The San Francisco call., 1896-02-03
Wholesale Murder Follows
Fight Ending in a Rout
of Regulars.
TAKE A LIFE FOR a LIFE.
Defenseless Cubans Slain to Avenge the
Spaniards Who Fell in a
Skirmish.

Hio'J HSOs %.s-1Ae True STORY OF WnaL OC-
cured when the insurgents entered Saba
nilla has never been told in print. The
authorities prevented the Havana papers
from publishing anything but a garbled
account of the affair, and even that was
not allowed, to be cabled to the United
States.
The official account which 1 was per-
mitted to transmit stated that the inSur-
gents entered Sabanilla on the 22d, burned
the railroad station and two or three
houses and looted several stores. The gar
rison of fifty men made a strong defense
and drove away the insurgents, killing
seventeen. The Spanish losses were given
as three volunteers killed and ten civil
guards wounded.
A later official account SAYS that eleven
people of color who were unarmed, but
who were followers of the insurgents, were
killed, and that unfortunately three wo-
men were killed. The true story is as fol-
lows:
Sabanilla, an important railroad town
in Matanzas province, was entered by
cia at $50 A. N. January %. The main
body of insurgents numbering over 1000,
camped on the outskirts of the town. Gar
cia, the leader, belongs to one of the best
families of Matanzas, and many of his fol-
towers had friends and relatives in Sa-
vanilla.
Fifty regulars, under Captain Juan
Gai tor a,1,,Io -, a.
selves up in the barracks, and after being
warned by Garcia's men they refrained
from firing upon the invaders.
number of Spanish volunteers fired
upon the rebels from the church, which
had been transformed into fort. The
rebels returned the fire. killing three VOL
unteers and wounding two civil guards
One insurgent was wounded by shot
from the'church tower. He was taken out
of town on horseback, and is said to be
mortally hurt.
The townspeople received the insurgents
with cheers. Shouts of "Viva Cuba
libre" were heard on all sides and the in
vaders were surrounded by men, and
women as we'll who wished them success
and told of their woes under Spanish rule.
The poor people of the town told Garcia
that they were without food, and had
eaten nothing but cane from nearby plan.
tations for days, as there was no work and
no money.
The rebel leader then ordered the store
keepers to open their doors and told the
people to help themselves. One shop
keeper who resisted was shot. About
twenty stores were looted of provisions.
shoes and clothing. The railroad station
was burned and the invaders then left
town.
As soon as they had gone the Spanish
volunteers issued from the church and
fired into the defenseless crowd of people
in the streets, killing twenty-four, includ-
ing several women and children. It is
claimed that these people were among
those who looted the stores, but even the
Spanish papers say some were innocent of
the crime of taking food to prevent starya-
tion.
Not satisfied with shooting these people
in the streets, the Spanish soldiers took
ten Cubans who had been with the in
surgents for time, but had presented
themselves to the Alcalde a day or two
before the fight and had been set at liberty
under the proclamation of amnesty to
all rebels who surrendered their arms.
These ten men were shot in cold blood by
the volunteers in revenge for the losses
sustained in the fight around the church.
These are the facts.
The Alcalde or Mayor of Sabanilla, Don
Juan Calves, is now in Havana and de-
clines to go back until strong force of
regulars is sent to Sabanilla as perma-
nent guaro. He says the rebels have
been informed of the shooting of the
townspeople by the Spanish volunteers
d. and Garcia has threatened to return and
kill the volunteers and burn the town.
Fifteen hundred refugees from Sabanilla
reached Matanzas Monday. They were
men, women and children, and most of
them said they fed for fear of further out
RACES by Spanish volunteers. Others said
they expected the town would be burned
by the insurgents.
There are daily reports of arrests OF sus-
poets in all the provinces. They are
thrown into prisons without a trial, and
IN many cases without any evidence Of
having aided the Cuban cause in any way.
1helr gravest crime may be that they SYM
pa.nlze with the patriotic rebels in the
eu. Many of them nold American citi-
,shlp papers and speak good English.
American Consul interposes in all
'nese cases and prevents court-martiai,
er. ."ese people are not taken in arms.
government after much delay in
-olms .he Consul that civil trial has been
son,eu, put the time drags along and the
people remain in jail.
uiisuez' who was taken off the Amer
steamer Olivette ten days ago. is still
- 'aA oepero, the American, who was