Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-07-09
HOIST BY OWN PETARD
Insurgents Plot Against Spaniards
Failed 10 Materializc.
They Expected to Annihilate
the Troops.
Found 10 Their Sorrow That Their Plans Had
Boon Anticipated.


HAVANA, July 0. = Two hundred and
eighty revolutionists were killed In an en-.
gagemont between the Spanish troops, un-
der command Of Colonel Aguar, and Gen
eral Rabi, the insurgent commander, at
the head OF u large force OF revolutionists
1t appears that Major Sanchez received
information that force Of 1900 insur-
gents, under the command Of Rabi, had
occupied strong positions near Manzanillo
The major sent a message to Colonel
Azuar, proposing TO the colonel that they
should join their forces and make an at
tack upon the insurgents. The messenger
however, fell into tho hands Of the ipsur-
gents, who hanged him and sent word to
Major Sanchez, Ia the name of Colonel
Azuar, to make an attack upon the insur-
gent position from a point which COM
PEELED the troops to approach the insur-
gents through narrow thoroughfare.
Major Sanchez, recognizing the difficulty
OF the movement he was apparently di-
rected by his colonel to execute, sent for
ward two advance pickets Of IL and 80
men, respectively, under the command Of
two sergeants, with instructions to push
forward to the right and to the left of tho
narrow thoroughfare referred to- and to
be careful to take up advantageous posi-
tions from which they could protect the
advance Of the main body Of the troops
under Sanchez's command. The sergeants
cleverly followed out the instructions
given them. Major Sanchez then ad-
vanced carefully upon the insurgents
position.
Waiting For Them.
Int he h.
sooner inside the defile than the insur-
gents attacked them in force. The first
charges Of the insurgents were made with
& enthusiasm, and their machetes played
havoc among the troops, who were
hemmed in and unable to deploy on ac-
count OF the narrow road they had to fol-
low.
But IL was here that the two advance
pickets under the two sergeants came to
the rescue. From their elevated positions
they kept up continuous and we'll
directed fire upon the insurgents within
range, and eventually, assisted by charge
of the Spanish troops, compelled them to
retreat outside Of the deflle.
The troops pushed forward after them,
and, once in the open, charged tho insur-
gents and compelled them to retreat has
lilly. The insurgents then sought refuge
In the strong position they had previously
left in order 70 attack the troops, but the
soldiers carried this position and put the
enemy to flight, With the loss Of $50 killed.
The troopy lost % men In killed and
wounded.
In another fight reported from Veguita,
the insurgents, under Rabi, lost five killed
and had many wounded, while on the side
of the troops one officer and four soldiers
were wounded
Another ROut.
News Of another battle of the insurgents
has reached here from Bellamotas. Bel.
lamotas was garrisoned by an officer and
30 soldiers, who occupied fortified build
ing. The place was attacked by the in
surgents under Castillo The enemy
built large fire to windward Of the bar
racks, and the flames communicated to
that building.
The insurgent leader then sent word to
the officer In command Of the garrison,
the soldiers forming part Of the Union
battalion, notifying him TO surrender un-
der rain Of being burned alive with his
meI. The officer sent word to Castillo
Fat he preferred to die fighting or be
burned to death than surrender to the In
surgents.
In the meanwhile some of the soldiers
succeeded in extinguishing the flames,
and while they were doing so the re-
mainder Of the garrison kept up con-
tinuous fire from their guns on the in
surgents. The latter replied from every
point, but the garrison held out gallantly
for two hours.
The news of the insurgents attack had
In the meanwhile been communicated to q
detachment Of Spanish soldiers in the
neighborhood, and they pushed forward to
the relief Of the garrison of Bellamotas
The moment they reached that place a
brisk fire was opened upon the insurgents,
and the latter immediately retired, leaving
many dead and wounded on the field. On
the side of the troops only three were
killed and four wounded.
The insurgents have burned. church
near Banao, In the Santi Espiritus dis
triot Of the province Of Santa Clara.