The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-22
ABsURD SPANISH REPORTS.
A Littic Light from "a Gentiemnn who has
Visited the sugar Plantations.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Str: | think
may be able, for the benefit ofyour readers. to
throw some LIGHT upon tho apparently ABSURD
despatch lately sent by the Spanish officials Of
II ,vanA to the outside world. The message
reads:
o. The mor,ias Of the 1911 marty Of nneen i..ar
se't NJ nre 10 two small farms hey burned the San
Juse and oauta susana plan luons.
About six weeks ago happened TO be In this
= me town Of Colon which Is the shire town OF
the Jurisdiction and the headquarters OF Its
Lieutenant q uvernor. At the date Of my visit
the place Was earri soned by volunteers % sun
dry local md othe0 ORGANIZATIONS. nun Dering IN
all ~ learned from the Governor himself, over
| Eve hundred men.
While Nv, IN Colon body Of Cuban cavalry,
not exceeding 10 men, well uniformed and
mounted, appeared In front Of the town, b.
tween II and the sugar plantation i" hatney."
| the cane feids q which border the limit Il the
! town. Inc Hatney was splendid estate, owned
by the teirs % Don Vicente de Ia Guartia, and
| produced an avera-e crop OF 5000 to GOO boxes
| 81 srg r. The susar house Is not a. IA. from
| the centre OF the town ~ the oflce In which l
am writing is from the CITY Hall. II was the es
| tate 30 when the ueople Of the town sent thpiT
! pitcher In the morning for warm guGHGIO, tue
Juice OF the cane as It runs from the mill.
Inc Cuhans were drawn ~ In single line he
tween Cllou and tine n rtrey II lut.tion. Their
| con. mtndcr. after Motif ing TIE people on the
place 60 leave vita their women and children,
! dvta, he'd twenty Ave men from his body, who
fet the blaco on lre and burned u g. the erouud.
! somewhat aStoni-h -d ~ WA a. eng no prep
| aratiun on fnr pArt pr Tao yUlun4etr1 tn Inc
town to sail, llt AMI cnaetvDr citner TO drivo
81 the Cnblus or to save the property. inGulfet 4
Of ON 'er Of ono Of these v'luufscr rell-
menfs the meaning Of sue Apptrful APATHY.
II reply wl5 - n rlO t.u.ini Is gre hlt,r fqIi'
e. We have enough to 30 hcre.l Inc CuU4us
| Withdrew without any attempt 10 oppose tAeir
| Retreat
subsequently, was not surprised 20 read IN
! the Spanish official report uf the aflir that a
| very strong BODY OF rebels had overpowered the
| gaia volunteers who garfi- med the estate,
| euulc thirtN-Iv1 only Ia number, who, alter u
fearful struggle, had succeeded in drNine oG
] the enemy. he place mad "a garrison OF thirty
Cluans without hiring shot.
say That WAS not surprised on reading the
have, during the past few yeus. taken the
trouble 20 verify hy snnseG ucn' informant n III
accounts Of spanish successes against the Ci-
balls, and nave been Wueiuiiy disappointed "a
rhe destruction OF the san Jose and Santa
/ susanna plantations uu tHn lo,h INST. have MT
the slightest doubt, IL bat a rcpcutipn If what
Witnessed AT the obstruction of INC lla.lcy
/ Probably not over fifteen n.en were artuulIt de-
tailed to destroy each estate, bat they were Nu
qu,stiuuhhly covered hy q Cuh1u column Wnicn
the volunteers aud regulars did not dare TO a.
tack.
Tho whole matter H. however. only the uatu-
raj result of the wAlppus which NaNtmo Com. 4
inflicted on Gen. JnN'ilnr AZ COM Ncs on tIe
2jth uit. The latter tried to prevent the raid
And got badly whipped, ami the rad Is BEN.
carried out as originally planned.
| learn from reliable curresI onGcnts In Havana
| thnf gen. jewell Is now about to issue "a pr g.
lamItion on,ung AUTONOMY or general am
misty To all Cuhans who VIII las down thei
arms. such policy Wili hf cntnrntiy Spanish
II reminds me of tho historic nght between
Catalan and an Andalu-lan. Tue latter In Tho
melee fell into a well. Tue water WIS prctt'
| Geep, hut managing to keep his mead hove IL
lie yelled out 20 his enemy, who was pc ,rin'
| over the irnk, Come here, you rt,cglty Cat /
Ian. Haul ne out Of tins and VIII paf on V"t
| Your lie. SOUTH o.hEEE