Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-03-12
FOUR FORTS TAKEN
Cuban Insurgents Victorious in
Several Engagements.
FOREIGN SUGAR PLANTERS PROTEST
The Order Compelling Them To Aban.
don Their Estates Received with Dis
satisfaction-Patriots Obtain Sup
plies of Ammunition and Arms.


qua de Tanamo, seizing, after three
hours fight, one of the forts which de-
fend the place. The rebels entered the
fort and seized the arms, ammunition
and provisions, afterward burning the
fort and several houses. The rebels
had two killed and nine wounded A
rebel force of 100, men under Capt
Dominguez, appeared yesterday in
Moron. They burned the two forts of
the place and took with them all the
arms, ammunition and provisions they
found there. There was no Spanish
garrison in Moron, as the Spanish
troops had left the day before in COM
pliance with the general order of the
military governor of the province OF
Santiago to abandon all the small vii
lages. This order has been harmful to
the government, as all the men of those
small places have joined the insur-
gents. The foreign planters have pre-
seuted joint protest to their consuls
against the order compelling them to
abandon their plantations. On the
23 inst the rebel forces of Brig. Gen.
Periquito Lorez had an engagement
in Ramon de las Saguas with the
Spanish column under Col. Recas. The
Spaniards retreated, losing eight sol
diers killed and twenty wounded. Two
mules laden with ammunition were
captured by the rebels The rebels
had one killed and seven wounded,
among the latter Capt Vega, who fell
into the hands of the troops, and SUBJ
scquently died from the effects of his
wounds.
Fort Blown Up with Dynamite.
Insurgent leaders Salvador Rios and
Puyals, with their party, had an en-
counter with the Spanish column of
Lieutenant Colonel Escudero, 700
strong, on the cath, in Monte Oscure,
Bayamo. The Spanish column re-
tired to Bayamo after half an hours
firing, leaving three soldiers prisoners
with the rebels, three killed and eigh-
teen wounded. The insurgents had
nine wounded. Day before yesterday
party of rebels compelled the garrison
of Fort Escondido, near Caimanera,
Guantanamo, to surrender The in
surgents blew up the fort with dyna-
mite bombs. The garrison was COM
posed Of one officer and forty soldiers.
On the Gath inst the Spanish Gen.
Gonzalez Munoz, with 1,200 men, in
fantry, cavalry and artillery, had an
encounter in La Herradura and Sal,
near Manzanillo, with the rebel forces
of Mendigta, Vera and Estrada, 1000
in number. After very hard fighting
the Spaniards retreated, leaving in the
field twenty-five killed and eighty
wounded Among the former was
Lieut.. Col. Lolo Benitez, of the Spanish
guerrillas, whose body was taken to
Vequita and buried there. Among the
latter was Lieut.. Col Tejarizo, who
was very seriously wounded. The
sugar estates San Luis and Santa
Anna have stopped grinding, all the
employees having joined the rebels
weylcr Modifies His Proclamation.
(From Staff Correspondent
Havana, March Z, via Tampa, Fla,
March 10.-Arrests of civilians under
the sweeping provisions of Gen. Wey-
ler's proclamation of February 16,
have been made at such rate and in
many cases with SO little evidence Of
guilt that Gen. Weyler was compelled
a week ago TO issue instructions to his
officers to be more careful, as he re-
quired more proof than verbal denun-
citation. Yesterday he issued circu-
lar in which he stated that absolute
proof must be furnished by other than
interested parties before accused per-
sons will be deported and warning
commanders that they will be held re-
sponsible for false answers. Without
doubt Gen. Weyler has in view the
effect OF this order abroad, as we'll as
here, for the manner in which Cubans,
who have never borne arms against
Spain, have been dragged from their
homes, from their families, their stores
or their farms and thrown into prisons
with felons, and after a few days
delay placed on board ship for what is
probably the vilest penal colony on
the face of the earth, has become
shame that cries aloud for redress.
Gen. Weyler, upon his arrival, set at
liberty number of these civilian pris-
oners, whom Gen. Pando had taken
iiOhh shch udiiy ocCupatioh III tno
eastern end of the island, but hundreds
have been sent to Ceuta, Africa, and to
the Isle Of Pines, and the arrests are
increasing in number.
Pitiful Picture.
The wreck and ruin which is being
visited upon this fair island is pitiful to
contemplate. But for the warmth Of
the climate and the ease with which
life is sustained in the tropics, thou
sands would have perished ere this
and the island would be a charnel
house before the end is reached. Peo-
pie have lived by sucking sugar cane
and eating plantains. Families have
camped for days upon the ruins Of
their homes in burned districts, sleep
ing upon the ground nights and crawl
ing under thatch during the heat of
the sun. j. FRANK CLARK