Rocky Ford enterprise., 1895-03-21
THE CUBANS MAY WIN.
REvoLUrIoNISrS HAVE WELL
LAID PLANS.
aix Thousand Insurgeant Under Arms, and
aGood Prospect for Bitter Conflict

nix Thousand d Insurgeant Under Arms, and
aGood Prospect for Bitter Conflict
Jacksonville, Fla, March 19.-Ex-
tracts from a special to the Florida
Citizen from Key West say: With
Marti, Gomez and Collaz in the East,
with the insurrectionists already in
possession Of the Vyleta abajado dis
trict of Cuba, Spain is confronted by a
turbulence which she knows from ex-
perience must result in the death Of
many faithful subjects and the loss of
q large treasure. The forces now at
work have been gathering strength
twenty-five years. On the defeat of
the rising of 1868. the insurgents fled
from the Island and made their homes
in the United States and Spanish
speaking republics of South and Cen
tral America.
In these homes of exile, revolution
ary funds were opened and regular
contributions were made until in New
York alone $3,5OO,O0O was on hand, and
the cigarmakers of Tampa and Key
West were pouring into the fund at the
opening of hostilities $1,000 n day. Jo-
seph Marti, with his chief residence in
New York, was head and front of the
secret operations. Marti's plan was
primarily to get some small, fast steam
vessels for transports to Cuba. The
rising was to be in several places at
once, and emissaries in Spain, Phillip
Ines and Porto Rico were to incite in
surrection.
The failure of Borden's expedition
delayed the beginning of the hostilities
several weeks. The Lagonda, which Is
one of the fastest vessels in the coun-
try, and whose speed caused Borden to
charter her, was to cruise in Cuban
waters and to occasionally slip into the
island a Cuban leader or a company of
recruits from Porto Rico; sail to Do
mingo, Pati, Jamaica, Venezuela and
Costa Rica and points in Florida,
where clubs of Cuban revolutionists OF
from $50 to 200 members each had
been formed and who stood ready to
60 to Cuba to take up arms against
Spain.
The fighting SO far has been done
under the command of General Santos
Parez and Henry Brooks, two able
leaders. Gomez is already at hand.
and Marti Is gathering forces and 1t is
believed that the flag of the revolution
is to be unfurleu shortly in full view of
Havana, where the final struggle is ex-
pected to take place. By that time
every effort will be made by the Gu
bans to have all their forces at hand. !.
: Guyamaro, in Porto Princi province,
has been designated as the place for
the final organization of the republic
and the formation Of democratic
form of government II the revolution
succeeds.
Key West, Fla, March 19.-The first
clear and trustworthy statement of the
condition of affairs in the eastern end
OF Cuba Is brought by q passenger on
the steamer Mascotte.
'T have travelled through the noun
famous district constantly since the
trouble began" said he, "and matters
are now in a much worse condition
than at the beginning. The fighting
started in a desultory and scattered
fashion, but the forces gradually be-
came crystallized and there are now
fully 5000 insurgents under arms.
They are in a dozen or more detach-
ments, and are giving the government
no end of trouble. In many cases the
Spanish troops have been beaten back
with heavy loss.
"The most deplorable feature Of the
warfare is the pillaging and burning.
The insurgents have gained confidence
since the beginning Of the trouble and
matters in the eastern district are in
almost as bad a condition as during
the war of 1868. New leaders are
springing up and by force of their in
tellect and ability they have induced
the insurgents not to hold off longer
for the arrival of leaders. The gen.
eral opinion in Santiago is that IL the
Insurgents can hold out until summer
the yellow fever will help them greatly.
at is said that both Rabi and Masso
are confident of taking Santiago before
October. The Spanish troops are
guarding every road and nobody is al
lowed to pass without giving the strict
est account Of himself. 1t Is as much
as q mans life is worth in Santiago
to talk in favor of the Cubans or to
tell the truth. Several persons have
been shot on account of this. In
stances where the Spaniards were de-
feated have been published as gov
ernment victories. Four Spanish cruis-
ers were in the harbor of Santiago one
week ago; now there are but two
guarding the eastern coast and one on
the southern"
The passenger also said the revolt
would kill business in Cuba for two
years. Money is already scarce and
prices are high. A panic is feared. 1t
seems to be the general impression
among the Spaniards that the United
States feels bitterly towards the Span
ish government and would like nothing
better than an excuse to seize the
islands; hence their hatred of the
Americans.