Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-12-11

MaccO and who sustained another conflict
on Monday with the forces under the in
surgent leader. II was in a reconnaissance
after the latter engagement that the Span
iards found the two corpses, not separated
in death, which they have identified as
those Of Antonio Maceo and Francisco
Gomez.
The authorities now permit the pubHca-
tlon of Major Cirujeda's official report,
that the engagement with Maceo on Dec.
4, when he forced the trocha, was "a fear
full combat" which is the first official ad-
mission that Maceo brought with him
across the trocha a considerable and well
equipped following and fought hot en-
gagement to effect his passage
After the Cubans had passed into Ha-
vana province the Spanish commander
effected fresh concentration in that prov
ince and awaited the arrival of Maoeo. He
had received confidential information Of
the proposed movements Of the Cuhans
and arranged his forces accordingly. He
had In addition received a detailed de-
scription of the horse which Maceo was to
ride as well as of its caparisons.
The expected battle occurred Monday,
but no details of the engagement are given
out for publication here.
After the fight the Spanish troops made
a reconnaissance Of the ground previously
held by the Cuban forces. Here were
found the two corpses lying together, and
indeed almost locked in an embrace in
death. The one body was that of a mulat-
to, stout man, with gray, crisply CURL
ing hair and the other that of slender,
dark haired youth
Maoeo's Identification.
Both were dressed in white linen duck
suits. When the linen suit was removed
from the corpse of the elder of the two, he
was found to have on a fine undershirt
with the initials "a. M. !" upon It, The
pair of black silk socks on this body con-
tained the same initials, worked in red
silk. There was a gold ring on the finger
containing on the inner rim the engraved
inscription "Antonio Maria" A re-
volver with an ivory handle and marked,
together with small gold mounted tele-
scope, were also found on the body.
The head Of the young mans body was
resting upon the body of the first There
was found on It silver watch, an ammu-
milton bag, several handkerchiefs bearing
the initials f. g., a travelling valise, a
portfolio containing a number of papers
and a small book, which had apparently
been bought in New York, judging from
the marks on It.
Among the papers was one containing
a daily record of the fights in which the
force Of the insurgents had been engaged,
beginning with Nov. "a and closing with
an entry for Dec. Z. According to this
record, Maceo s forces had made preiimi-
nary exploration of the line of the trocha
on Dec g. The passage of the trocha is
recorded under date of Dec. 4. On Dec. 8
they encountered Lieutenant Vasquez with
his forces. On Dec. 8 again they met Colo
mel Acosta and Colonel Sartorius and on
Dec. General Sanchez. Here the record
ends.
On the body was found, it is said, per-
sonal letter signed m. Gomez.
Heroic Young Gomez.
1t is stated, in addition to the above
particulars, that there was found ON the
body Of tie younger man letter written
in pencil saying that he dies rather than
abandon the corpse of his general, Maceo
Such are the details Of the Identification
upon which the Spanish officials rely for
their firmly expressed conviction that An
tonic Maceo has met his end. No news
that has been received since the outbreak
Of the insurreotion has caused so great a
in Havana or has been deemed
so encouraging TO the Spanish cause. Since
the famous raid Of the Cubans across the
whole Of the island last year, when Maoeo
Invaded Pinar del Rio, while Gomez 10
turned TO the eastern provinces, the mulat-
to general has held his own In the western
province against the utmost efforts Of the
Spaniards TO dislodge him. He transferred |
The whole seat of war from the east to the |
west, and while his enemies claimed he had |
run into trap and built a strong trocha |
lcross the island to keep him there, he |
continued his indefatigable campaign and |
confidently claimed always that he could /
eross the trocha when he wished and effect |
h junction with Gomez again in the east.