Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1896-12-07
NMACES WAR OF DESOLATION
Weyler Busily Destroying Everything Pos
sible in Pinar Del Rio Province.
HOPES TO STARVE OUT MAcEos MEN
Unnrmcd Men and Hospital Inmates
Butchcred, While Women and chill
drcn Are Driven TO the Noun
tnins for Shelter.


n tnins for Shelter.
Copyright 1896. by Press Publishing Company
ARTEMIsA, Ton the Western Trocha in
Cuba,) Dec. BY way of Key West, Fla,
Dec. 6.--(New York World Cabegram-spe-
clal Telegram Though no official informa-
ton of General Weyler's movements can
be obtained, have private advices that
after recoLnoitering westward from the
trocha as far as Pinar del Rio City without
encountering serious opposition, the general
in-chief has established headquarters near
the provincial capital.
The time of grace having expired, his
orders declaring pacifcos or country settlers
who did not by a certain day remove with
their families into towns garrlsoned by
Spanish troops to be without the pale OF
the law, are now being rigidly carried into
effect Columns have swept all the districts
adjacent to the railway, burning farm
houses. killing unarmed peasants and driv-
ing helpless women and children thus left
roofess, husbandless and fatherless to seek
refuge In the mountains and forests. In
n single day one of Weyler's columns alone
set the torch to over 500 buildings in a
forced ich through outlying settlements,
General Melquizo the day previous destroyed
pital and put all the inmates to the maChete
without losing a man in the attack. The
sick and wounded were too feeble to re-
sist.
The torch, by the captain generals com
mand Is also being ruthessly applied to
corn fields All paintings are being de-
stroyed, and every living animal encoun-
tered by the Spanish troops that might serve
the insurgents as food Is being killed. 1t
Is campaign of destruction and desola-
hn of NJ nd
death.
Maceo's scant food supply in the hills
will eventually become exhausted and Wey-
Ter proposes that the enemy shall in the
end be compelled to come down from their
mountain retreats and face the Spanish bull
let's or else perish of hunger.
ROYALISTS MEET DEFEAT.
HAVANA, Cuba. (Via Key West, Fla), Dec
6.-(New York World Cablegram-Special
Telegram. General Aldea has been defeated
and driven back with heavy less by Gomez's
Cuban advance columns under Quintin Ban
dera's command at Hanabana, upon the Dor
der OF MatanZas and Santa Clara provinces
All details are officially suppressed at the
palace here. In semi-oticial circles however
II is admitted that Aldea lest seyenty-lye
mon and Banderas losses are put at upward
of 300. Private information from Cuban
sources just reverse the figures.
The correspondents of Madrid journals are
indignant at the refusal OF General Weyler's
facts to Madrid, and say, too that II General
Weyler continues his present efforts to con-
ceal the truth from the people of Spain, who
are making SCI many sacrifices to supply the
necessary sinews of war, he is doomed to
early recall and personal disgrace. The
representatives of the Liberal and the Her
aldo of Madrid, find themselves compelled,
owina TO the ridiculously rigid censorship at
Havana to send the bulk OF their dispatches
to Key West for transmission therefrom.
gip obi naIra
between the lines. a most vigorous protest,
warning General Weyler that neither poll
tlcians nor generals, who would be popular
and successful. must forget that the press
Is often mlghtler than the sword, and cannot
be trampled upon or snubbed with impunity,
that the whole world respects it, and that
no one man, however despotic or arbitrary.
can absolutely control It, Unwritten vic.o-
ries add little luster even to a soldiers
glory.
WEYLER'S FUTURE PROGRAM
l learn from seemingly trustworthy author
ity that General Weyler will return here
on or about the 18th to welcome his son, now
on the way here from Spain. While he is
In Havana 1t Is expected that the captain
general will issue new proclamation. claim
ing that peace has been virtually restored in
Pinar del Rio and Havana provinces, but
declaring at the same time that the scat
tered groups of insurgents still remaining
there under Maceo and Aguirres direction
regular army. He will leave them to be
hunted down by mounted forces of the civil
guard and local guerrillas, while he turns his
attention to MatanZas and the central and
eastern districts, now overrun by the rebel
armies or Gomez, CaliNto Garcia and Lacret.
committee OF army and navy officers has
been appointed with Instructions to take
immediate steps to strengthen the coast
and harbor defenses of Havana and other
Cuban ports of Importance.
RAIN IN PINAR DEL RIO.
The World correspondents private advices
from Pinar del Rio announce excessive rain
throughout that prcyince If it continues
1t may cause a temporary suspension of
active military operations. The government
reports an engagement In Pinar del Rio
between General MelquisOs force and a body
of insurgents entrenched in the caves OF
Sabalo, In the Guimada hills. No details
are given,
The Cuban leader. Aranguren was
wounded during the attack on Cuanabacoa
Tuesday night. Enrique Masaran one of
Valencia's adjutants. vas killed, his body
being abandoned. The insurgents in their
killed, and fifteen Cubans were wounded
more or less seriously.
The Spanish Transatlantic liner Alvaro
de Basean, which cleared from Coruna
Spain, November 81, with 1857 troops re-
Inducements, and was due In Havana Fri
day has not yet arrived. II is feared that
she has encountered a storm and met with
an accident.
INsURGENT RAID ON GUANABACoA.