The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-09-18
WANT TO HELP CUBA
CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE.

in the Provineeof Santiago, but is found
to be untrue.
Andres Perez, boatman and Jose
Lopez Fernandez, firemen of the steamer
Mascotte, were arrested on last Wednes-
day and were court martialed to- day,
charged with smuggling ammunition for
the insurgents. The Hasc0tte runs be.
tween the ports Of Havana. Key West
and Tampa. It is reported officially that
three bands Of insurgents last night at
tackled Vueltas, in the district of Rene
dies. The forts fred upon the insurgents
to repeI them aud they retired leaving
three killed and carrying their woun3eG,
after having bgrned q leaf tobacco ware
house.
BosToN, Mass, Sept. 17.-The British
steamer Taft, just in at this port from
Cuba, September 10, brings news of a
serious state of affairs at Banes the most
important fruit port on the Northern
coast The Taft reports that Banes has
been evacuated by the Spanards after a
feeble resistance, that the entire North
ern section Of the island is in the hands
of the insurgents and Gibara itself,
which is one of the strongest and best
fortified cities on the coast is in peril
Gus position, although the Spaniards
have between 1000 and s, 900 soldiers at
this point and two men of war in the
harbOr
When it became known that the reb-
els threatened Banes, NJ. Dumers, who
practically owns the town and is one of the
Wealthiest planters on the island, sent to
the Spanish officials at Gibara, about
forty miles distant, an urgent request
for troops, and the Taft was placed at
the disposal Of the government
for the transportation Of the troops.
About one hundred soldiers were
hastily put on board the Taft and
shipped to Baues, but after thew had ar
rived they found that the rebels rad al
ready sacked the town and were camped
on the outskirts to the number Of j, 900.
There were only about $50 Spanish sol
diers in the fort at Banes, but they made
a show Of resistance until overwhelmed
by numbers, they were forced to fall
back.
When the Taft arrived with the rein.
forcements. a counsel of war was held,
and it was decided to at once give up
the port to the rebels and the entire
force was taken back to Gibara. The
officers of the Taft say the Spanish SOL
diers, whom they took to Banes were all
mere boys and yet they claimed to have
been in eighteen engagements in the Vi
entity Of Gibara. The soldiers we're
very poorly equipped Some of them
wore caps, others old straw hats and
still others had nothing to wear on their
heads.
As soon as the rebels found them
selves in possession of Banes they cut
all telegraph and telephone wires and at
once began to harass Gibara, and the
commander of the fort was expecting an
open attack at any moment.
The officers of the Taft say that the
whole country is up in arms and that
everybody fayoTs the rebels. Only boys
were left in the port OF Banes to load
and unload vessels. The rest of the
male population had joined the rebel
ranks.
1t is stated that many of the rich
planters are in sympathy with the rebels
The rebels seem to have plenty Of cash,
and the Office Of the Taft say that every
vessel that sails to Cuba is asked by
representatives of the insurgents to buy
rifles and cartridges in the Uni
fed States and smuggle them to Cuba.
They will pay in advance for
these. and it is well known that nearly
every vessel that sails to Cuba smuggles
arms to the insurgents.
The Officers of the Taft were asked to
bring arms and ammunition, and rep
resentative Of the insurgents tried to
make bargain with the captain just be-
fore she sailed.
There was a rumor at Banes AMI CT
bara, when the Taft left those places,
that the Brazilian rebel admiral Mello
was expected any day with a war vessel
and 500 men to aid the insurgents, and
one of the officers of the Taft who saw
Mello lombard Rio says that there is
evidently some good ground for the ru-
NOR, and he further says that Me 10 can
whip the Spanish gunboats with even an
ordinary man of war.
Walters Case Not Homeless