The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-13
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ZERTUCHA UNDER A CLOUD.
Suspicion That the Doctor Played
the Traitor to MnceO.


the Traitor to MaceO.
Atlanta. Ga, Dec. 12-The Constitution's
Key West correspondent gives the fol-
lowing account of Maceos death, indicat-
ing betrayal and duplicating DR.. Ter
tucha:
Your correspondent is now enabled to
state, upon the most undoubted authority,
that the death of Maceo was a premedi-
tated assassination and that the failure
to produce his body is because it's mutt
lated condition would shock even Spanish
official sensibilities.
'It seemed that Gen. Maceo had plan
ned a successful crossing of the trocha,
and that taking the sea route with a body
guard he was to rejoin his forces east of
Mariel. This was accomplished in safety,
and, while standing alone within sight
of a line of skirmishers, the general was
shot down by men in hiding, who were
awaiting their victim. His body, so far as
Spanish reports go, at once disappeared,
but the truth is that it was hacked up
by the assassins, who exhausted every
indignity of which brutal minds are ca
pable.
1T has been well known for year past
that there was price set upon Maceo's
AANeA0S dA0 lAdl Odpls OGl. NNSylGI lOOkeu
toward assassination, and not military
triumph, for victory. His first official act
upon reaching the island was to give rec
ognition to the plateadados, bands of free
hooters, whom his predecessor punished
as severely as did the Cubans. These
men, following in the wake of both
armies, would murder and plunder and
when chased down by the indignant Gu
bans, would find protection within Span
ish lines, whilst the latter would officially
deny all knowledge of them. But a few
weeks ago band of these men attacked
a convent in the province of Puerto Prin-
cipe, which was filled with young girls,
who were most shamefully abused. Some
Of these men were caught by Gen. Lacret,
the insurgent leader, and executed, while
the greater part of them found protec-
ton within the Spanish lines Although
the enormity of their crime was known
and their victims were convent school
girls, the criminals were protected from
molestation and are to-day free.
tThese are the men whom Gen. Weyler
has spent hundreds of thousands of dol
lars to attach to his cause, and through
them he has ordered the killing of foreign
ers whom he dared not call up in court
To them he has made offers of reward for
the assassination of insurgent leaders For
three weeks it has been known in Havana
that a clever bribe was out for the surren-
der of Gen. Maceo 1t was to the effect
that he held the ticket which called for the
grand prize of $4,000 in the Havana lot
terry. He did not care to call for the cashing
of this cleverly arranged bribe; and then
it was, upon the departure of Gen. Weyler
for the hills several days ago, that it was
bruited about that the man who killed Ma
Geo could have the prize.
1.-THE story of Maceos death, as told from
official sources, sustains fully the theory
of assassination. Gen. Maceo instead of
crossing the trocha directly with his men,
was, through some covert influence, induc-
ed to pass Mariel on his boat, and to reach
his forces on the east side of the death
line. There everything was in readiness by
the -conspirators, and the brave leader fell
a victim to the trap into which he had
walked. How singular it is that Spaniards,
who usually kill every one in sight, should
have been considerate enough to allow Ma
ceo's physician, Maxine Zertucha, to sur
render. Instead of putting him in chains
and rushing him off to a dungeon, he is
treated with distinction, Is paraded before
newspaper correspondents, and has the
freedom of speech, which is a novelty in
Cuba.
"The depression into which the Cubans
were thrown upon the first announcement
of Maceo's death, now that the fact of his
cowardly assassination is confirmed, has
changed to that of desperate determina-
ton, and will make even more persistent
their fight for freedom. Maceo's assassi-
nation is pointed out as conclusive evil
dence that Spain is still a stranger to CIV
ilized methods, and the lesson drawn
therefrom by Cubans is that they might
as well die with their faces to the foe, as
become victims of assassination.