The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-10
PRICE TWOCENTS.
A NEW VIEWOF wEYLER
ARE ms HUMfNE EDIcrS ISSUED
ron THE UNITED STirESy
The Soldiers said to 40 Understand HE
ProcIamations and Are Acting Accord
insiy-O Other Massacrcs.

HAVANA, March I. Via TAMPA.
FLA, March 9--Arrests OF civilians uLder
the sweeping provisions OF General Wey-
| ler's proclamatlons of February 18th. have
/ been made at such a rate, and In many
eases with SO little evidence of guilt that
General Weyler VAS compelled, a week
ago. 10 issue instructions 10 his oihcers
n be more careful. as he required more
proor than verbal dcnuncia,icn. ,ester-
dav he issued circular In which ne s'a'-
Ell that absolute proof must be ihrpis"e"
bv other than interested parties oe'o's
o.,,,sel nrisoners will be deportfd' ana
.,..~,io.. commanders that they VIII oe
,.,t rosnonsiole FOR false arrests. Win
.to,,h, General Weyler has IN view 'he
-, ~ this order abroad. as Wen a.
- for tho manner in which 'up1hs
u,ho have never borne nrIns }sAhs'
Soain have neen dragged ifoh '''"
homes from their families the stores W
,hoi,. farms and thrown into prisons WIN
felons. and after a few days nei"y p'ae.o
ON board ship Tor what is pton@oH 'ne
yilest penal colony on the race oi '"e
earth. has become a Shame t,'a' -,
aloud for redress General Neylef, 'pol
his arrival set at liberty number Oh
these civilian prisoners. whom 6enerai
pando had taken from their daily occupa-
tiou ian the Eastern end OF the lstahi.
saw twenty OF them at the palace ons
dav. They were white intelligent look
ing. and bore the appearance OF Deihs
shop-keepers or clerks. They Were NOT
hronzed hy exposure 10 the "eathei' az
all who are m the field are. lhe ohiy
evidence against these men was paper
nurportinr TO be list OF the people VINO
were aiding and communicating Win
the enemy. " was made mp by SpaniaFo'
since that time General Wtyler has re-
leased others captured IN the same way
Hundreds have. however. been sent 70
Ceuta. Africa and TO the Isle ~ Pines,
and the arrests are increasing IN num-
Der.
DOES WEYLER APPROVE?
General Wcyler has removed the al
caldos of al towns I'm whom he had not
absolute confidence. and has appointed
the ranking military officers or regular
troops or volurteers alcalde or mayor.
These men are usually of the grade ~
lieutenant or major. They possess arbi-
trary powers. Under the proclamation the
life or death of every man, woman, or
child n their zone Is I'm their hands.
large proportion Of these commanders be-
Iieve Weyler 10 be a man Of severe mea-
sures a man who will quietly approve any
extreme act on their part. They look
rpon his circulars as intended for erect
I'm the United States. They lcok FOR no
punishment for summary executions OK
Cubans. who sympathize with the insur-
gents. They expect praise and promotion
for shooting war prisoners as soon ns
taken. IN their reports they are careIui
10 have the prisoners or the p"accfW
citizens killed found in the field after an
engagement but between the lines the
manner in which the victims mot their
death IS not dhlcult TO de.ipher. Gem
eral Canncila was sent back 10 spain ny
Neyier. either for Having lhot down
seventeen prisoners. or for having report
eel Seventeen bodies were found after
ward In another part Of the heId. out
the man who confessed TO his friends
here and probably to General Wcyler of
having killed seventeen people in cold
blood received no more severe punishment
than being deprived OF his command.
When the horrible story OF the butchery
Of eighteen peaceable citizens I'm the lit
tie hamlet Of Guatap was published IN
the United States and wired back hero
General Weyler announced that he would
make thorough examination and would
severely punish whoever was responsible
for the outrage. II one had been COM
mitted. Two weeks have gone by since
the affair occurred. and no action. Guaiao
was so near Havana that American cor
respondents succeeded I'm demonstrating
the absolute truth Of the story.
OTHER MAssACREs
Dozens Of reports Of aff0irs similar In
that unarmed citizens are killed by Span
lsh troops have been received here. but
the authorities have placed such obsta-
oles ina the way OF correspondents that
IL Is impossible 40 visit the localities and
establish the facts. In dozen cases refu-
gees from towns where lghts have oc- -
CURED state that after the rebals ara
driven away citizens who took no part
were shot down and counted I'm the ofii-
cial reports as dead insurgents. The gof-
ernment officials deny these stories. and
while IL Is common talk In Havana that
certain affairs were butchorics the cor
respondents are I'm most cases Obliged to
accept the government version.
have visited towns where nearly every
family had fed in terror leaving dishes
standing upon the tables and everything
In disorder. showing a., haste VA which
hc mes We're abandoned. I talked with
the few who remained. and was told that
the people dh n0t dread the insurgents.
but He'd from fear OF the excesses OF he
spanish troops. ON The other hand. IN
some sections whore towns have boon
used by the spanish the insurg .n's have
burned the whole Town. and the pe0nle
were left homeless. Other towns which
have narhOfed rebels have been destroyed
by the Spanish troops. and the wreck
and ruin which is being visited upon
toe fair island OF cuba Is pitifu 10 con-
template.
NATURE ALONE IS KIND
But for the warmth of the climate
and the ease with which life - sus-
tanned in the tropics. thousands ~onid
have p,rishcd ere this. and The Island
would be a charnel house before the enl
is reached. In many towns there have
been no provisions for weeks People
have lived by sucking sugar-canc and
eating plantains Families nave camped
e. days upon the ruins or their homes
In burned districts. sleeping upon the
ground nights and crawling unoer
thatch during The heat OF the sun. Those
who could have sought refuge in the
cities. and the few IN proportion VINO
had The means have escaped 10 the United
states. Mexico. or some other country
where peaceable citizens are not lablo
TO summary execution.
tSignedl j. FRANK CLARK