Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-03-08

NEW YORK. March 7.-Constantio VIII
laverde. formerly managing editor of
Las Av.spas, in Havana, and late corre-
spondent in the field for La Lucha, sue
ceeded in escaping from Cuba, and has
reached New York While acting as war
correspondent for his paper at Quivican,
province of Havana, he imprudenuy in
duiged in a parody on God Save the
Queen Il was published under the title
of God Save the Sweet Potatoes" and
was by the Spanish officials pronounced
libel upon Spanish integrity and dignity.
This, with the charge of giving utterances
to- expressions of sympathy for prisoners
who were butchered in his presence by
government troops. resulted in an order
for mis- arrest Mr.. Villaverde, warned by
wire from Havana of his danger, set out
on foot from Quivican at night. Four
miles from the city he secured a horse and
rode 20 Bejucal. There he secreted him
self i'm the house of friend. where he re-
mained for ten days. Two Spanish wit
nesses were eventually secured, who, for
so each. went before an alcade and swore,
TO his identity as another man whom he
happened TO resemble. This enabled him
to procure the necessary passport and to
reach, the United States.
Mr. Vrliverde said yesterday: "The
sCstements which l find in New York pa
PEI. 10 the effect that country people in
Cuba dread and fear the troops under
Gems. Gomez and Maceo is absolutely
false. The orders of Gen. Gomez with ref
erence 20 the depredauons committed upon
the property of the country people are
peremptory. and the punishment of any Of
his men who are found guilty of such vio-
lations follows swiftly and surely. on the
other hand, the very approach Of a Span
ish column produces. and with reason,
veritabe condition Of terror. This. be-
cause the troops. when disappointed at
not catching up with. or at meeting defeat
at the hands of the insurgents invariably
wreak vengeance on the heads of poor,
DEFENSELESs CITIZENS
who may he caught in the effort to escape
from these merciless cut-throats. True,
they are commanded by supposedly civil
lied officers. but the majority OF both Of.
fcers and men TO whose acts OF unwar-
ranted brutality I was an eye witness do
not deserve the name Of soldiers. They
are simply uniformed mUrderers.
"As an illustration. in Quivican, on jan
uary 80 the TWO Spanish columns of Coils.
Galvis and Aldecoa were seen approaching
from the west Two Spanish laborers
who We're engaged I'm making repairs be-
meath boilers on a sugar plantation were
captured by the advance guard of the
spanish column. They We're mistaken for
insurrectionists. andA in spite Of their cries
Of Viva espagnar and protests of inno-
cence. We're seized and bound. They We're
placed side by side with two insurgents
who had been captured an hour before.
These four helpless prisoners, with their
hands tied behind their backs. were hur-
ried along In front of the column. Their
progress over the ground was not sufii-
ciently rapid to please their captors, and
in the presence Of Cols. Galvis and Aide
Goa. they were prodded in the back by the
troops with Mauser bayonets until they
feil dead by the wayside. Seventy wounds
were counted i'm the hack of one of the vic
Tins. After the passage Of the column the
bodies were picked up by friends and
buried on the farm of Eateban Mendes.
belonging 10 the plantation of San Rafael,
between Mirosa and San Augustin.
"Ou February negro, 20 years old,
named Liberato Puig. cUmmon laborer,
became frightened at the approach Of the
Spanish column and was seen to run into
his house and hide under a bed Troops
followed him I'm. and with two sweeps of a
machette. seriously wounded the man.
He was then dragged out. and although
weak from loss of blood. was compelled
90 march seven leagues. At the solicit
tation of my aunt. a gray-haired old lady,
whose house the column passed, the Of
fcer finally consented 20 permit the old
darkey to remain behind and die. Thirty
colored laborers from an adjoining plan
tation We're witnesses to this act of cruel
~. and they Immediately threw down their
tools and Joined the insurgent forces.
"In Calimete on February G. druggist
with ten companions was arrested in the
town as suspects taken TO the outskirts.
and without a trial of any kind
SHOT To DEATH.
The druggist was accused Of selling meii-
cine TO physicians of the lnsurgent army.
Near the same city and on the same day.
Alfredo Hernandez. an American citizen.
with three other whites and two negroes.
were shot at the order of Col. Segura.
simply because when asked to tell in what
direction irsurgent columns were, they re-
Piled 4 don't know
At Bainoa. on February :. Ia Y Flaquer.
commander Of the Guardia Civillia. order
al shot the mulatto. Carlos Valdez. and
twenty others for being suspects This
same commander sent twenty-six political
prisoners from Bainoa TO the dungeons Of
Havana I'm ten days. Miss Navarro. now
I'm New York, confirms the above state
ment 7 was told while i'm Havana that
significant shots were heard from within
the castle walls every night and morning.
AT Cardenas Carlos de IA Rosa. owner
Of the Tinguado plantation. with two
companions one OF whom is the son Of. the
American consul at that place. the other
the son Of the owner of the great sugar
estate la Vega, a few days before I left
organized body of 500 men. who were
comparatively we'll armed. and ioined
Gen. Gomez. At Meiena del Sur Or. Max
imo Zertucha and 100 men joined the in
surgeuts during the latter part Of January.
Al Ouivican on January 6. at Q O'Clock I'm
the evening. Cristoval Perez. a citizen OF
Quivican. with go men. unarmed. sur
rounded CIV previous arrangem6nO twenty
volunteers. who locked themselves IN a
church. The volunteers were then inform
ed that an insurgent column was ap-
pros Two shots were fired. where
uron the volunteers came out OF the
church. Joined Perez and his band. turn
Ing over 10 them 20 Remington rifles and
100 rounds Of ammunition. They then
tnIrai Cen. Gomez's command. Among