New-York tribune., 1896-02-03
WHAT THE CENSOR CUTS OUT
NEWS OF INSURGENT VICTORIES THAT
CANNOT BE SENT BY CABLE.

As DEFEATED. CAPTURES TOWNS AND GAINS
300 RECRUITS ~ THE HAVANA PROV
INcE-TRrE STORY OF THE
TAKING OF sABINALLA.
Havana. Jan. % N,a Tampa. Fla. Feb. 2)-It will
be remembered that when Maxine Gomez and
antonio Maceo. with two large columns OF mounted
men invaded Havana Province, coming almost TO
the gates of the capital city, and burning cane
fields destroying railway bridges stations and cars
all over the province. the two rebel leaders sep
arated al the P!nar del RIO line. Gomez passed
the line OF troops thrown across the island south
OF this city and Maceo began the conquest OF
the western province Spanish official reports have
had him heeng before the columns of Generals
Iuque. Navarro and ArIzon and being driven
| toward the Jumpng-off place at the west end Of
the island According TO these reports. Maceo's
| band has been defeated many times. As a matter
OF fact. he entered the province with 1000 men, and
he now has 50O. All mounted. armed and
| we'll equipped. He also has plenty OF ammunition.
He obtained II 60 rounds at Cabanas and a large
| quantity at Guane. He captured mule train
| con tanning 10000 ratons. Its way from Coioma
| TO Pnar del RIO city and food has been
IN the capital ever since. At San Cristobil OF
the first towns entered. Maceo found the houses
covered with white flags in token OF surrender
| He was welcomed with cheers He rested one day.
added forty volunteers TO his army. and marched
N,
and appointing local government. including al
| calde. secretary. etc.
| At Paacios Banos Consolation del Sur and nearly
a score Of other towns the
penicl until Mnntua. the most western town Of any
Importance was reached Here the inhabitants
| gave ball In honor o! the invading army and
| Macco stood as godfather TO newly born chlli
| These few o; the Incidents which the press
censor eliminated from cable dispatches the
United States He permitted an account OF The only
serious engagement OF the campaign In Pinar del RIO
10 bee sent but made II appear that II was Spanish
| victory. when. a. matter OF fact. Maceo captured
the lvoy OF 1890 rntons which the troops went
out ~ the capital to protect. Maceo probably had
! al told. twenty-five men killed and my wounded in
the conquest OF the western province.
From Cionfueeos comes news OF insurgent doings
IN the Province OF Santa Clara. business Is At
s'andstill In All cities railroads operate only when
train. guarded by byvletachmcnts Of troops. the
grinding OF sugar-canc a but OF the vast
estates IN that region has been stopped. and the will
II tho insurgents Is law. An American mining
pr,spcotor. who had quantity o: ore which he
wished 20 ship - New-York for assay was told that
hs people would be- shot II they attempted 10 haul
the or TO the railroad. one lumber merchant. who
sent ont . load Of lumber after receiving similar
warning had his driver shot Mills that had pre-
pared t. grind sugar threatened with destruc-
ton /! Gomezs order was dlsobcyed On the other
hand the Government talked ab,ut removing the
small dctachmcnts OF troops distributed among the
( plantations unless the latter begun grinding. The
owners Of the estates between the devil and the
deep sea"
| REBEL CHARITY AND SPANISH REVENGE
! The true story OF what occurred when the insur
gents entered Sabanllla has never been told in
print The authorities prevented the Havana
| papers from publishing anything but n garbed ac
| count OF the affair and that not allowed
| TO be cabed to the United States. The official ac-
| count which the United Press correspondent was
permitted to transmit. said that the Insurgents en-
tered Sabana on January 30 burned the railroad
station and two three houses and looted several
stores. The garrison OF hfty men made strong
defence and drove away the insurgents. killing
entcen. The Spanish losses were said to be three
volunteers killed. ten civil guards wounded a later
official account says that eleven unarmed negroes.
who were followers OF the insurgents. were killed
and that unfortunately three women were Killed
| The true story is as follows:
sabanilla. important railroad in Ma
tanzas Province. was entered by about four hum
dred insurgents under Eduardo Garcia at S30 a.
January p The main body OF Insurgents, num-
ber!ng over a Thousand, camped on the outskirts
Of the he. best families Of Matanzas ana many Of his
followers had friends and relatives in Sabanl.a.
rvI' guards shut themse,ves up in the barrac<s
and. after being warned by Garcias men. they re-
spanish volunteers dred upon the rebels from the
church. which had been TRANSFORMED into fort.
teers and wOundlng two Gym guards one IN
sursent was wounded by shot from the church
and Is said TO be mortally hurt The townspeope
received the insurgents with cheers, shouts Of
| invaders surrounded by men. and women. as
well. who wished them success. and told Of their
| woes under Spanish rule. The poor people OF the
town tod Garcia that they were without food. and
had nothing but sugar for days as
| there work and money.
The robe leader then ordered the storekcepers to
About twenty stores were looted of provisions.
burned. Then the Invaders left town.
TROOPS SHOOT DOWN WOMEN AND Chill
DREN.
As soon as they had gone. the Spanish volunteers
Issued from the church and fired into the defense
less crowd OF people In the streets. killing twenty
four, including several women and children. II Is
claimed that these people were among those who
looted the stores. but the Spanish papers say
some innocent Of the crime OF taking food to
| prevent starvation.
Not satisfied with shooting these people In the
streets. the Spanish volunteers took Cubans.
who had been with the insurgents for a time but
| had presented themselves to the Acalde a day or
two before the fight and had been at liberty un-
der the proclamation OF amnesty to all rebels who
surrendered their arms, These ten men were shot
% losses in the light hs
The Alcalde, or Mayor Of ,sabanllla Don Jose
n strong force OF regulars is sent Sabanilla as
permanent guard. He says that the rebels have
been informed OF the shooting OF the townspeople by
the Spanish volunteers. and Garcia has threatened
to return and XIII the volunteers and burn the town.
, Fifteen hundred refugees from Sabanilla reached
Matanzas Monday. They were men, women and
children. and most OF them said they fed for fear
OF further outrages by Spanish volunteers Others
said they expected the town would be burned by
the Insurgents There are daily reports OF arrests
OF suspects In all the provinces. They thrown
into prisons without trial. and In many cases
without any evidence OF having aided the Cuban
cause In any way. Their gravest crime may be
that they ssympathi.e with the patriotic rebels in
tho field. Many OF them hold American citizenship
papers and speak good English. The American
Consul interposes in all these cases and prevents
a court martial. the people not taken in
arms The Government, after much delay. In
forms the Consul that civil trial has been granted
but the time draes along and the people remain In
jail,
For the first three days they "incommuni.
cado"-that Is, no one. not even their counsel, II