The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-12-13


ing the best of the secret relations between
DR.. Zertucha and the Marquis of Ahumada,
he planned with the latter his hellish
scheme.
''Weyler took the field and in his absence
Ahumada, who acting governor gen.
eral proposed, through Zertucha, a confer
ence with Maceo to take place at a certain
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 a monetary indemnity TO
Spain, together with certain advantages
that should be agreed upon for Spanish
commerce and Spanish capital invested
there.
ITO carry out the plan the agreement
was that orders should be given to the de-
tachment 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 re-
quired to mature these arrangements and.
TO give them all the appearance OF truth,
Ahumada feigned that before acting he
must make them known TO Weyler for his
previous approval. This explains the sud-
den arrival of Weyler in Havana and his
prompt return to Pinar del Rio.
THE conditions and place of the meet
ing, having been agreed on, Maceo crossed
the trocha over the road to Guanajay with
out being molested by the forts. but as
soon he arrived at the place decided on
he and his party were greeted by tremen-
dous volley from the troops under Major
Cirujeda, who lay conveniently in ambush.
Most Of the officers on his staff fell with
General 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 ig-
norance to blot out the vestiges of the
crime.
Havana and all Spain are rejoicing be-
cause in their stupidity they hope that the
war may end with the death of this lead
er Far from il. The spirit of the Cubans
has grown more ardent, and to-day they
are resolved to make every sacrifice before
surrendering 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 ac-
tivity and not day passes that we do not
hear in this city the firing on Guanabacoa-
The Spaniards may treacherously. murder
some of our patriots, but no earthly power
can annihiiate the spirit of liberty floating.
now as ever, over the Cupah people"
Joaquin Fertun pointed out yesterday the
following facts, which, in his opinion, cor
roborate the statements in the foregoing
letter and indicate that Maceo is really
dead
Il. La Lucha published article last
Saturday in which 1t was stated that on
the previous day Major Cirujeda had had
an engagement with an insurgent force and
L. LIN %ls-
at precisely the place in which General
Maceo was murdered.
So The first dispatch sent from Havana
reporting Maceo's death, which was re-
ceived on Tuesday, stated that Major
Ciruieda had previous knowledge of the
horse that General Maceo was to ride. How
did he acquire that knowledge?
''3 Weyler publicly attributes the glory
of the event to the Marquis of Ahumada,
who has not been away from Havana Why
should not the glory be given exclusively
20 Major Cirujeda, who had the good for
tune, if the encounter was an accident, to
come unexpectedly on Maceo's party?
"a. From the first, even before convinc-
ing proofs had been offered, such assur-
ance was expressed at the palace as indi-
Gated a preconcerted plan.
5. Zertucha's previous conduct, ii now
appears, is not altogether free from blem-
ish.
'6. 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 confrma-
tory telegram to Minister de LONE at
Washington The Havana authorities dis
tinctly say that they have been unable to
secure the body of Maceo, while the tele-
gram from Madrid states that the body has
been identified. This version was trans
mitted to Madrid to give the home govern
ment full assurance of the fact, while it was
later thought fit to conceal the truth from
the press in Havana in order to conceal
the dastardly crime"