The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-29
REIGN Of Terror IN CUBA
Peaccable Residents Forced to Leave
the Island.
MANY WOMEN AXE IMPRISONED
Twenty. Three Innocent Men Are Sent to
Africa-Iusursents Capture Many
Towns Without Firing q Gun.
General wcylcr's Reputation.
CFrom a Staff Correspondent of the United
press)

OeuSTuI NeyISTS NeputotlOu.
(From a Staff Correspondent of the United
Press)
Havana. Jan. %. via Tampa. Fla,
Jan. 2S.-There is no talk now of COM
promise between Spain and the Cuban
insurgents. 1t Is to be n fight to the
bitter end. Martinez Campos. the pa
cificator. has failed, and has been re-
called mainly because of his lack of
severity in the treatment of Cubans
who have taken up arms, or have aided
the rebellion in other ways. Campos
was honest, upright. earnest, active and
possessed of great military genius. but
he was humane. He remembered that
Cubans are sons of Spain, and that they
are not fighting Without some cause.
He had urged that genuine reforms be
granted them. and endeavored to put
In practice the mild reforms which We're
passed by the cortes one year ago. but
he was blocked in every attempt. and
in moments of exasperation he told men
in high places here in Cuba that they
We're greater enemies Of Spain than the
rebels in the field. Campos Is on the
high seas bound for Spain, where he
will doubtless tell some plain truths
and make some politicians regret his
recall
General Weyler who Is in many re-
spects the opposite of CampOs Is on his
way to assume supreme command. He
has reputation for severity and harsh
ness which he may not deserve. lie an
nounces that he comes to meet war
with war and has nothing to do with
reforms Such utterances, coupled with
the stories in circulation here as to the
alleged harsh and inhumane doings in
the war of lS6S-7S, have resulted in Il
sudden exodus Of Deaceable Cuban
residents Of this and other cities. The
practices which are ascribed tn General
Weyler belong to the wars of barbaric
times Cubans of the better classes say
that only two courses are open to them,
either to flee from the island of Cuba
or To join the rebel army. As every
steamer to Key West and Tampa since
the retirement of CampOs has been
crowded the indication are that more
will go to the United States from this
city than to the field. Just what Will
happen when General Weyler and the
$1,000 additional troops arrive from
Spain cannot be foretold.
Progress Of the Robcis.
Pending his arrival Generals Marin
and Pando are endeavoring to make
as much of their opportunities as pos
slble. Gomez and Maceo are widely
separated not because the Spanish
troops have driven them apart, but
because it was planned that Maceo
should extend the rebellion into Pinar
Del Rio, the westermost province and
~. tn,
the province of Havana. Maceo has
gone as far west as towns of import
ance exist. has sent detachments along
the north coast, while he went along
the south coast and visited the great
tobacco region of Vuelta Abajo.
In no province of Cuba have the rebel
armies been received as they were in
Pnar Del Rio. Town after town well
coined them with open arms. while
flags fiuttered from house tops in token
of surrender, and in only few in
stances did Spanish volunteers orSpan-
ish regulars oppose them. Opposition
resulted in fight in which the Span
lard sometimes held the fort or barri-
cades in which they were entrenched,
but Cubans burned the rest of the town.
In many instances the volunteers sur
rendered their arms and ammunition
and no one was harmed on either side.
The local bands of insurgents united
with Maceos column of 1000 men and a
safe estimate of the rebels under arms
now in province which was quiet
three weeks ago, is four thousand.
The railroads and telegraphs have
been stopped. But little other damage
had been reported. Tobacco in the field
has not been injured and warehouse
tobacco has not been burned. The
rebels have friends whom the tobacco
industry supports in the United States.
Horses have been taken and the care
of the growing crop has been inter-
rupted however. and the lack of trans
portation will doubtless seriously af-
feet the size of this years yield. Peo-
pie from inland towns have fled to the
coasts and sought refuge in the cities.
Innocent Men Banishcd.
Santiago De Cuba, Jan. 20. via. Tam |
pa, Fla. Jan. 2S.-The Cuban leader. |
Matias Vega, with strong party of |
insurgents, appeared at the entrance |
of the town of Mayari on Jan. II and |
began to fire on Fort Chucho defended |
by six regular soldiers and eight volun- |
teers. The soldiers and volunteers had |
to surrender because the rebels set fire |
to the fort. The other volunteers of |
the place, instead of getting ready to |
defend the town, came out and Joined |
Vega with their arms and ammunition.
They were about forty in number.
In Holguin, the Imprisonment of |
prominent persons continues to in
crease More than $50 men and women
have been arrested in the last few days.
An immense number of persons are
applying to the governor here for pass
ports since they have heard that Gem
erals weyler and Bolavieja are COM
ing. and greater still is the number of |
men who daily join the rebels.
Last night the most touching scenes
were witnessed at the door of the jail |
here on the occasion of the taking from
the institution twenty-three innocent |
men, residents of the town of Cristo,
who were to be embarked for Centa
(Africa). Mothers, wives and children
crowded the streets crying and sobbing
ptifully, the unfortunate men We're
hurried on board the steamer H. Igle-
sias and taken away.
Reasons for proIonging War
There are many reasons why the
Spanish army has not crushed out the
rebellion before this time. In the first
place the size and ability of the enemy
has been underestimated. He has had
the country people with him. With
their aid and possessing a superior
knowledge of the Typography he easily
escaped being cornered and compelled
to stand up and fight. Again in all
the western operations the rebels have
been mounted and Spain has had only
infantry to- send in pursuit Of them.
There are today only 800 mounted guer-