Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-12-22
wRETCHRD CUBA,
The Marder of the B0yfsh students
the Rasult Ofa Biackmait Failure.
Corresponds ence New York SUM-

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Correspondence 90 New York spn.l
HAVANA December 6.-Since the foul
murder of the eight students on the 9th
.ult. the city has been more quiet than
was to be expected. Very many Span
iards are leaving the island in all haste.
/ am credbly informed that to Span
iards alone over 700 passports were is-
sued on the two days following the exc
cuuon, and that among the applicants
for permission to leave the island were
over forty students. The University is
closed and very few scholars attend the
Institute.
The thirty,four students condemned TO
the chain-gang are now set to work ID the
stone quarries outside the city. They go
out every morning at six clock and re-
turn at six in the evening. Their fami-
lies are allowed to see them only between
III a. IN. and D. m. on Sundays, and then
they are separated by a double iron
grating. The boys are in conyicts dress,
and heavily ironed. Three Of them are
already in the hospital, and it is physic-
ally impossible for such young and deli
cate lads long to resist the slow torture
to which they are condemned. No food
is allowed to be conveyed to them, and
they must put up with prison fare. ila
Among them are sons of the very
wealthiest men-mostly Spaniards-oi
the Island Don Salvador Baro, one of
the millionaires of Matanzas, has son
among them. The father of another is
Laborde, Colonel, or rather who was Col
onel, Of the volunteers, for he, as well as
several other officers, have signed. The
father OF another is Spanish Brigadier
General in active service in the field
against the patriots. The young Ameri-
can, Smith, son of merchant in Car
denas, who was set at liberty, has been
taken by his uncle to Porto Rico.
1t is now universally conceded here
that the blame Of the whole matter at
taches to the Governor, Lopez Roberts.
He had heard the report of the profana-
ton of Castanons tomb some days be-
fore il got bruited about and endeayored
to make money out Of il 1t is publicly
stated here that he offered to Alonzo AZ
yarez de la Campo to hush the matter
up if he would pay him 100000. De
la Campo, who is an ultra Spaniard and
an officer of volunteers, laughed at the
idea OF any Spaniard daring to punish
a child of his, and took his son himself
to the palace in spite of his wife's urgent
remonstrances. His son, and his only
son at that, was shot, as you know.
Mr.. Charles Bithoon, late United
States Consul at Havana, has returned
to New York. He makes some very i'm
portant revelations in regard to affairs
in Cuba, from which we extract;
SPANISH SOLDIERS DYING BY WHOLESALE.
He states that the mortality among
the Spanish troops has been so enormous
that not FIVE out of every hundred sol
diers who left Spain will ever return,
and that it would require q force OF at
least one hundred thousand men sent
simultaneously to suppress the patriots.
This he has from Spanish official sources.
This mortality is attributable to the eli
mate; partly to the tactics OF the Cuban
leaders, who induce the Spanish troops
into long and weary marches; partly to
the superior knowledge of the country
possessed by the Cubans, which enables
them to choose their own ground. Man
zanillo is to-day full of sick and wound
ed soldiets, and houseslfor their accom-
mediation are obtained with difficulty.
There are already considerable muir
murs among the Spaniards themselves
as to the ultimate result of this war, and
although the volunteers, mostly shop.
keepers and their clerks, accept the
notes of the Spanish Bank Of Havana
to day, they know full well their utter
worthlessness. The collapse Of the bank
is looked upon as certain, and the dura.
ton of the present farcical state Of
things is a mere question of time. The
expenses of the war have been and are
still enormous, and must ultimately fall
upon the holders of the bank notes.
HOW sPANIARDs TREAT AMERICANS. (
The Consuls and subjects of European
nations receive every attention and re-
spect at the hands Of Spanish authori'
ties, but Americans are treated with con-
tempt whenever they lay any grievance
before those in power.