The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-12-16
BLOODTHIRSIY IN HAVANA.
Scene at Bull Fight, Which Indicates tn
Spirit of the Rabble.

Scene at Bull Fight, Which Indicates the
Spirit of the Rabble.
HAVANA, Dec. 9, via Key Vest:
The few Americans in Havana are in
constant dread. They believe that
their lives are in danger.
A gentleman connected with the
Diario De La Marina newspaper, told
me that the gist of President Cleve.
lands message had been received by
the Havana newspapers, but that the
censor had prohibited publication fear
ing that the warning to Spain to cease
butchery would infame the populace
and cause attacks on Americans.
DR.. Burgess, who has been here for
years, and who is one of the nerviest
men ever born under the Stars and
Stripes, says that the situation is grav-
er than it has ever before been. Joe
Springer, who has been in the Ameri-
can Consulate Office for twenty. six
years and is now acting Consul Gen.
eral, intimated to me this morning
that he wished Secretary Carlisle had
accepted the proposition of Captain
Evans (Fighting Bob to come to Ha-
vana with the battle ship Indiana to
buy a box of cigars. Mr.. Springer
suggested that the Americans in the
city would be overjoyed if Captain
Evans was still selecting the brand of
tobacco and his ship was at anchor in
Havana.
was with small party of Ameri-
cans last night in The cafe of the Hotel
Inglaterra, a leading hotel. Two Of
the party speak Spanish. Nearly all
the chairs around the small tables in
the cafe were occupied by civilians
and military officers, including some
common soldiers, who had attended
the bull fight during the day. Many
copies of La Lucha supplement,
which contained the account Of the re-
ported death of .,Maceo, were being
read and discussed. Suddenly one of
the Americans said to the gentlemen
with him, "Did you hear that2 Let's
get out of here" On the sidewalk he
explained that the group of Span iards
who was sitting near us had in the
course of the conversation remarked: !:
1--WE ought to kill the American pigs,
the same as ehave killed Maceo. If
the rebels had no sympathizers in the
United States we would have ended
this war long ago."
The gentleman who translated that
Spanish epigram explained that those
who were so fortunate as to have a
right to claim protection under the
American flag were always designated
by the term "pig."
Mr.. Louis Silva, who is in Havana
in the interest of large pump manu-
featuring house, with Offices in New
York, says he notices feeling of un.
rest among the Spanish people which
he never observed before and he has
made several trips to Havana during
the last seventeen years. Mr.. Silva
says the government made mistake
when it allowed that bull fight yester-
day, that it helped to raise the blood
thirsty proclivities of the rabble.
A Cuban, though loyal Spaniard,
told me last night that the Govern
ment officials evidently did not believe
in the reported death of Maceo, else
the news would have been given out at
the palace; that the report was dis
seminated to appease the Spanish peo-
pie and give them something to talk
about, take their minds off rioting, and
let them think that the Government
would soon end the rebellion.
1t is singular that Maceo, according
to the report, was killed near Punta
Bravo and that Weyler telegraphed
| to Havana yesterday from Artemisa
for reinforcements, saying that he had
Maceo hemmed in and wanted to crush
out the insurgents at once. But the
Spaniards have wonderful powers.
The character of the Spanish rabble
can best be described by citing an in
cident of yesterdays bull fight. Three
bulls had been killed in accordance
with the recognized formula. The
fourth bull was either so tame or tired
that the professional matadores re-.
fused to kill it and went home. The
mob then tore up the benches and
threw them with bottles and stones
into the ring at the bull. The animal
finally ran into its stall. and the po-
| lice locked the stable doors.