Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-05-29
THE NEWS IN BRIEF.
The Cuban Rebellion.
The Situation as Described by Plant
err Just From the island.

The Situation as Described by a Plant
err Just From the island.
An American citizen, Adolfo Santa Ma
ria by name, who owns a large plantation
in Cuba, arrived in Philadelphia last week,
having been forced to leave by threats of
the Spanish to murder him. The story
which he tells about The situation on the
island is in part as follows:
"The insurgents are certain to win their
fight and believe that Spain will be com
PEELED to yield within the next three or
four months. The fact that Spain is bank
rupt is in itself sufficient assurance that
the rebels will win. She has sent 100000
troops to Cuba in the last year and half,
and about 115, 900 of them are still alive
They have not received any pay for seven
months and the "a cents day paid the
commanding officers for their food is being
stolen by the officers. The soldiers are
without clothes, many of them are in their
bare feet, and their condition, as l have
witnessed it with my own eyes, is more
than pitiable.
"These Spanish soldiers are mere boys,
some of them under Is years of age and
very few over %. They we're drafted in
the country districts of Spain, know little
about military matters and are treated like
dogs by their masters. Most of them never
even heard of Cuba until they were rushed
on board boat to be sent there and they
are dying like flies in trap in the swamps
of the island.
"On the other hand, the insurgents are
remarkably well equipped body of So
600 men.
"The insurgents are in possession of all
parts of the island except Havana, and in
hot ott oil Nf oh uin IN
been abandoned Spaniards are leaving it
as fast as they can, and every steamer is
crowded with outbound passengers. Over
1000 left it last month. There is no bust
ness in the city, hotels are closed and trade
of all sorts is at standstill.
"Gen. Weyler has adopted no definite
plan of campaign. The title of The Butch
err is one which he fairly deserves, for l
know of my own knowledge that he has
given orders to his men to kill every sus-
pected person in sight.
"The evidences of Weyler's butchery
were in plain sight of me for many weeks.
One morning. during the first of May, the
Spanish troops had been especially active
in the nighborhood of my plantation, and
my overseer told me that scores of people
had been taken from their homes and shot.
He said their bodies were in the road and
along the fields between Navajas and Cor
ral-Falso, distance of less than three miles.
mounted my horse and with neighbor
set out to investigate.
"On my own land l counted the bodies
of ten men all with their hands tied behind
their backs and their heads and breasts
riddled with bullets. One of them was
negro 92 years old and another deaf and
dumb boy who had been in my employ for
quite a long time. Some had been dead
for several days and some but few hours.
The horror of the thing and the fearful
stencil drove me back to my house, but my
neighbor rode on to Corral-Falso. He told
me later that he had seen over 100 bodies
near the roadside.
"That same night Spanish soldier came
to see me to beg some tobacco, and boosted
that he had shot 20 people during as many
days. The horror of the situation was
something l cannot describe. Nine-tenths
of these people were non-combatants. They
we're simply dragged. from their homes and
butchered to crafty the taste for blood
with which Weyler has inspired his men,"