The news & observer., 1896-12-18
Mlc[O DYING HARD
Two Stories Of HIS Not Yet
Beiag Dead.
SAID TO BE IN MATANZAS
Artist de Lipman's Account and
Gen. Prats Dispatch.
COMPANIES STILL ENLiSTlNG

ing Congress to Go Slow, Hinting
That Something Will be Done
After Present Campaign.
Jacksonville, Fla, Dec. 17.-Special to
the Citizen from Tampa says:
Nj. De Lipman, representing the New
York Journal arrived from Havana to-
night. He is thoroughly convinced now
that Maceo is not dead. The authorities
there claim to have the dead body OF
Naceo. but for some unknown reason
they will not allow any one to see the
body. Before leaving Havana De Lip
man offered $3.50 for the privilege of
looking at the body, but was refused. lie
then offered $500 for the photograph OF
the dead body of Maceo, said to be held.
This offer syas also declined and no
plausible reason was given, whereupon
he says that he believes the whole story
is a fake, and that the reports to the effect
that Maceo is alive are true, an opinion
that is shared by many people in Havana,
who did not think him dead at first.
People there now believe that Weyler
has yictimized them with the story.
Passengers arrived here tonight on
the Olivette bring glad tidings TO Gu
bans here They report that at 3 O'Clock
Tuesday night a telegram was received
in Havana by the authorities, stating
that General Prats, Spanish commander
in Matanzas province, became engaged
during that afternoon with a large party
of insurgents, under the leadership of
Naceo, and that he engagement was
waxing warmer every hour. 1t is said
that when this news reached Havana
all of the entertainments were ordered
stopped and the festivities celebra ting the
death of Maoeo ceased. LIP to the time
that the OIisstfe left Wednesday nothing
further had been heard.
General Julio Sanguily will be given a
civil trial on the twenty-frst.
is HE DEAD OR ALIVE?
Key West, Dec. 17.-Passengers who
arrived here from Cuba last night report
that General Pratt had wired General
Weyler from the province of Matanzas
that he had an engagement in that pro-
vince with Antonio Maceo's forces, led
by Maceo himself and that upon receipt
of the telegram conveying this informa-
tion all the festivities which were in
progress in Havana to celebrate the death
of Maceo We're ordered to be suspended.
The passengers further stated that a
number of newspaper reporters, to con-
vince themselves Of the truth or falsity
of the report of Maceo's death, went to
Punta Bravo, province of Havana, and
one of them had an interview with the
insurgent chief, Baldomero Acosta, who
told him that the Spaniards, who had
come to search for Maceo's body would
not find it, as Meaco was at the head of
his army and was moving towards
Oriente. He also stated that he had ac-
companied Maceo to the province of
Matanzas, where he left him, after an
affectionate parting. When he left Maceo
the latter was suffering from a slight
wound. The passengers also conveyed
the information that the Cuban paper,
La Lucha, in its issue of the 18th inst,
gave a meagre account of battle which
had been fought at Rosario, near Ca
banas,in the extreme northern part of the
province of Pinar del Rio. General Ber-
nal was in command of the Spanish
forces and the government troops sus-
tanned a loss of one lieutenant-colonela and
two lieutenants wounded, Captain San
chez killed and eighteen soldiers wound
ed. The enemy are said to have lost
heavily. The column of General Bernal
continued its march to Cayabos, when
they had another minor engagement, suf-
fering a loss of one man killed and eleven
wounded.
BELIEVED TO BE DEAD.
New York, Dec 17--Dr j. Castillo, Of
the Cuban Junta says that in the opinion
of the Junta there can be little doubt of
Maceo's death and that it is generally
believed that he came to his death
through treachery on the part of DIR.
Zertucha. In order to learn the facts
about the engagement in which the pa
triot was killed, emissaries have been sent
from Havana to find the troops which
he commanded.
Several have returned and reported
that they could find no trace of the in
surgents, showing that they had re-
treated further inland. Five soldiers
who were wounded were found in huts
which had been turned into hospitals and
they told the agents or the Junta that
Maceo was not dead. However, not
much faith is pinned on the assurances
of the wounded men of Maceo, since the
General may have been shot after the
soldiers had been rendered hors de com
bat.
AS inquiry proceeds no additional con-
frmation of the story that Maceo was
lured to a supposed peace conference can
be obtained, although it seems to be GER
tain that Maceo was entrapped into an
ambuscade through the Vaccinations of
Zertucha.
Efforts are being made to bring to this
country an officer who was on Maceo's
staff and present when he was shot. so
that he may be sent to Washington to
appear before the foreign relations CON-
mitfee Of the Senate.
TEMPLE HOUSTON'S RANGERS.
Kansas City, Mo-, Dec. 17.-United
Gtatnr Iarchal Ion GhnlLxr