The Saint Paul globe., 1896-11-20
DREN CAUGHT OUTSIDE WEY-
LER'S LINES.
BUTCHERS LATEST EDIcT
WARNING TO THE HARMLESS
NON-COMBATANTS.
ALL ANXIOUS FOR A FREE CUBA
Situation on the Island, as Told by
Manuel Coronado, Who Escaped
WeyIer's Clutches.

NEW YORK, Nov. 19-Manuel M.
Coronado, the editor of the Cuban
patriot newspaper, La Discussion, pub
hshed in Havana, who escaped from
that city in the last days of October,
after Gen. Weyler had ordered his ar
rest, reached New York this morning
and went to the home of his brother,
Francisco Coronado He brought with
him important news for the junta in
this city and early in the afternoon Wis
tied the headquarters. OF his escape
he said:
When I learned that Gen. Weyler
had ordered my arrest, I made imme-
date preparations for escape. I had
secured as disguise the costume Of an
ordinary sailor. When my house was
surrounded by troops, l hastily shaved
off my heavy mustache and, donning
my disguise, which also included a
heavy false black goatee, 1 slipped into
the house adjoining and made my es-
cape to the street, as / thought, unOb-
served. 1t was 2 o'clock in the after
noon l jumped into a carriage, but
the alarm was given and the police
pursued me in another Then l worked
an old game I told my driver to keep
ahead and watching my opportunity,
1 jumped from the moving carriage and
walked back to the pavement mingled
with the crowd and made my escape to
the country.
"a few days afterwards prefer not
to give dates-I shipped aboard a sail
ing vessel as common sailor. The
captain knew me, however We
reached New Orleans after an unevent-
full trip, and L came on to New York
by rail, arriving this morning
In reply to a question as to the gen
arQ1 faQ1inpr nf npnT1n HyyinCr in CI1h1
he said, through an interpreter: TO
day, we might say that Spain holds
Cuba by sheer force Of arms. The
whole country, Spanish and Cuban
alike, desires peace even at almost any
sacrifice, and, although it may seem
strange, the Spanish element is quite
as pronounced in this feeling as the
Cubans, and wish peace and independ-
ence Of Cuba. 1t is thought that Cuba,
again under Spanish rule, would be un-
able to pay the enormous war debt, al
ready incurred, or to stand the tre-
mendous taxation which would be i'm
posed, and another uprising would,
under those conditions, follow. Spain
would have to expend great sums Of
money to keep Cuba in submission.
The war debt now is estimated at $780,
900, 900, and is accommodating at the rate
of $12O00,000 a month.
IF Cuba gained her independence in
ILLS anu uOpO dAu IIldIlIStlII
that she will, she will start afreSh with
wonderful possibilities before her. Spain
will soon be forced by lack of funds to
withdraw her troops. The opinion ]
express is not that Of transient Cuban
residents, but of merchants and land
owners, Spanish as we'll as Cuban. The
Spandiards express this opinion in
private only, as public expression of
it would insure their execution as
rebels. Weyler does as he pleaSes. His
latest edict Is that all persons, men,
women and children, who are found
outside Of the Spanish lines shall be
considered rebels and be shot as such.
This edict was published only in the
official gazette in Havana which circu-
lates among Spanish officers and off,
cialS only. There was no way in
which those outside of these circles
could learn of the edict. There is no
railroad to Pinar del Rio from Havana,
and it is in this province that the edict
has cost the greatest loss of life. Peo-
pie taken under this edict are marched
outside the gates of the city and shot
down by the soldiers. The reports of
prisoners captured by Weyler are only
the capture Of these poor devils.
THE former practice Of the Spanish
authorities of shooting prisoners in
Moro Castle and throwing the bodies
into the water beneath as food for
sharks, has been stopped because not
long ago several bodies drifted into
the bay of Havana The authorities
explained to inquiring citizens that the
men had probably been drowned But
tie holes in the head, however, disprov-
ed this. The people would welcome
anything to hasten the end not only
on account of the loss of property and
| life, but on account of the massacres.