The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-11-20
TRUE CUBAN STORY
Told BY an Editor Who Recently
ESCAPED From Havana,
EVERYBODY WANTS PEACE
spain Holds the Island by Sheer
Forcs of Arms-How Weyler
shoots Down Like Dogs
His Prisoners.

New York. Nov. 19.-Manuel NJ. Cor
onado. editor of the Cuban patriot
newspaper, La Discussion, published
In Havana, who escaped fom that city
in the last days of October after Gen
eral Weyler had ordered his arrest,
reached New York this morning He
brought with him important news and
early this afternoon visited the quar-
tiers of the junta In this city.
OF his escape he said: when i
learned by private tips that Weyler
had ordered my arrest l made immedi-
ate preparations for escape. The order
was not surprise. l had secured
disguise. the costume of an ordinary
sailor. When my house was surround
ed by troops hastily shaved off my
heavy moustache, and donning my dis
Euse, which also included heavy
false black goatee. ! stepped into the
house adjoining and made my escape
to the street, as thought. unobserved.
1t was o'clock I'm the afternoon. i
jumped into a carriage, but the alarm
was given and the police pursued me
In another. Then l worked an old
game. l told my driver to keep ahead,
and watching for an opportunity, I
jumped from the carriage and walked
back on the pavement. mingled with
the crowd and made my escape to the
country. A few days afterwards-I
prefer not to give dates-I shipped
aboard sailing vessel as a common
sailor. The captain knew me, however.
We reached New Orleans after an un-
eventful trip and ] came 10 New York
by rail. arriving this morning"
In reply TO a question as to the gen.
eral feeling of the people living in Cuba
he said. through an interpreter: To
day we might say that Spain holds
Cuba by sheer force OF arms. The
whole country, Spanish and Cuban
alike, desire peace, even at almost any
sacrifice, and although it may seem
strange. the Spanish element Is quite as
pronounced in this feeling as the Gu
bans and wish peace and independence
for Cuba. II is thought Cuba, again
under Spanish rule. would be unable to
pay the enormous war debt already in
Cured or to stand the tremendous tax
alton which would invariably he inn
posed by Spain upon Cuba, ana an
other uprising would. under those cir
cumstances, follow. Spain would nave
to expend great sums of money to keep
Cuba in submission. The war debt is
now estimated at s5O0000,0o0 and Is ac-
cumulating at the rate OF Sl2,0OO,OOO a
month.
IF Cuba gains her independence In
this struggle she will start afresh with
wonderful possibilities. for Spain will
soon be forced by lack of funds to with
draw her troops. The opinion ! ex-
press Is not that of a transient Cuban
resident but of merchants ard land
owners Spanish az well as Cubans.
The Spaniards express this opinion in
private only. as public expression OF IL
would insure their execution as rebels.
Weyler does as he pleases. His latest
edict is that all persons, women and
children, who are found outside of the
Spanish lines shall be considered rebels
and shot as spies. This edict was pub
lished only in the official gazette In
Havana, which circulates among OIL
GERS and officials only. There was no
way In which those outside OF the cir
cles could learn of the edict.
There is no railroad to Pinar del Rio
from Havana and II is in this province
that the edict has cost many lives.
People taken under this edlct are
marched outside the gates OF the city
and shot down by the soldiers. The
reports of prisoners captured by Wey-
Ter are only the capture of these poor
devils. The former practice OF the
Spanish authorities of shooting prison.
ers in Mora castle and throwing the
bodies into the water beneath rs food
for sharks has been stopped. but not
long ago several bodies drifted into the
bay of Havana. The authorities eX-
plained to inquirng citizens that the
men had probably been drowned. But
let holes in the head, however. dis
proved this. The people would welcome
anything to hasten the end, not only
on account of loss of property and life,
but on account Of the massaeres.'