The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-13
THAT STRUCK DOWN ANTONIO
MACEO.
INVITED TO A CONFERENCE.
KILLED, WITH THE MEMBERS OF
HIS STAFF, BY SPANISH
ASSA.SSINS.
DIR. zERrUcHA PLAYED THE JUDAS
age Turned Over to Marquis
Ahumada by WeyIer.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Dec H.
JustO Carrillo, a well known Cuban of
this city, brother of the Cuban general
Carrillo, has received the following let
ter from trustworthy correspondent
in Havana confirming the reports of
the death of Antonio Maceo, and show
ing that he was killed by treachery:
Havana, Dec. 9.-Our brave general, Antonio
Maceo, and the greater part of his staff have
been murdered by the Spaniards, the Spanish
major Cirujeda, acting the part of assassin,
with Dr. Maximo Zertucha assistant in
the horrible drama. Convinced that, notwth-
standing his enormous army, he could do
nothing against our gallant leader, who had
so repeatedly defeated the Spanish generals
in Pinar del Rio, Weyler conceived the idea
Of appeasing his beastly instincts by cold
blooded murder and, making the best Of
the secret relations between DR.. Zertuncha
and the Marquis of Ahumada, he planned
with the latter his hellish scheme.
Weyler took the field, and, in his absence
Ahamada proposed through Zertucha con-
ference with Maceo, to take place at a GER
tain point in the province of Havana with
the view OF arranging plans for the cessation
Of hostilities. The basis was to be Cuba's
Independence and monetary indemnity to
Spain, together with certain advantages that
should be agreed upon for Spanish commerce
and Spanish capital invested there. To carry
out the plan, the agreement was that orders
should be given to the detachments of troops,
stationed on the trocha in the section between
Mariel and Guanajay, to allow Maceo, with
his staff, to pass the military line unmolested.
Time was required to mature these arrange
ments and to give them all the appearance
OF truth, Ahumada feigned that before acting
his previous approval. This explains the
sudden arrival of Weyler in Havana, and
his prompt return to Pinar del Rio.
The conditions and place of the meeting
having been agreed upon, Maceo crossed the
trocha over the road to Guanajay without
being molected by the forts. but as as
ne ne arrived at the place decided upon, he and
his party were greeted with a tremendous
| volley from the troops under Maj. Cirujeda,
who lay conveniently in ambush Most of the
| officers of his staff fell with Gen Maceo
Zertucha is alive because he was aware Of
| the scheme and remained in the rear. The
| Spaniards know where the bodies are, but are
bent on feigning ignorance. to blot out the
| yestiges of the crime.
Havana and all Spain are rejoicing because,
! in their stupidity they hope that the war
may end with the death Of this leader. Far
| from it. The spirit of the Cuban3 has grown
| more ardent and today they are resolved to
make every sacrifice before surrenderng their
! arms to their relentless tyrants. In this
/ very province of Havana in which our
army is least numerous and has the least
means of defense, the Cubans are operating
with greater and greater activity, and not
! day passes that we do not hear in this
! city the firing on Guanabacoa. The Span
/ iardS may treacherously murder sor1e of our
! patriots, but no earthly power can annihiIate
/ tie spirit of liberty floating now as ever
over the Cpban people.
Joaquin Fortune pointed out yester-
Gay the following facts, which, in hts
! opinion, corroborate the statements in
the foregoing letter and indicate that
! Maceo is really dead:
First-La Lucha published an article last
Saturday in which it was stated that on the
/ previous day Maj. Cirujeda had had an en-
! gagement with an insurgent force and had
killed 81 CubanS, not named, at precisely
the place in which Gen. Maceo was murdered
! Second-The first dispatch sent from Hay-
/ ceived on Tuesday stated that Mai Cirujeda
j had previous knowledge of the horse that
] Gen. Maceo was to ride. How did he re-
/ quire that knowledge?
Third-Weyler publicly attributes the
| glory Of the event to the Marquis of Alum
| ada, who has not been away from Havana.
I Why should not the glory be given exclusive
! iy to Mai. Cirujeda, who had the good for
| tune, If the encounter was an accident to
| come unexpectedly on Maceo's party.
1 Fourth-FrOm the first, even before con-
vincing proofs had been offered such assur-
| ance was expressed at the palace as indicated
| preconcerted plan
Fifth-Zertucha's previous conduct, it now
appears, is not altogether free from blemish
| Sixth-A manifest contradiction appears be-
tween what is said by the authorities in
Havana and what the Spanish minister OF
| foreign affairs announces in his confirmatory
| telegram to Minister De LONE at Washing
| ton. The HavarA authorities distinctly say
| they have been unable to secure the BODY
! of Maceo, while the telegram from Madrid
states that the body has been identified This
| version was transmitted to Madrid to give
| the home government full assurance of the
| fact, while it was later thought fit to con-
ceal the truth from the press in Havana in
| order to conceal the dastardly crime.