Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-05-14
WEYLER WANTS THE GOVERN
MENT TO APPROVE THE COM
PETITOR ~cOURT-MARTIAL
SENTENCES.
England Asks for Clemency and Adds
Her Protest to That OF Uncle
Sam Against Summary
Execution.

of conspiracy and rebellion. The men
sentenced are Alferdo Laborde, said
to be the leader of the party and
claiming American citizenship; DR..
Elias Bedia, also claiming American
citizenship; William Gildea, said to be
a British subject; John Melton, a ma
tive of Kansas; Teodoro Mata.
This places the fate of the men in
the hands of the authorities at Madrid
and insures that they will not be ex-
ecuted without an order from the
Spanish Government.
1t has become known that the Brit
ish Consul has also interviewed in the
name of his Government in behalf of
the Competitors captives sentenced
to death. He invokes clemency for
the prisoners.
This action of the British Govern
ment in the 8 has caused 4 sensa-
ton here, and it has been the topic of
comment to-day by all social classes
in the community. 1t would be diff
cult to say from any admissions made
in official quarters what effect this
new development will have in the
case. There is a marked absence of
irritability manifested in the COM
ments .on the subject, and the action
of the British official seems to have
been taken in very good part. 1t is
pointed out that the Intervention of
the British Consul is couched in very
different form from that of the United
States Consul General, and is, in fact,
expressed in very friendly terms, in
voking the clemency of the Cuban
authorities. The question of the ex-
ecution of the captives of theCompet-
itor is recognized to be one of the
most important which has occurred
since the instruction broke out. Now
that the question has been referred to
the Government at Madrid, the situa-
ton here has quieted down, though
there is no cessation of interest and
discussion of the question. The atti-
tude of the public is rather II OF
waiting on the resolution of the Mad
rid Government. The waiting is at
tended by much Impotence and no
little anxiety.
James Creelman, correspondent of
the New York World, and Frederick
w. Lawrence, correspondent of the
New York journal, who were ordered
by the authorities to leave the island
for having sent dispatches to their
papers offensive to the Government,
sailed for New York to-day on board
the Ward Line steamship Seguranca.
Among the insurgents killed in the
engagement at Cunda, near Guira
Melina, in Havana Province, three
days ago, was the black leader, Aurolio
Collazo, Lieutenant to Captain Fentes,
who has a terribly s%anguinary repu-
tation, and the leader, Acea Vigoa,
Lieutenant to CollaZo. The insurgent
leader, Mamerto Romero, was wound
ed and taken prisoner in the attack
upon the village of Cruces. A cor
poral and a soldier of the Spanish
Army have been court martialed and
executed at Puerto Principe for de-
sertion in the face of the enemy.
Jose Blanco Alfonso, an insurgent
incendiary, entered the chapel of the
fortress of Cabanas to-day and will be
shot morrow.
General Pando returned to Spain to-
day to take the oath as Senator.
The report that Maxine Gomez is in
the province of Mantanzas is denied,
and it is said that he is now encamped
at Piacetas, in Santa Clara Province.
Last night the insurgents burned
the important village of Heyo Colo
RADIO, 15S houses, the City Hall and
schools being destroyed.
a report has been received of an
other engagement which General
Suarez Ynclan has had with the in
surgents in Pinar del Rio. He attack
ed them in their position, which was
al excellent one, at the farm of Qui-
The insurgent force was made
up of numerous bands, and they made
a stand for As minutes before they
were dislodged, the Spaniards being
under a heavy fire for that time. Upon
their retreat the insurgents burned
the rest of the town of CacarIacaras.
The official report of the engagement
says that the troops had one killed
and % wounded. There are no further
details of the affair.