Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-19
SPANISH JUSTICE.
That Slaughter Of Erigands in
Havana Harbor.
SIMPLY PREMEDITATED MASSACRE.

The Victims Deluded with an Offer to
Leave the Country, Set Free ard Put
on Board the Vessel Only To Be Met
by the Officials and Shot Down as + s.
capped Prisoners-The Wife of One of
Them Most Brutality Assaulted.
NEW YORK, Feb. IA letter reached
shis city Tuesday night dated Havana,
cuba, Feb. IL, which gives an account of
another cold blooded murder by the Cuban
government. Four men, it is said, were
shot down, and young wife who was at
tending to her baby was mortally wounded
About four weeks ago Manuel Garcia, a
police officer, captured a band of robbers
whose leader was Domingo Montelongo.
Soon after the capture Montelongo was
approached by representative of the gov
erment, who told him that if he and his
friends wou'1 leave the country the gov
eminent would see that they ran no risk
in dong So
Feared Treachery, but Yielded.
Montelongo hesitated, saying that he
feared that he and his friends would be
captured and shot. Finally, however, he
yielded to the representations of the agent
and decided to leave the island. He was
allowed to select the friends whom he de-
sired to have accompany him. In a couple
of days he chose Eulogio Rivero, Perico
Rivero, Juan Roja and Francisco del
Gado. Eulogio Rivero's young wife and
child also accompanied the party, which
started out for Havana by the Villanueva
railroad. The train arrived at Havana
hon Il
noon he party rowed TO the steamer, the
BaldOmero IgIesias which was to take
them to Venezuela, in South America.
The Conspirators Get Ready.
There was nothing unusual attending
the arrival of the party on board the ship
which they imagined was to take them
from Cuba forever. The baggage was
slowed away, and the entire party was
treated in the same manner as the other
passengers who were on the ship. Mrs.
RiverO went below to the second cabin,
which she was to occupy, to put her g.
months-old baby to sleep. The men re-
manned on the deck and smoked. About
an hour before Montelongo and his party
arrived at the ship Inspector Solano and
a party of gendarmes had boarded the yes
sci and divided into two parties. OF
thVSCs oht NFS StdtlOueu uUuer the STAIRS
leadin from the deck 20 the second ca bin;
the members of the other were stationed
in convenient hiding places near the se.-
ond cabin, which the bandit party was to
occupy.
The Bloody Plot Developed.
When the men had finished their
cigars and taken a long farewell look at the
shore of their native island they started
for their cabin. Montelongo went ahead,
and as he was about to enter the cabin he
saw through the half open door the uni
form of gendarme and a glittering pis-
tol. He inn diately turned to his COM
panious and shouted:
ave are soldi The polce"
At this cry the police opened fire, and a
fearful struggle began. Perico Riyero
fell il the corner of the nearest cabin,
riddled with more than a dozen bullets
Juan Roja had nothing but a murderous
dagger, yet with this he did some desper-
ate fighting. He was soon overpowered
and killed by the bullets from the revolv-
ers of che police.
Most DeviIish Atrocity of All.
Mrs. River, who was nursing her baby
at the time the firing began, rushed out Of
her cabin ana was severely beaten by one
of the officers till she dropped to the floor
insensible. The gendarmes finally drove
the RESI- of the party to the deck, and con-
tinued their firing, frightening the other
passengers and wounding several Mon.
telongo and E. Rivero dropped over the
side of the vessel and jumped into a small
rowboat, and compelled the owner of it to
row for all he was worth. When the Do
lice saw the attempt to escape they imme-
diately sent a shower of bullets into the
l. 4 III
Rivero dropped into the sea.
Characteristic Justification.
The bodies were recovered and taken to
the city Mrs. Rivero, who was horribly
wounded, is under arrest and in the prison
hospital. The newspapers are loud in
their denunciations of this brutal murder
and breach of faith on the part of the gov
eminent. The officials, however, say that
it was he surest way of getting rid of a
band of bold bandits. The lives of all t. I,
passengers on board the ship were endan-
gered, and great excitement prevailed
among them and their friends