Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-16
ENLrsTING ron "cuBA LInRE."
Process Not Entirely Free from Dam
ger Even without Seeing WcyIcr.

| WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.-The attention
OF officials has been attracted by the stories
coming from all portions of the country in
dicating that enlistments are going on OF par
ties Of men to go to Cuba to join the inSur-
! gents In their struggle against the Spanish,
| These cnlstments are in direct violation OF
! the neutrality laws, and are prohibited un-
| der severe penalties. For accepting a COM
| mission to serve against Spain, n country
| with which the United States Is now at
| peace, the penalty prescribed by section
| 52Sl revised statutes, Is $4,000 fine and
| three years imprisonment, while for enlist
! ing to serve against Spain or hiring any one
| to enlist the penalty Is almost as heavy,
! being q maximum OF 81 600 fine and three
years Imprisonment. The enforcement of
| these laws naturally falls within the func-
| tions Of the United states attorneys, to
! whose knowledge the attempt at infringe
ment is brought but If the movements con-
| tinue on as large a scale as reported 1t is
| probable the Department of Justice will
send institutions Of a special character to
| all of its agents, calling their attention to
! the proclamation issued by the president
last spring, enjoining upon them a strict
enforcement OF the neutrality laws.
| ANXIOUS TO FIGHT FOR CUBA.
| NEW YORK. Dec 15-The officers of the
| Cuban junta were besieged today by appi
cants for enlistment in the Cuban army.
| Even before any OF the officials connected
with the legation had arrived, a crowd of
sturdy young men stood at the entrance to
the headquarters, waiting for the doors to
| open, and before o'clock the Cuban cause
could have had sixty able-boded recruits.
| All were dismissed with the information
| that no men were wanted. The Cuban Off
clals said today that they had been quite
! overwhelmed with applications and that dur
| ing the last twenty-four hours nearly 800
| men had applied for enlistment, all of whom
| had been refused, owing to the law prohib
| iting enlistments here for service in foreign
armies. Many more applications had also
| been received by mail.
The New York Council of Cuban Revolu-
| tionary Clubs has issued an address, paying
| tribute to the character of the soldier and
| martyr, Antonio Maceo and concluding as
| follows:
Let every Cuban family reafIirm its warm
devotion to the cause of independence by
| forwarding to our brethren now struggling
on the field of battle, as u cheering voice
from every home and as new proof of our
close union in the common cause at least
one rifle with which new arm also ready
to fall in glorious death before yielding,
shall respond to the supreme and final eff
fort and to the presumptuous confidence of
the Spanish people.
Three thousand members of the organiza-
ticn known as the American Friends of
! Cuba" will march next Monday evening in
a body to Cooper Union and participate in the
demonstration to be held there in sympathy
with the Cuban patriots The organization IL
| made up entirely of American citizens. In
the parade will march a company costumed
as Cuban soldiers President Frank Mayo,
who isI one of the survivors of the Vrginus
expedition. will head the line.
A mass meeting to express sympathy with
the Cuban insurgents was held in Jersey
City tonight Among the speakers was S. C,
Henriques, who was United States consul at
Cardenas during the Harrison administration.
He said that Spain was eXultng over the foul
assassination of as grand man ever went
forth to give battle in the cause of human
liberty. The United States, he declared.
could no longer afford to be one Of the nations
who oppress Cuba.
JUNTA GETS LOTS OF SYMPATHY.
From all parts of the United
States, from Mexico and from Paris,
kilograms were received by the Cuban
junta--- and by prominent Cubens in
New York, in which the correspondents
expressed their sympathy for free Cuba
and offered financial assistance to the men
who are making a fight for liberty.
One of the most ardent writer's was Her
bert Wolcott, chairman of the Cuban Amer
lean league of Cleveland and brother OF
United States Senator Wolcott In his com
munication to Fide G. Pierrera Mr. VOL
colt said the American-born citizens of
Cleveland were intensely enthusiastic and
reprobated the murder of Maceo and his
staff, Money, Mr.. Wolcott said, was COM
ing In faster than at any time since the
would be no trouble in recruiting more
than one regiment So fervent is the SYM
pathy for Cuba that the junta would not
be asked TO eXpend a dollar of its funds
for equipment or transportation, Mr.. VOL
colt said. He wrote that members of the
Grand Army af the Republic in Cleveland
who were officers in the civil war had vol
unteered to go with enlisted men and
assume command of them in Cuba.
W. r. Galbraith, librarian of the Ohio
state library at Columbus, communicated
with Mr.. Pierrera, asking information as
to the shipping of munitions the trans
mission of funds and the forwarding of men
to Cuba. Mr.. GalDraith said the people
of that city were thoroughly in earnest
and that they could be counted upon for
larger subscriptions than ever before
In this city funds have been pouring in
to aid the Cuban cause and many inquiries
are being made of the Cuban officials as
to the best way to transmit funds and sup
plies to the men who are fighting.
COMPANY OF COLONELS READY,
LEXINGTON. Ky, Dec. 15.-At big |
mass meeting called by Mayor Simrall to |
take action in reference to the Cuban revo- |
luton, the court house crowded tonight. |
Resolutions were passed chat Cuba must be |
free: that the United States should help |
Cuba TO freedom by peaceable measures If |
she could by forcible measures If she must. |
Colonel Tom Davidson, after the meeting, |
tain Longmire of company r, state Guards, |
said he had forty men ready to start TO |
Cuba on twenty-four hours notice, under
command of Colonel Davidson.
KANSAS CITY, Dec. 15.-Already over
300 Cuban recruits have been enrolled in
this city and Colonel d. s. Hartman, head
of the local movement, stated today that |
there are just as many more in Kansas
City and vicinity ready and willing to go to |
the front. The men average between Is and |
35 years and are generally unmarried. The |
enrolment is going on in Harriman's office |
and no secrecy of the purpose of the move |
ment is made. should congress take ac- |
ton" said Colonel Hartman, that would |
permit armed men to go to Cuba without |
molestation, these men will be notified and |
sent in a body from Kansas City" There |
has been some talk that two Spanish spies |
had recently arrived in the city. In this |
regard Colonel Hartman says: Spanish |
spies cannot stop us
CINCINNATI. Dec. ia special to the
Commercial Tribune from Jacksonville.
Fla. says: The streets are crowded tonight |
with a grand outpouring of the citizens m
a torchlight parade and mass meeting in
favor Of Cuba. EXMayOr Fletcher, state
Senator j. Il. Hartridge, j. NJ Barr, Hon
c. j. Stockton and many other prominent
citizens addressed the vast throngs, Span
sh outrages were denounced and strong
resolutions passed demanding the govern
ment to now interfere in the interests Of