The San Francisco call., 1896-06-09
Innocent Men and Boys Taken
by Soldiers and Quickly
Put to Death.
NO CHECK TO THE BUTCHERIEs
One General Who Usurps Weyler'S
Powers ard Sanctions a Mock
Court.Martial.

HAVANA, CUBA, June (via Tampa, Fla,
June S).-That the work of determination
of non-combatants continues to greater
or less extent is evidenced by the reports
which are received from the country. Not
a day passes without some shocking story
being told of brutal assassinations COM
mitted by the troops on defenseless peo-
pie, whose sole crime is being witnesses of
the war raging all over the island without
taking any part in it. Here are few facts
selected from the many that are told:
On the I'd inst. a column of Spanish
troops commanded by Colonel 0choa, oper-
ating around Jaruco Havana province,
captured poor, miserable boy of fifteen
years, named Juan Rodriguez, suffering
from nervous prostratIon and so weak that
he could hardly move without assistance.
This unhappy creature was dragged from
his home and without any compassion for
his pitiable state he was butchered on the
roadway to Tapaste for the crime of being
a cousin of the leader of band, named
Victor Simon.
On June Simon Yruri, member of one
of the best families OF Jaruco, was arrested
on suspicion of being a rebel sympathizer,
by orders of General Melguizo. He was
too well known to be taken out of town
and shot in the fields, as this would make
a scandal, so they made semblance of a
court-martial, and with all the apparent
formalities of the law he was publicly
shot IN the square of the town.
The deed created general indignation
when it was known that Melguizo had or
dered the execution on his own authority,
without consulting the captain-general,
who is the only one empowered to order
such proceedings.
On June Lorenzo Medina, a native of
the Canary Islands, 40 years of age and a
cattle-dealer, and John Toledo, a Cuban,
30 years of age and the owner of cart
shop, both well known and esteemed in
the town of Jaruco. were arrested on no
known charges.
They were locked in the civil guard S
barracks and the next morning they were
taken out of the town on the promise of
prompt release and treacherousIy shot be-
hind the slaughter house. 1t is known
that Valencia had a fight with Colonel
Dondeviela of Campo (Fla.) fame in which
this "brave" was completely routed, losing
thirty dead lett on the field. This has
never been repeated officially.
The Bayamo guerlllas about 100 men,
commanded by Abiga Guerra, have joined
the rebels, seduced thereto by Calixto Gar
cia when he passed near that place last
week.
In Sancti Spiritus band of musicians
of the local volunteers, headed by its
bandmaster, Justo Alvarez, with all the
instruments of the band also went over to
the woods to enliYen the time of the revo-
lutionists.
NEW YORK, n. Y, June 8.-A Herald
special from Wilmington, Del, says: In
formation was received here that the
cargo of ammunition sent to the aid of the
Cuban insurgents on the yacht Vindex,
which left here last Monday morning, was
successfully transferred to a steamer
bound for Cuba near the Delaware capes
on Friday morning, and that fifteen vol
unteers from Delaware boarded the
steamer at the same time for the purpose
of enlisting in the Cuban forces.
The Ward liner Seguranca, which ar
rived here to-day from Havana, brought
the last cargo of Havana tobacco from
Cuba which will arrive here until General
Weyler's order prohibiting the shipment
OF tobacco from the island shall have been
rescinded. The cargo consisted of 1908
bales and twelve barrels of leaf tobacco.