal is the largest of its kind in this country, and naval officers have looked forward with much interest to placing the Indiana in it, the largest warship in our navy. The docking is in the nature of a test, but officials of the Navy Department are confident that the Indiana can be placed in the basin successtully without injury to dock or ship. To Fight for Printing. NEW YORK, N. Y., March9.—A Herald special from Macon, Ga., says: Advices from Dublin state that there is strong probability of a duel between Thaxton, editor of the Courier, ana Thompson, edi- tor of the Populist Transcript, published at Sylvania. The trouble is over the Laurens County printing. Sheriff Joiner of Laurers is a Populist. There is no Populist paper in his county, and he has been sending his official notices to Sylvania. Thaxton has fought Joiner and hiseditor bitterly on this account. He went to Dublin Saturday night, and the result was a formal chailenge. TR Treasury Gold Keserve. WASHINGTON, D. C., March 9.—The treasury gold reserve at the close of busi- ness stood to-day at $126,411,209. The withdrawals for the day were $99,500. The people all left their houses' DEVSTATIN (F ST, TS LA Riotous Strikers Set Fire to Property and Loot the Stores. PLANTATIONS IN ASHES. Overseers Beaten and Killed and Many Flee to Vessels to Escape. ENGLISH BLUE-JACKETS LAND. British Squadrons Sent For, but in the Meantime Lawlessness Prevails. BOSTON, Mass., March 9.—G. Osborne Grant, general secretary of the Loval Guianese Union of America, received the following advices to-day from British Guiana: A general strike took place yesterday in the West Indian island of St. Kitts among the boatmen, porters and estate laborers which culminated in a general riot throughout the isiand. The principal buildings were destroyed by fire set by the rioters. Stores were looted of their stock, sugar plantation managers and overseers were severely beaten and a good many of them killed. Some had to escape aboard vessels lying in port in order to save their lives. Sugarcane fields were burned in all the parishes. The damage done to property is considerable, and the sugar industry is jeopardized greatly, and the whole island isin a state of bankruptey. The rioting has increased and the local authorities are handicapped and entirely unable to cope with the rioters. Her Majesty’s ship of war Cordelia, which was Iying at a neighboring island at the time, was sent for, and arrived in port last night and landed all the blue-jackete and marines that were on board, but order was re- stored only in certain sections of the city. Business is completely suspended. The rioters, who were compelled to re- treat before the British marines and blue- jackets, have joined in the country dis- tricts in beating and killing sugar planta- tion authorities, and destroying ma- chinery, buildinigs and canefields on sugar estates. The riot act was read, but this did not help matters any. The British West Indiaand North Amer- ican squadrons have been sent for, but it will be some days before they can get the vessels together in St. Kitts harbor. The trouble is due to low wages. There are no troops in St. Kitts, with the excep- tion of a corps of volunteers, which is in- sufficient to handle the riot. . St. Lucia is the nearest military station where troops could be obtained, and the authorities have telegraphed there fora detachment of troops, which is expected to arrive in time to save the entire destruc- uon of the island. A good many of the special constables who were sworn in yesterday joined the rioters last night, and nothingcan be done until the arrival'of troops from St. Lucia. The gigantic steam yacht Susitania ar- rived in Barbadoes yesterday, having on board Arthur Chamberlain, brother of Hon. Joseph Chambertain, and seventy other tourists, including several notabili- ties. The steamer is making a round trip throughout the West Indies. The Hamburg-American liner Columbia arrived in Barbadoes with tourists from New York yesterday. SUFFERING OF ARMENIANS American Donations Barely Keep Six Thousand Persons Alive. Many Christians Have Forsworn Their Faith to Keep From Starving. CONSTANTINOPLE, Turkey, March 9.—The American donations are barely keeping alive 6000 of the Armenian suffer- ers at Marash. The allotment to each per- son is only six pence weekly. The lead- ing men of the place are still in prison. The correspondent describes their tortures and sufferings, which were suspended when the consuls thronged to Zeitoun, but which were renewed after they had left. Refugees from Zeitoun are specially vic- timized by the Turks. A letter from Marash to Mersina thanks the officers and crew of the United States warship Marblehead for their donations, and attributes the safety of foreigners to the ship’s presence. The situation at Aiutab was never more hopeless than now. | The Governor tells the Christians that their only chance of security is to abandon their religion and become Moslems. Most of the Christians in the villages north and east of Aintab have forsworn their faith. Four thousand persons are in absolute destitute circumstances and will undoubtedly perish unless aid is sent to them. The distress at Oorfa is so great that even the distribution of a penny to each family absorbs a large sum. The weather is the coldest that has prevailed in Anatolia for years. L A Were Not Murdered. CHICAGO, Irr., March 9.—The bodies of the man and infant found in an alley last night at Forty-eighth street and Indi- ana avenue in a horribly mutilated con- dition have been identified. There was no murder, as was supposed, but the bodies were dumped into the alley by a medical college to save the expense of burial. The man was Edward Joseph Cummings, 72 years of age, who has a wife and son living at 313 Fortieth street. and the infant was the child of Mrs. Jobn McDonald, wife of a painter.