Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-26
AN UNSUCCESSFUL BATTLE
Is the Cause of Captain-GeneraI
WeyIer's Return.
INSURGENTS DEFEAT HIM
And Cause Tremendous Loss to the Span
ish Army.
CAPTURED REBEL SENTEncED TO DEATH
The Spanish Army Has Agents in the West
Buying Live Stock and Munitions
of War-Mules from Kansas
City, Missouri.
APTURED REBEL SENTENCED TO DEATH

New York, Nov. 25-The Ward line
steamship, City Of Washington, which
arrived today from Havana, brought
some interesting news of the engagement
which occurred recently near Mount Ru-
bia, between the Spanish troops and the
insurgent forces headed by General Ma
Geo.
Last Saturday the government organ
La Lucha, called for trains to convey
1000 wounded and sick soldiers from
Candelaria to Havana. This was the
first intimation that had been received
that the engagement had been serious in
its results. One of the passengers on
the City of Washington, who for obvi-
Gus reasons, did not wish to have his
name mentioned, gave an interesting ac-
count of how the battle was fought, and
this to great extent, 1t is thought eX-
plains why General Weyler returned to
Havana so soon.
Mount Rubia is twenty-six miles west
of Havana, and about twelve miles from
the northern coast of the island. General
Weyler had spread his trocha across the
island in it's narrowest part to prevent
MaceoS forces moving toward the east.
Then the remaining forces were divided
into three detachments, one of five thous-
and men, another of ten thousand and
the third of twenty thousand the lat
ter being led by General Weyler himself.
These detachments moved towards the
mountains from different directions.
The detachment of 5000 reached the
mountain first and after heavy fighting,
was repulsed by Maceos forces, with 700
wounded, and 1t is not known how many
dead. When the second detachment of
10000 men, under command of General
Echague, arrived and began to storm the
mountain they found that the enemy had
disappeared. General Weyler, who ap-
preached from the trocha, did not have
a chance to smell powder.
Details are lacking, but 1t appears that
Maceo had another engagement west of
Mount Rubia in which 1000 of the Span
ish troops were injured. Five hundred
of the wounded were brought into Ha-
yana by rail, and 200 were brought by
water, leaving 1000 sick and wounded still
on the field, Weyler's failure to locate
Maceo would appear to have been the
cause of his hasty return to Havana
SENTENCED TO DEATH.
Havana, Nov 25.-Antono Lopez Colo
ma, who was at the head of the revolu-
ton In the province of Mantanzas when
the present instruction in Cuba broke
out, has been condemned to death for
the crimes of rebellion and homicide He
is to be executed tomorrow in the Ca
banas fortress.
Coloma, who headed the insurgents in
tHe MdtdHzdS pTOVluce,a WneTe the In
surrection was suppressed after about
six weeks fighting, through the activity
of the Spanish authorities, surrendered
together with many others of the rebels,
upon the strength of a proclamation of
amnesty made by Capt t-Gen. Calleja
In the case of nearly all the others who
gave themselves up the captain-generals
promise was made good, and they were
set at liberty. Coloma, however, in spite
of the promise of amnesty made to him
was not released, he being looked upon
al one of the leaders and organizers of
the rebellion. Instead, he was sent to
Morro Castle, where he has been confined
for over a year and a half awaiting a
decision in his case. The authorities un-
til recently made no attempt to inflict
upon him any more severe punishment
than Imprisonment.