Birmingham state herald., 1896-12-13
A RELIC OF BARBARlSM
Which Has Reused the Civilized World to Cry
 Out in Horror.
WHEN CALLED UPON TO SURRENDER
He Cried "Never!'' and Died With "Cuba Libre' on His Jips-His Physiciln
 Proved Judas = Will
 Congress Now Actp

Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 12.--The Constitu- : tion's Key West special gives the follow ing account of Maceo's death, indicating his betrayal and duplicating Dr. Zer- tucha: tf5
 Key West, Fla, Dec. 12.--Your core spondent is now enabled to state upon the most undoubted authority, that the death of Gen. Maceo was a premeditated assassination, and that the failure to produce his body is because it's mutilated condition would shock even Spanish off, cial sensibilities.
 It seems that Gen. Maceo had planned a successful crossing of the trocha, and that, taking the sea route, with body guard, he was to rejoin his forces east of Mariel This was accomplished in safety, and while standing alone, within sight of line of skirmishes, the general was shot down by men in hiding, who were awaiting their victim. His body, so far as Spanish reports go, at once dis appeared, but the truth is that it was hacked up by the assassins, who ex- hausted every indignity of which brutal minds are capable.
 It has been well known for a year past that there was price set upon Maceo' s head, and that Capt.-Gen. Weyler looked howard assassination and not military tri- umpn TOT VlcCOry. HIS last OIllcldl dcl upon reaching the island was to give recognition to the plateadoes, bands of free booters whom his predecessor pun dshed 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 Cu- bans, would find protection within Span ish lines, whilst the latter would officially deny all knowledge of them. But 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 execut- ed, while the greater part of them found protection within Spanish lines. All though the enormity of their crime was known, and their victims were convent school girls. the criminals were protected from molestation and are today free.
 These are the men whom Gen. Weyler has spent hundreds of thousands of dol- lars to attach to his cause, and through him he has ordered the killing of foreign CTS whom he dared not call up In court To them he has made offers of reward for the assassination of innocent leaders For three weeks it has been known in Havana that a clever bribe was out for the surrender of Gen. Maceo. It was to the effect that he held the ticket which called for the grand prize of $50,000 in the Havana lottery. He did not care to call for the cashing of this cleverly ar ranged bribe; and then it was, upon the departure of Gen. Weyler for the hills several days ago that 1t was bruited about that the man who killed Maceo could have the prize.
 The story of Maceo's death, as told from official sources sustains fully the theory of assassinat ton. Gen. Maceo, in stead of crossing the trocha directly with his men, was, through some covert in- fiuence, induced to pass Mariel in 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 victim to the trap into is that Spaniards. who usually kill every ate enough to have allowed Maceo's phy- Instead of putting him in chains and rushing him off to a dungeon he is treat ed with distinction, is paraded before newspaper correspondents, and has that freedom of speech which is novelty in Cuba.
 The depression into which the Cubans were thrown upon the first announce ment of Maceos death, now that the fact of his cowardly assassination is confirm ed, has changed to that of desperate de- termination, and will make even more persistent their fight for freedom. Maceo's assassination Is pointed out as conclusive evidence that Spain Is still a stranger to civilized methods and the lesson drawn therefrom by the Cubans Is that they might as well die with their faces to the foe, as become the victims of aSGq SSina tiOn.