The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-24


five pounds, ard 8 worth OF white bread
70 g.. The boy explained that most Of i
was for sale. and 50 title stock would not
last more than one day. But the alcaide
gruf1y told HIN he could return next day
and buy more. but not another ounce Of
anything should ne have Al THAI tine.
Even then the lads troubles were nE a.
an end. He got MS reduced LIST OF goods
and started home, only 10 be stopped at
the gate A detachment OF troops VS. GO
ing 10 leave 20 hunt for patT1ots. and no
one could leave town until next day. lest
reach the patriots.
Il can tell you a little story that viii
illustrate the mental condition OF the peo-
pie IN the cities there since the war began.
I was sitting in the Hotel TELEGRAPH IN
Sagua Ia Grande one night about the first
OF October. and United States Consul Bar
ker was present and can testify TO the
truth OF what say. Everything was en-
tirely peaceful, and / knew that there was
only a handful of patriots anywhere with
IN reach Of the city. Nevertheless the cry
OF Insurrectionlsts was heard all at once
on the streets, and Immediately this was
followed By the slamn1ing or doors and
window shutters in every direction Every
~hoGse-the hotel and aii-was shut tight,
while the Spanish troops made haste %
get within ,she.r Notifications. For TWEEN
ty-iye minutes by the clock everybody
waited in a state OF intense excitement
TO hear The cIatter OF Cuban cavalry and
the firing Of Cuban rifles. and then came
a man down the street knocking at ths
doors 10 say there we're no insurrectionists,
and that IL was a false alarm. So We all
set ont TO find the cause OF the alarm.
What do you think II was2 Two drunken
darkies had been fighting IN a side street,
and some one had called for the police 10
interfere The poLce thought the cali meant
that the patriots were coming and thea,
csramba. everybody lost his head.
And yet the Spaniards in Cuba firmly
believe that Spain car thrash Uncle Sam,
and the papers Of the island are continually
telling their readers that just as soon as
the rebellion is put down the Spanish fleet
viii line up of New York and compel the
Yankees 10 pay for all the damage done
TO Spanish Interests in Cuba because or
the assistance the Americans have given
the patriots. y file OF Matanzas papers
for the last three months would prove
more amusing TO American readers than
even a lecture by Mark Twain.
But even these Span.ards do not think
their soldiers could march across the Uni
ted States They expect their Warsl,ips
10 do the business. The Spanish soldiers
IN Caba are such a pitiful lot that even
the patriots VINO are fighting for life and
liberty have compassion upon them. Tney
actually allow the poor devils 10 escape
when they might easily Kill entire detach-
ments. / have seen this done more than
once. For instance, / was at an estate
known as the Central Soledad, fifteen
miles from Cienfuegos, with Gen Joaquin
Fego, one day. Rego went there just 10
see how things were going on as he
said. When he arrived is was about noon.
Now It happened that a Spanish lieutenant,
with forty men, had been sent up 10 the
estate that very morning 10 search for pa
-rfn9 .ra urha~4 Dan- u-aE haarA RnVafnr
they were cooking their MONDAY meal IN
the yard. Instantly they dropped every
thing: they did not wait 10 see whether
ten men or a thousand were coming, but
all fled 10 the main house and concealed
themselves. Rego, of course. learned at
once that they were there, but at the re-
quest Of Mir. Waterman, the chief eng!-
neer of ths estate. 40 fight was made
there. Waterman said that the bullets
might do thousands of dollars worth OF
damage there. and the Spaniards could
just as wen be killed elsewhere.
We'll. Rego's men cooked their meal AMI
then. leisurely going away, went around
TO the road 10 Cienfuegos and made an
ambush for the Spaniards. Rego, you
must know. had eighty men, all well arm
ed. They had not long to wait. The leu
tenant on arriving at the estate had tele-
phoned TO Clenfuegos that no patriots were
there, and so had received orders TO re-
IllH al Ni4tE. L . was II AAiG Aa4AAe cI1hSOAiB
and the mud was really ankle deep every
where in the road. The Spaniards were
dead tired after their march to the estate,
but they were so badly frightened by Re-
go's arrival that they were glad enough
to start back after he had, as they sup
posed. departed. But once on the road
their WEAKNESS soon returned. They We're
all mere boys-not a one had any show Of
beard or mustache on his face-not one
was % years old. IL utter detection they
dragged themselves through the mud,
some crying from exhaustion. until they
reached the trap that had been laid for
them.
devoaaw ay email e.longb hd!ola "? ETA
"Rego had arranged his men so that the
Spaniards could be annihilated at a blow,
but when he saw what an enemy II was
ne did not have the heart 10 strike. Los
prohrecitOs" he said-'the poor ltttle fei-
lowst-and ordered the patriots to let them
pass. / saw them march by not a rod
from where I sat. and they never knew
how close they were 10 death. This is but
one case out Of many that 1 have known,
and the Spanish soldiers are learning that
mercy is one Of the strongest traits OF the
patriot character. The patriots VIII fght.
hut they won't murder bab.es-even babies
with arms.
II saw in a Spanish paper the account
q "A great victory which one Capt lZquIer-
da wen while pursuing tho patriot Solano
E
back Of Trinidad. Perhaps the story was
telerraphed 10 New York, and The facts VIII
be interesting. anyhow. iZqGieTda divided
his forces. and at night the two bodies fen
foul ~ each other. Five were killed and
several wounded before The mistake was
discovered. Then the bold captain went
hack - town and told how he had cleaned
ont the patriots. who o~Qtnumbered him
ten 20 one. and yet he lost only i've Killed
However. in fairness I must say thIt
the Sntu!ards do sometimes win handsome
". was licked once myself. Il was ~
Condldo. lust hack OF Trinidad. COndado
was nvo-sixths Spanish. and there was a
Spanish fort Just north Of town. The Span
faras there served their country well by
sowing on as a. our headquarters AZ SUM
era Miranda. 50 Ne determined TO burn
the town and drive them all down 10 Trtn.
idad w had 70 men 70 do Il. hut un-
fortunately four generals were In the de-
tachmeuL We 20 dovp near Condado At
9ao D. m. and sent e youug darky named
J3sc-a hoy OF H.. by the way, who has
already killed over fifty Spanish soldiers
Ito are a house IN tho town.
'fIa asa *. and as che smoke arose tae
Sean.sa soldiers AL lef5 the fCr- and rush
Ell to the town 10 sea- wAat was going o1.
arI a. that We marched down the road
( and ue t-e one stree, % the Gown. passing
tae frr.. q circular stone tower twenty
Gyn fee. IN diameter. ana leaving 3. uu-
eutriea. Seeing us approach. the span
lsh troops hr5di@d into a thick waTel
house and the rorul8ce fed. Then oar
ulcu. having TO opposition. threw GOWN
their arms and 80, go work l0ottnC the
! Spanish houses without ever setting a
+ e-a~F l1~ sentinel Amos. every man q