The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-03
SLAUGHTER AT SABANILLA.
sp,yIsH VOLUNTEERS FIRE ON DE-
FENSELEss CITIZENS.


who Had surrendered and Given
Tn Their Arms Also Butchered I'm
co,d BIood-A Day of Reckoning,
Though, May Yet Dawn Upon the
vurderers-Insurgen Forces We'll
.omed in the Town With Enthusi-
asic shouts OF "viva Cuba LibreT'
The Shooting Ordered After the
Insurgents Had Left.
14,,-ana. Jan. %, via Tampa, Fla, Feb.
s-Tbe true story of what occurred when
ne insurgents entered Sabanilla has
never been told in print. The authorities
nrevented the Havana papers from pub
fishing anything. but a garbled account
If the affair, and even that was not al
Iowed to be cabled to the United States.
rba official account, which 1 was permit
ted 10 transmit. stated that the insur-
cents entered Sabanilla on the 22d, burned
the railroad station and two or three
bouses. and looted several stores. The
garrison of fifty men made strong de-
fsnse and drove away the insurgents,
i killing seventeen. The Spanish losses were
given as three volunteers killed, ten civil
guards wounded. A later official account
saws that eleven people of color who
we're unarmed, but who were followers
of the insurgents. were killed, and that
unfortunately three women were killed.
The true story is as follows: Sabanilla,
an important railroad town in Matanzas
province, was entered by about 400 insur-
gents under Eduardo Garcia at $3.50
o'clock a. m, Jan. p. The main body of
insurgents, numbering over LOCO, remain
ed camped on the outskirts of the town.
to of na
best families of Matanzas, and many of
his followers had friends and relatives
in sabanilla. Fifty regulars. under Capt.
Juan Galan, and ten guardias civiles. shut
themselves up in, the barracks, and after
being warned by Garcia's men, they re-
Trained from firing upon the invaders. A
number of Spanish volunteers fired upon
the rebels from the church which had
been transformed into a fort. The rebels
returned the fire, killing three volun-
teers and wounded two civil guards.
one insurgent was wounded by a shot
from the church tower. He was taken
out of town on horseback, and he is said
10 be mortally hurt. The townspeOple re-
ceived the insurgents with cheers, shouts
Of viva 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 un-
der Spanish rule. The poor people OF the
town told Garcia that they were without
food and had been eating nothing but
cane from nearby plantations for days, as
there was no work and no money.
The rebel leader then ordered the store
keepers to open their DOORS and told the
people TO help themselVs. One shop keep
er, who resisted, was shot. About twenty
clothing. The railroad station was
burned. Then the invaders left the town.
As soon as they were gone, the Spanish
4 volunteers issued from the church and
fred into the defenseless crowd of peo-
pie in the streets, killing twenty-four, in
GLIDING several women and children. 1t Is
claimed that these people We're among
those who looted the stores, but even the
Spanish papers say some were innocent
even Of the crime of taking food to pre-
vent starvation.
Not satisfied with shooting these people
N the streets, the Spanish volunteers
took ten Cubans who had been with the
E dented themselves TO the alcalde day or
Two before the fight and had been set at
liberty under the proclamation of amnesty
B 70 all rebels who surrendered their arms.
These ten men We're shot in cold blood by
the volunteers in revenge for the losses
sustained in the fight around the church.
& IheSe are facts.
The alcalde or mayor of Sabanilla, Don
Juan Galvez, is now in Havana, and de-
elnes to go back until a strong force of
a regulars is sent to Sabanilla a perma-
n nent guard. He says that the rebels have
been informed Of the shooting of the
q towns people by the Spanish volunteers
and Garcia has threatened to return and
S kill the volunteers and burn the town.
. one thousand five hundred refugees
from sabanilla reached Matanzas Mon
DAY. They were men and women and
children and most of them said they fed
Tor fear of further outrageS by Spanish
volunteers. Others said they expected
gents.
There are daily reports of arrests of
suspects in all the provinces They are
!hroWn into prison without trial and
4 IN many cases without any evidence OF
having aided the Cuban cause in any way.
1helf graVeSt crime may be that they
sympathze with the patriotic rebels IN
me field. Many of them hold American
Tl4zenshlp papers, and speak good Eng
The American consul interposes in all
these cases and prevents a court mar
Isl, as the people are not taken in arms.
ne sne government, after much delay, IN
forms the consul that civil trial has been
granted, but the time drags along and the
people remain in Jail. For the first three
uuays lhey are "incommunicado That IS,
no one, not even their counsel, if they have
VIie, is permitted to see them. During
l raal interval the government, having ar
5ested the suspect without evidence, en-
tedVors, by curious and devious methods,
" oulld up a case, or induce the prisoner
W. ~ lhcrlminate himself. Rodriguez, VINO
Mas taken off the American steamer on
tstIe ten days ago. is still in jail. Ceparo,
ySHe american, who was an inSurgent
ledler. and who was arrested on south
SSodst passenger steamer, and who claims
ae was on his way to Havana to surren-
CeI ana claim amnesty, is still in Morro
oidsue Honore Laine, a Frenchman, VINO
canned to have been kept prisoner by
Ioulez for several weeks, but who is said
y nave remained with the insurgents OF
III own accord and came to Havana,
m4ere he was arrested on charge of car
agAAg messages, is in the Moro Castle,
! a! lhe French consul has asked for a
eEll trial. Sangually, whose case was the
my one in which trial has been held,
S%as convicted, without legal evidence, and
uoomed to life Imprisonment.
from staff correspondent of the Uni
ted Press:
Havana, Feb. 2-Gen. Sabas Marin, the
-euhs captain general. who has taken
me Held in person against the rebels, is
q.eqting active operations with a view to
o eng Antonio Maceo, who is said to- be
t III IAe eastern boundary of Pinar del Rio,
# e. decisive engagement. Yesterday
~ ~ Marin was at Guira de Melena and
bay ne was at Quivican, province of
a. strong force is proceeding against
W. yr,I'Oz the rebel commander-in-chief,
C--fN,. was last reported to be east of
iSS.aE -.iaElc&n, near the center of the prov
- et Havana.
~,