Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-11-30
slI6MrlY MIXED.
llsst. Rles Knows Nothing d the Story Tod
About Hin.

| New York, Nov. 29.-Jose Felix Rios
who holds q commission as sub-lieu
tenant in the Cuban army. arrived
in this city from Jacksonville on thu
steamship Algonquin. on Friday night
He, with several other higher omcer'
of the Cuban army. who needed specia
medical treatment in this country, lef
| the Cuban coast on October ~ in al
open boat and arrived five days latel
at Nassau, closely pursued by tn
Spanish gunboat Nueva Espana. From
Nassau four of the party came direc
to New York. Among them was Ser
geant Crecencio Varona, one of Cuba.
youngest soldiers.
Rios, with Gustavo Ortega. Carlos
G.. Menocal and Albert Conspiere. wen
to Key West. After remaining abou
three weeks they left there for thi.
city. The men called, yesterday, a,
the Cuban Junta headquarters. No. 81
New street. Rios, who, for some rea
son or other appears to have been re-
ferred to in press dispatches from Jack
sonville as Colonel Jose Reyes" II
conversation, yesterday. with a groul
OF Cubans at headquarters, said:
Though it does not surprise me tc
see my name misquoted, because there
is some similarity in its sound and that
of the one wrongly given me. l am as
tonished at the startling story attrib-
uted to me from Jacksonville. II
strikes me as if a story which l spoke
about to some friends there regarding
battle that took place. last October
at the Rubi hills. in Pinar del Rio
province. between Gen. Maceo's com
mand and large Spanish force under
Gen. Melguizo where about 1000 Span
iards We're reported in Gomezs camp
as having been killed by a dynamite
explosion caused by Maceo's men, has
been confused with an engagement
with Gen. Weyler's troops in the samt
territory about 10 days ago"
The details of the October engage
ment are similar to those told of in the
story OF Weyler's alleged battle, which
was attributed to Rios or Reyes" He
denies that he ever gave any interview
but declares instead that he simply
had discussed with friends the reported
losses recently sustained by Gen. Wey-
Ter.
Lieutenant Rios says. regarding the
DttufalIOI III tDt RItN tiitFo vi .'i4itidSt
de Cuba and Camaguey by the Cubans
The Cuban government is in excel
lent condition in those districts. The
Spaniards have almost abandoned
them. In the mountains the govern
ment of Cuba Libre' conducts schools
for the children of the patriots. The
pupils range in age from seven to IL
years. all the boys of a greater age
than that being engaged in the fight
for Cuban independence. The books
for the use of these schools are edited
with a view to inspire the young Cuban
with the highest patriotic ideas.
There are several newspapers print
ed by the Cubans for circulation among
the patriots on the island. Taxes are
pretty regularly collected in the east
ern region Of the island Government
shops are kept busy making shoes and
clothing for the men, repairing arms
and reloading cartridges
Rios is a native Spaniard. but went
to Cuba when boy.
He has been aware of the progress of
the revolution even in the extreme West,
because the reports of Gen. Maceo' S
movements reach regularly the camps
of President Cisneros- Betancourt and
Gen. Gomez.