The New York herald., 1870-01-15

70 No. during the afternoon ana infinitely
Ing the build machinery and sea-gong Qualities or
the vessel. Ia addition TO the gunboats We have
goza and the frigates Gerona, Almanac, Naras de
Tolozo and Pizarro. No American man-of-war has
Last month commission composed OF Messry.
Colome More Pudo and others, was nominated BY
e oT or IN, me Of reporting
located in exposed situations. The practice now in
vogue Of allowing the planters 20 arm men for shat
least among which IL that In this manner large
body OF reckless advcnturers are thus gathered to-
getner In squads over the country, not responsible
to military authority and disposed perhaps at any
time to take the law into their evn hands. Tho
commission reported few Gays ago that the best
method Is to increase the mounted rural police by
enlistments from the regular army OF those whose
Term oa service Is nearly expired anu nniayx 10
Should this plan be adopted the difhcntles Oh the
situation VIII doubtless DO overcome. ThS mounted
police on the Island now number 4.0Jo anu enjoys
an excellent reputation for discipline.
Startling rumOrs in reference to affairs In spain
pie, that Prlm had retired from the governments.
Serrano been declared King and De Rodas called
home to command tue army.
The Way the War is Carried On In Cubn-
Murder of Innocent Citizcns-inurders and
Robberles by Spanish Onlccrs-An Old Man
Chopped to Pieces and Thrown at His
Daughters.
yalmaseda's ntra-guenla force has been dis
tnguishiDg itself lately In the Hongolozongo ana
Canto districts, and have caused to disappear some
twenty persons, several OF them estate owners OF
some standing and II not French subjects, at oil
events OF French descent. One OF these q man
named Lacrait, was seventy years or age. Another,
namea Latc;rade, lived on a small estate and had
hired Spanish volunteers 10 protect 1t: and him
from the rebels. His death is attributed certain
Menendez, an officer OF the contra-g gueras, who, 1t
Is sad, shot him and the two volunteers In order to
plunder the estate, and burned their bodies. Don
Eugeno Stable, an Old and wealthy planter, has also
disappeared and with him some six white men en-
gagged on his estate and though 1t is given out by
government parsans that he has been carried or by
the insurgents there IS little doubt that he has gone
the same road as the Others.
The crime for which these men have suffered Is
simply living on their estates and looking after their
interests. and thereby interfering with the COM
niercal operations OF the military authorities who
are in the habit OF appropratng large quantities OF
produce and selling 1t In town. Indeed the idea Is
seriously entertained by many that 1t is the inten-
tion to frighten away from that quarter as many
white men as possible and TO kill Off the rest In
order to seize upon the cocoa and coffee now ready
to be for warded TO market. This supposltion would
seem monstrous and incredible but for the well
known rapacity Of Spanish oflcals OF which almost
daily examples are seen. People residing In this
city have seen coffee arrive here which the knew
was picked on their estates and sold for account OF
some commissariat officers, and dare not say word,
1t would insure their deaths 1t Is said that the
Governor OF Manzanllo made one man buy his own
cows, In despite Of all his remonstrances and the
proofs he offered that they were already his pro-
perty. The great opening however, for plunder is
in the despatchng OF conveys. When mules are re.
sends armed soldiers into the streets, who by force
rob the people OF oil the mules they can hnd, IN
leaving the owner to get it home as best he can
The great mass OF these animals never come back
again. ana doubtless government is charged with
their hire and the proceeds placed Ii the pockets or
the officials. The same system is pursued Ia the
country. "You VIII furnish - carts and the me-
cessary number OF oxen for the use OF the commits
sarlat the service genera is the style OF order
issued, and both are taken away from their work
the estates to attend probably to some fanced re-
quiremens Of the nearest ensign or lieutenant-fOr
TINS district Is now military pandem0nlum, and
the lowest officer in the army has power Of life ana
death over nearly all us innaoltants. on an es-
tate where officer Is quartered he IL absolute lord
ana In case OF anything happening which he does
not like threatens to snOot the owner Overseer-
Numerous Instances OF small tyranny are mentioned.
On one estate the ollcer wanted to send messen-
ger q private errand to Guantanamo, some ten or
fifteen leagues distant The owner and Oversecr
informed hun tnat mono OF the negroes knew the
Will have To go' and the matter was compromised
by obtaining The services OF negro on an adjoin-
wealthy and respected citizen Of this place
recently went to inspect his sugar estate,
ana began his conversation about business with the
oyerseer in French, when the officer told him 10
up his gable ana talk only CaStian in his presence.
Near Palma GOrlana lived an old man named
Vival, with MS two daughters, III small house by
the roadside. He was we'll known to all the military
commanders, VINO was won't to stop at his house,
and would usually leave him little biscuit bacon
with which, ana what they were enabled to raise
from their garden the family maintained themselves
refusing oerS OF some officers to escort them
Palma as they considered themselves quite safe
where they were Recently, Captain Guzman, OF
Yanasedas' contra guefias, came that way,
tered aud took possession OF the house and began
treating The young women With the greatest lnso-
ence. Tiring OF this and observing pet poodle OF
theirs, lie had 1t cut IIr two and u portion OF 1t
thrown at each OF the girls Gratihed at the enecI
though only poole's, ne mad the Old man dragged
INTO the garden and there literally Chopped pieces,
and Is reported to nave carried his barbarty to the
extent OF throwing bits OF tue father at tne daugh-
ters. He then dragged the Wretched women with
hlm to Palma, forcing them 10 wade a river on the
way While persplrlng rom their walk. Arriving ut
Palma an officer friendly with the Vyals, seeing tha
two girls in this w0ful plight, demonstrated with
GuZman, VINO, in response. told him to mind hiS
own business, as this was Ills way Of settling the
Insurgents. Tomas Stable brother OF Eugeao
herein mentioned, recently left here 20 inquire into
the fate OF his broher but e never reached Cobre,
whittier lie was bound. and 1t 10 supposed lie, too
has been murdered.
These incidents are but samples Of what Is going
on In the country constantly, and show the 1endsh
cruelty with whcn the war ls being carried
against the Insurgents.