San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-02-06
BRUTAL SPANIARDS.
MURDER DEFENsELEss WOMEN AND
CHILDREN,
And the Cuban Patriots May Retaliate
Story of the Insurgents Entry
Into Sabanillo.

what occurred Wnen tue lnSur-
gents entered Sabanilla has never
told in print. The authorities pre-
vented the Havana papers from
publishing anything but garbled
account OF the affair, and even that
was allowed to be cabled to the
United States. The official account
which 1 was permitted to trans
NIT stated that the insurgents en-
tered Sabanilla on the 22nd, burned
the railroad station and two or
three houses and looted several
stores. The garrison of fifty men
made strong defense and drove
away the insurgents, killing
seventeen. The Spanish losses
were given as three volunteers
killed, ten civil guards wounded.
A later official account says that
eleven people Of color who were
unarmed but who were followers
Of the insurgents were killed, and
that unfortunately three women
were killed.
The true story is as follows:
Sabinilla an important railroad
town In Mantanzas province, was
entered by about four hundred in
surgents under Eduardo Garcia at
$3.50 a. m. January 22d. The main
body of insurgents numbering over
1000 camped on the outskirts OF
the town. Garcia, the leader, be-
longs to one of the best families of
MantanZas, and many of his fol-
lowers had friends and relations in
Sabinalla. Fifty regulars, under
Capt. Juan CALAIS, and ten civiles
shut themselves up in the barracks
and after being warned by Garcia's
men they refrained from firing up
on the invaders. A number of
Spanish volunteers fired upon the
rebels from the church which had
been transformed into port. The
rebels returned the fire, killing
three volunteers and wounding
two civil guards.
One insurgent was wounded by
a shot from the church tower. He
was taken out of town on horseback
and is said to be MORALLY hurt.
The towns people received the in
surgents with cheers, shouts Of
"Vivi Cuba Libre" were heard on
all sides and the invaders were
surrounded by men and women as
well, who wished them success
and told Of their woes under Span
ish rule. The poor people of the
town told Garcia that that they
were without food, and had been
eating nothing but cane from near
by plantations for days, as there
was no work and no money.
D. The rebel leader then ordered
the store keepers to open their
doors, and told the people to help
themselves. One shop keeper who
resisted, was shot. About twenty
stores were looted Of provisions,
shoes and clothing. The railroad
station WAS burned. Then the in
vaders left the town.
AS soon as they were gone the
Spanish volunteers issued from the
church and fired into the defense
less crowd of people in the streets,
killing twenty-four, including
several women and children. 1t
is claimed that these people were
among those who looted the stores,
but even the Spanish papers say
some were innocent even Of the
crime of taking food to prevent
starvation.
Not satisfied with shooting these
people in the streets, the Spanish
volunteers took ten Cubans who
had been with the insurgents for a
time, but had presented them
selves to the Alcade a day or two
before the fight, and had been set
at liberty under the proclamation
of amnesty to all rebels who sur
render their arms. These ten men
were shot in cold blood by the
volunteers in revenge for the loss
es sustained in the fight around
the church. These are facts.
The Alcade or mayor Of Sabanil-
la, Don Juan Galvez, is now in
Havana, and declines to go back
until a strong force Of regulars is
sent to Sabanilla as a permanent
guard. He says that the rebels
have been informed Of the shoot
ing of the townspeople by the
Spanish volunteers and Garcia has
threatened to return and kill the
volunteers and burn the town.
Fifteen hundred refugees from
Sabanilla reached MatanZas Mon
day. They were men, women and
children, and most Of them said
they fled from fear of further out
RACES by Spanish volunteers. 9th
ers said they expected the town
would be burned by the insurgents.