Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-12-29
REFORMS FOR CUBA.
The Spanish Premier Says They
Will Be Introduced.
AWAITS ACTION BY OTHER POWERS
Moro Fighting Reported Near Havana
Weyler's C,npaisn of Destruction
Continued Gen. Rivera Threat
ems % Retaiiate.

Madrid, Dec. 26.-Senor Canovas del
Castillo, the prime minister, has again
! affirmed In the presence of his cabinet
that he is determined to introduce re.
forms in Cuba. dating their application
from the conclusion of the negotiations
carried OH with other powers, which
are already tending in a direction ia.
vorable to Spain. 1t is understood that
Senior Canovas referred to the attitude
of France, Germany, Austria and Great
Britain, the governments of which coun
tries, ii is stated here. are of the opinion
that the United States cannot overstel
President Cleveland's message to con
gress.
Mo Fighting.
Havana, =. 26. - An official an
nouncement was made Friday that tho
! Spanish troops under COL Rabanal have
had an engagement with several rebe
parties under Rojas. The scene Of tho
fighting was near Cimarroones. prov.
ince of Puerto Principe. A rebel camp
was captured and the insurgents were
completely dispersed, with the loss Of
sc killed. The Spanish loss was one
killed and eight wounded. Advices from
another source than the government!
claim that the so-called engagement
was simply massacre of unarmed non.
combatants by the troops.
While train was passing along the
railway between Caibarien and CANA
juani, province of Santa Clara, dyna.
mite bomb exploded, wrecking the ar
mored car containing the trains mill
tary escort. Two soldiers were killed
and two wounded.
Weyler's Campaign.
New York, Dec. ga Times special
from Key West says: Passengers from
Havana report that another attack was
made Wednesday night upon Regia,
just across Havana bay and almost un-
der the guns of the fortress. This and
other fights near there have greatly
alarmed the people of Havana. The
troop night watch in the suburbs has
been doubled.
News from Pinar del Rio shows that
Gen. Weyler is keeping his word TO
make that section desert. He has or
dered the guerrillas to collect all the
cattle and provisions, destroying that
which they cannot carry off, and to
fire all plantations, cane fields and
houses. To the petitions of the people
for food he has turned deaf ear, and 1t
seems as though nothing could prevent
hundreds from starving.
Retaliation Threatened,
Gen. Rivera has sent word to Gen.
Weyler that if the latter persists in his
threat to kill all pacificos he (Riveria)
will make reprisals on Spaniards cap
tured by him. Weyler affects to disre-
gard this, but good authorities say that
he will not dare to carry out his ideas
as broadly as he declared. Already
wide stretch of country has been visited
by Maj. Archimedez, commanding one
of the bands of Spanish guerrillas, and
he has left a wide path of ruin and des-
olation behind him. Houses have been
burned, plantations destroyed and all
provisions boarded by the country peo-
pie taken or destroyed.
Gen. Rivera is moving out of his in
trenchments, and reports indicate that
battle may be fought soon. Weyler
has visited various points on the trocha
and San Cristoval, but he is always ac-
companied by a large force. A battle
has been fought in the Santa Clara
province between guerrilla bands, the
Cubans forcing the Spaniards to retire
into Romedios with heavy loss.
Correspondents View.
New York, Dec. 26.-The World prints
a long Havana dispatch giving an ac-
count of its correspondents visit to the
province of Pinar del Rio. He says that
there has only been sporadic fighting
in that province since the death Of the
great Cuban leader, Maceo. The
Cubans, he declares, mainly lack lead
ers. He says that residents of the prov
ince are pursuing their ordinary avoca-
tons. Indeed" he added, "but for
some uncultivated fields, few ruined
sugar plantations and the presence of
soldiers in few towns and villages, he
saw nothing that would indicate that
the country was in a state Of civil war.
Will Go to Cuba.
New York, Dec. ga Sun special
from Washington says: Senator-elect
Money, of Mississippi, whose term in
the house does not expire until March
and who is one of the democratic men,
bers of the house foreign affairs COM
mittee, has determined to visit Cuba
and find out for himself the true situa-
ton of affairs in the island. According
toaletterreceived from him by one of his
personal friends, he will leave Tampa this
morning for Havana, and calculates to
remain u week or ten days in Cuba.
Col. Money has provided himself with
all necessary letters and passports. 1t
is his purpose to seek an audience with
Capt. Gen. Weyler as soon us possible
after arriving at Havana. Col. Money
proposes to request the captain general
to provide him with an escort and flag
of truce SO that he can go into the heart
Of the territory occupied by the in
surgentsy ,zlith view of finding out
what is going on. AS a member Of con-
gress and of the house committee on
foreign affairs he wishes to know what
he is doing before he casts his vote for
Or against any one of the several reso-
buttons pending.
Fell Overheard.
New York, Dec. a6.-While the An
Choir line steamer Alsatin, from Medi- ]
terrancan ports, was steaming tSfIrough
the Narows Friday morning Robert
MaeLrccnian, ships boatswain, while
engaged in lowering the anchor, got
entangled in the falls, fell overheard