The San Francisco call., 1896-03-15


JUL, who has been recently appointed mil
itary Governor of Matanzas province,
should be in the galleys among criminals
1t is but short time since he was relieved
by General Martinez Campos of the mill
tary command at Cienfuegos, as he had
not once engaged any of the insurgent
forces, but vented all his ferocious instincts
against innocent and inoffensive peasants.
"In Yaguaramas, small town near Cien-
fugos, he arrested as suspected spies An
tonic Morion an honest and hard-worklng
man, and Ygnacio Chapi, who is well ad-
vanced in years and almost blind. Not
being able to prove the charge against
them, as they were innocent, he ordered
Major Moreno of the Barcelona battalion,
doing garrison duty at Yaguaramas, to
kill them with machetes and have them
buried Immediately. Major Moreno an
swered that he was a gentleman who had
come to fight for the integrity of his coun-
try and not to commit murder. This dis
pleased the colonel, but unfortunate ely
volunteer sergeant with six soldiers were
willing to execute the order of the colonel,
and Morton and Chapi were murdered
without pity.
"The order of JUL was executed in the
most cruel manner. 1t horrifes to even
think of it. Mr.. Chapi, who knew the
ways Of Colonel JUL, on being awakened
at clock in the morning and notified by
the volunteer chief of the guard that he
and Morton had to go out, suspected what
was to come and told his companion to
cry out for help as soon as they would be
taken out OF the fort. They did so, but
those who. were to execute the order of
JUL were Neither moved nor weakened in
their purpose. On the contrary, at the
first screams of Chapi and Morton they
threw lasso over their heads and pulled
them till in few moments they fell to the
ground choked to death. They were
dragged on the earth without pity to the
place where they were buried. All this
bloody scene was witnessed by JUL from
short distance.
providence has not willed that such
iniouity should remain hidden forever. In
the hurry the grave where these two in
nocent men were buried was not dug deep
enough, and part of the rope with which
they were choked remained outside. A
neighbor looking for lost cow saw the
rope, took hold OF it, and, on pulling, dis
inferred the head of one of the victims.
He was terror stricken. and Immediately
gave notice to the Guardia Civil and the
Judge These authorities soon found out
that the men had been killed by order of
Colonel JUL, and therefore proceedings
were suspended.
"The neighbors and all the military
authorities know everything that has been
related here but such is the state of at
fairs on this island that General Weyler
has had no objection to appointing this
monster military Governor of Matanzas.
"Such deeds as enumerated are common.
The people of the town of Matanzas, with
JUL as Governor and Arolas at the head of
a column, will suffer the consequences of
their pernicious and bloody instincts.
"phat the readers may know in part
| who General Arolas is, / will relate what
has happened in the Mercedes estate. near
Colon. II having Come to his knswfedge
that a small body of rebels was en-
camped on the sugar estate Mercedes OF
| Mr.. Carrillo, General Arolas went to en-
gage them, but the rebels, who were few
| in mum ber retreated. Much vexed at not
| being able to discharge one shot at them,
| he made prisoners of three workmen who
| were out In the field herdlng the animals
of the estate, and without any formality of
i trial shot them.
"When the bodies were taken to the
| Central they were recognized, and, to
cover his responsibility somewhat, Arolas
said that when he challenged them they
ran off, and at the first discharge of mus
kerry they fell dead.
SIT seems impossible that, being SO near
| the United States so near the country so
| free, cultured and generous, innocent peo-
pie can be butchered with impunity. Not
even in Armenia happens what is being
witnessed in Cuba. The history of the
Spanish dominion in this unfortunate
island is history of crimes"