Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-07-04
HORRORS OF CUBA.
Correspondents Who Witnessed Crimes and
Suffered in Prison Relate Their Stories.

New York, July 1.-The steamer ORR
zaba, from Havana, which arrived, to-
day. brought w. w. Gay. the CORE
spondent who was expelled from Cuba
| by order OF General Weyler and
Thomas X. Dawley artist for Har-
per's, who says he was arrested 10
times during five months stay on the
| troubled island. and who spent an in
teresting two weeks In MORO Castle.
Both men We're in good health and
spirits. Mr.. Gay was unable, before
leaving Havana. to procure a certifi-
cate from the United States medical
inspector at that port. showing that he
had lived in that climate sufficient
time to be proof against yellow fever
germs.
DR. Doty. the health officer, accord
ingly sent him with Is other passen-
gers to Hoffman Island for a day.
They will land. tomorrow afternoon.
Mr.. DawIey had a certificate of accli-
n1atization and was allowed TO come
up to the city.
Mr.. Dawley said he arrived in Cuba.
Feb. 10, two days after General Wey-
Ter took command of the Spanish
forces. Il travelled as far east and
west on the island as the railroad
would carry me-" said the artist. Il
went as far as Santa Clara, skipping
out into the country whenever oppor-
tunity offered. | reached the trocha
early in the spring.
The idea of General Weyler's much
talked-ahout trocha seems to be to
keep an invading army in an invaded
| tOtlntrV (sRnnr1J
enough military sense to be q police
captain"
Mr.. Dawley was not ordered to leave
the island, but after his experience
with Spanish soldiers. magistrates and
prison, was quite ready to come away.
He says he was arrested sometimes
for nothing at all. and at other times
for taking pictures of General Maceo.
the insurgent leader; of the trocha and
Notifications. and once on the serious
charge of talking politics.
Once in the province of Matanzas I
was arrested in a cane field by the
guerrilleros. l was taken with an
freshman, also prisoner. to the town
or Alfonso MI, and marched in a pro-
cession of soldiers in turn before the
military commandant, the civil magis-
trate and a whole outfit of judges.
Il told them that l was in the cane
fields to get material for magazine
article. and got away. Ten minutes
after we We're taken from the field, the
insurgents attacked the plantation.
The artist was arrested, June /. in
Artemisa. by order of General Mel
guizo, the butcher. although General
nd
told him be might stay there General
Melguizo would not look at his pass
port.
Il was bound with ropes, shackled to
a ragged, colored insurgent, and placed
in an armored car to be taken to Ha-
vana. An escort of 10 soldiers was
with us. At a place between Artemisa
and Havana the insurgent was un
shackled from me and taken away. /
have no doubt the poor fellow was
taken out into the country and shot"
Mr.. Dawley says that on one occa-
sion he saw the Spaniards cut off a
negro's head. He thinks they would
have no hesitation in making way with
an American correspondent who
should accompany them to the interior.
and then report that he had been acct
dentally killed or committed suicide.
The artist said he knew an American
lieutenant who went out with thes
Spanish troops and never came back.
The Spaniards said the man killed
himself.
There's nothing that General Mel
guizo would like better than kill an
American" says his late prisoner. The
Spaniards are butchering people right
and left in Matanzas One stumbles
over their bodies in the fields.