The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-02-04

intention OF pushing on eastward to the
province of Havana aud forcing the milf
tary lines drawn north and south between
Mangas, Artemisa CuanaJay and Marct.
not far from the borders Of the province
of Pinar del Rio.
General Marin has had an engagement
with a. body of insurgents, which, reports
say. was the main force under Gomez. and
which was put to flight with IA loss or
twenty killed The entire absence of any
details as to the number of insurgents
In the body attacked leaves some ground
for doubt as to whether 1t was In truth
Gomez immediate following.
Pretty much the whole OF the COM
bined columns under General Marin. in
Guiding 100 cavalry. seems TO have been
engaged This force was equipped with
a special view to running and cornering
the insurgents when once It should come
face to face with them and great expccta-
tons were founded on its supposed ability
TO do this.
But the report of today's engagement,
although 1t indicates that the Spanish
| attack was made with great dash rnd
vigor. seems to indicate that the insur-
gents were as successful In cvadlng the
| SpaYsh forces as heretofore.
General Marin had inforhation that
Gomez had encamped at the plantation of
| Luz and prepared for combined attack
| by all the columns under his immediate
| COUlnNllu. Two Columns were p1ut'u w
take the advance. together with seven
sqnadrons under Colonel Ruiz. Upon
| coming up with the insurgent vanguard
| the Spanish cavalry made an impctuois
| charge, passing over the enemies second
, line, falling upon the main force, which
was stationed near the plantation OF Luz.
| The insurgents were put to imMcdiate
| flight. leaving behind them twenty killed,
| eleven with mschetas In their hands.
| There was apparently no succcfSful pur-
suit OF the Insurgents, "a they succeeded
| In carving off tlieir wounded, the num-
her OF which IL stated to be unknown.
| Several prisoners were taken ana the loss
| of tho troops is reported to he insigniii-
| cant
il is also reported that the columns un-
| der the conn and of General I.inares ana
Colonel Aideca are in pursuit of Il nnmcr-
Gus band OF Insurgents near Artemsn
| which H. supposed to he Mlceo's main
force. This band is said TO be striving to
effect a junction with Gomez and 4 seems
IN fair way TO do so, as there IL no APP
| parent check in its advance along the
southern coast of Pinnr del Rio.
The reported disposition of the troops
was such as to prevent the advance of
! Macco, and was not such as to make any
pursuit of him necessary. the plan being
10 await his coming.
II is also reported that the troops have
killed forocious mulatto who has led a
band OF assassins and women-violators.
Among other rumors which come from
Pnar del Rio Is one that tho well known
leader Zayas has been killed. Tho report
is founded on a rumor that the insurgents
sent into the village of Alquiza to pro-
| cure n coffin. Tho rumor Of Gomez's death
several days ago had no foundation.
Refugees arriving from Pinar del Rio
| province report that the insurgents have
been at Paso Realcs and Pacios which
were along tho line of Maceo's march
from the western portion OF Pinar del
| Rio towards the Havana province line.
The band led by Pedro Diaz, numbering
1000, Is reported MS making active move
ments about Guira Melena Gabriel and
La Saud which are between the Bata-
bano military line and Artemisa Further
news Is awaited with lively interest, as II
| is believed It Will he proved In very
short time whether the efforts of Macco
and Gomez to form n junction will prove
successful or not. The steamer Titan
reports that while passing along the coast
past the town of Bahia Hondo, in Pinar del
Rio, they saw a great fire raging In the
interior. This is supposed to have been
caused by burning cane fields.
Many refugees have arrived here from
Bahia Hondo. bringing tidngs Of misery.
They report that several huFhwhackers
were lynched before they left Bahia
liondo. The insurgents attacked de-
tachment OF twenty-five troops on the
plantation OF Admiration and were re-
pulsed, leaving one dead and carrying on
twelve wounded They have burned the
railroad culvcrts nj Limcna and the cane
fields on the plantation OF Santa Rita, In
Matanzas.
The United railroad has been compelled
by actual necessity to reduce the wages OF
employees and to put In force other sweep