Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-11
HORRORS OF LEPR0SY.
The Awful Fate of a Survivor of the
Virginius Massacre.
CUBAN TRAITS OF CHARACTER.
Pond of Cock Fights and Strongly Addicted
TO Peculation.
CRUELTY OF THE SPANIARD'S NATURE
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsPArcH.I

SANTIAGO, CUBA, March 20.-The Duke
of Wellington, who had considerable deal
ings with the parents of the Cuban people,
viz, the Spaniards, is credited with saying
the latter were people valiant in time of
peace, towards in time of war and always
thieves, and however much the Cuban hates
the Spaniard, who is at once his parent, his
ruler, his oppressor, he is to the American
observer-though be does not for moment
think so-still a Spaniard, with perhaps
a few drops more of the African blood in
his veins through his several generations of
close social relations with the African slave
of Cuba.
Wellington was probably too contemptu-
ously severe on the valiant followers of
Charles Y. and of Cortez, yet if half be true
that one hears of peculation and thieying in
the government of Cuba bv the ruling class
the Spaniards-and also INDUCED in by the
Cubans themselves whenever they get a
chance, Wellington was probably more than
half right. The Cuban men strut about like
bantam cocks, and in the casual business
transactions of the tourist with them they
have reduced the practice of dishonesty to
system little known to the smart Yankee,
and often not discovered by him till his
money is safely in their pockets.
During the late insUrrection, which only
ended in 1882 every Cuban howled and
cackled, as only the Cuban can cackle and
gesticulate, for liberty, and urged everybody
else to Join the insurgents, even his brothers,
sons and fathers, but as for himself, he took
the first opportunity to make himself COM
Portable either in Havana or New York, and
did all he could Tor the cause by his inces-
SAINT cackle, but fght-not he. The result
is known, for outside OF the Cubans who in
habited the hills and mountains in the re-
gion of Santiago de Cuba, who were by
force of habit banditti, the average Cuban
took good care of his skin, either within the
Spanish lines or else in New York, which
latter place he eondeseendingly regards as
next In Importance to Havana.
The Virginius Massacre.
The fate of the war vessel Virginius, in
1872, whose wreck / saw in the harbor of
Santiago may be recalled. This vessel
was armed and fitted out in New York with
Cuban money and manned with daring
men OF all countries, who were told that all
brave Cuba would receive them as their de-
liverers, and fight with them to the death
for Liberation from the tyrant rule OF Spain.
4uE iibtldtOIS GduS huu ldHucOs DuI Tie
Cubans were engaged in taking care of
themselves, and never raised hand to join
their forces. In consequence the brave sd
veuturers were overp0wered and put in
prison, their ship scuttled and sunk in the
harhor, and 50 of them, many Americans
and English, were shot TO pieces by the
Spanish soldiers within the Morro Castle
walls.
The American Consul barely escaped
with his life. To the credit OF some English
naval officers. whose vessels happened there,
and the English Consul, it is said. when the
remaining % of these unfortunate prisoners
some of whom were also Americans, were
being placed IN line against Moro Castle
wall to be riddled with bullets the British
officers. aScertaining the further design of
the Spanish soldlery, placed themselves and
the British flag in front of the line OF the
unfortunate men, and by this heroic act and
with heroic words OF defiance, they saved the
remaining %. This is the story as told me
by an American mulatto, native OF Rich
mond, Va, Joseph Miller, who was one OF
the % survivors.
Poor Miller, or Amelio, as the Cubans
have corrupted his name was reserved for a
more terrible fate. l came upon him in my
investigations of the dreadful subject of
leprosy of the larynx in the st. Lazare
Hospital, in Havana, where, surrounded
by 80 or more ghastly unfortu-
mates, presenting every stage of this
incurable and disgusting disease, he in
sibiIant tones that came from larynx had
examined. told the story, and gesticu-
lated with handless arms, and endeavored to
express with a tongueless mouth, noseless
face and sightless eyes the excitement of the
events that occurred in the massacre of the
unfortunate men of the Virginius.
Terrible Fate of Amelia
Poor Amelio was at tlAt time a dark
muatto. Thirteen years of leprosy has
made him white; it has also made him hand
less, footless, sightless, noseleSs; it has lett
him without ears; it has left him without a
human voice; it has left him a hideous,
CHASTITY creature without hope in life;
mere thing, whom to look at is to make the
stoutest heart shudder; whom to touch is to
take the greatest possible risk OF a contagion
that Isl sure to destroy. And such de-
structiOnl No other cruel thing known is
so cruel, as it is a weary journey of years,
with weary limbs, over which there is no
power; Stunned as no other human being is
stunned, cast out as unclean, to await the
day when the horrible, hideous mass of de-
cay will cease to live.
There are about 100 of these unfortunate
creatures in the hospital for lepers in
Havana, but the details are too ghastIy for
any purpose but the legitimate one of med
ical study, and are therefore reserved for
the medical and not the daily journal. Ii
must be sald that excellent preventive
work is being done by the efficient Surgeon
General, John b. Hamilton, Chief of the
Marine Hospital service ofthe United States
TO whom, as personal friend, l am deeply H.
debted for the esteemed courtesies 1 have re-
ceived from his medical staff, DR.. Bugess
and others, of Cuba and Havana Ii is well
nigh impossible for lepers and persons who
are not already proof against the yellow
fever to escape bv any vessel to the United
States, and this work is a matter that should
receive at the hands of our Government
still more attention, since the entire apathy
and indifference of the Cubans themselves.
render them alike Indifferent to the welfare
# themselves and the people of the United
States
The word or idea of sanitation has no
place in the practical vocabulary of the
Cuban, and foul smells, vile public morals
and utter Indifference to the commonest no.
tlons of personal and communal cleanliness
flourish here, and there is enough vileness
in Havana alone to-day to inject the entire
universe. The medical profession here are |
studying Koch's lymph, and to-day injected
lew eases OF consumption and several
cases of leprosy, and my profession are here,
as they are in Pittsburg, engaged in the |
thankless task of bettering the communities
OF their iellow-beings, but their hands here,
as there, are not upheld. Here, from utter |
Iaziness and Indifference; there, by the busy |
push of the citizens to make money. |
Unselhsh Work of Physicians,
What mind can conceive of more unset |
fish thing than profession that endeayors |
10 get 4 community IN enact laws that xrilI Il