Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-29
ENVOY FROM CUBANS.
HE THROWS DOUBT on REPORTED
RECENT FIGHT AT RUBL
GOVERNMENT OF "CUDA LIDRE.'
IL Is fn Healthy Operation ON
Part or the IsIand-Schoois for
the Children OF Patriots-A Sort Of
Tax.

NEW YORK, November 2S,-Lieutenant
Jose Felix Rios, u special messenger
from tho Cuban Government to the
Junta In this city, arrived here last night
on the Clyde-Llne steamer Algonquin.
rom Jacksonville. This afternoon hs
told startling story In the headquar-
tiers OF the Cubans In this city. which
would go TO show almost beyond doubt
that a battle which took place in thu
kuoi hills In October last. and in which
1900 Spaniards are said to have been
killed. had been construed Into an en-.
gagement with weylePs troops in the
same territory about a week ago. The
details OF tho October battle are striking.
ly similar 20 the details OF the story
81 Weyier's alleged engagement. which
was attributed TO Lieutenant Rios, al
though he now denies that he ever gave
out such an Interview. lie declares in
stead that what he said about the al
legged engagement with Weyler was sim
ply common talk I'm Jacksonville while
he was there. His story Is as follows:
Il am a Gallcian, and went to Cuba
when IL years old. For a loag time
have been in the commission business
in Habana. Having worked hard for
the Cuban cause, l was some time ago
appointed lieutenant in the Gomez
army. on October 2ld last l was given
documents by General Gomez and by tho
Cuban Government, represented by Gene
raj Cisneros. az a town called Rancana,
an encampment near Camaguav. With
eight men / left certain part OF the
island d nj
for Nassau. We arrived there in I'VE
days A Spanish gunboat which, had been
hunting for US got into port two hours
later, but she was quarantined and we
were safe. From Nassau, after some de-
lay, we went to Jacksonville. and thence
came TO this city,"
Some shrewd questioning at this point
led Lieutenant Rios OFF the subject OF
his story and into the details OF fight
that he said occurred in the Rubi HIS.
Just where Maceo's engagement with
Weyler's troops Is said TO have taken
place. He declared that he knew IL TO
be an absolute fact that The Spanish
general. Melquzo. with 1890 men, tho
exact number that Maceo IS said TO have
engaged a few weeks ago. came sud-
denly upon General Maceo, with 500
cuban patriots behind him. As usual,
the Cubans -ot 20 work first, and be-
he was greeted with shower OF leaden
nail that moved great gaps In his line.
The battle continued for some time be-
fore Maceo, who had evidently been
waiting for SPANS soldiery, began 10
slowly retreat.
DYNAMITE INCIDENT.
At this point, as in the story OF the AL
legged Weyler engagement, the dyna-
mite incident comes in. Hundreds OF
Spanish soldiers We're killed instantly by
The discharge OF the dreaded substance.
almost under their feet. The carnage
was terrible. Maceo still retreated, and
was followed slowly by the broken lines
OF the Spanish forces Then, from an
emnence the same eminence is men,
toned In the alleged Weyler engagemep.s
Maceo brought dyhainite-gun 10 bear
on the Spanish, md killed or several
hundred soldiers before darkness ended
the fighting AIaceo and his victorious
troops got away.
Lieutenant Rios declared here that the
Cuban loss was only thirty. The Span
lsh, he declared, lost nearly two thousand
men.
Lieutenant Rios was then asked n the
story, dated November 25th. from Jack
sonvile Fla. and purporting to be an
interview with him. was true. He re-
Piled through an Interpreter. that the
Weyler story he knew nothing about.
but explained when he was told its pur-
, 00rt that he had heard the same thing
before leaving on the Algonquin for this
city.
do you know whether II Il true2" he
was asked His reply was that he knew
nothing at all about t..
This seems 20 settle the story OF Gene
raj Weyler's engagement with Maceo's
men in the Rubi hill district. which he has
declared was an untruth. and which tne
Cubans have said was a fact
Lieutenant Rios says. regarding the oc-
cupancy OF the Province o. Camasgay by
the Cubans: 'The Cuban Government ~
IN healthy operation in this district The
Spanish have given ii up In the noun
tains, under the roofs OF old farm-houses,
the new Government Cuba Libre conducts
schools for the children OF the patriots.
The pupils range In age from 70 u years,
all the boys OF a greater age than that
being engaged I'm the fight for the ISLANDS
liberty In the provinces Of Camaguay and
ORIENT they have shoemakers shops Tor
the shoeing Of the Cuban soldiers. and
observation-disclosures for the shoeing OF the
patriots horses. 4 sort OF tax IL levied
there by the government, but II II not
compulsory. These provinces the civil
Governors. Mendoza and Manuel Ces-
pedes. are IN charge Of a very small
force of men H. an that Is necessary 10
protect the people there"
Rios was accompanied 10 this city on the
Algonquin by Captain Dupier and another
Cuban. The documents sent by Gomez
and Cisneros are in the hands OF the
Cuban Junta.