The evening times., 1896-02-27

Key West, Fla. Feb. 27.-Refugees from
the towns of Punta Brara and GuataO,
twelve miles way, have arrived a Havana,
and state reign of terror exists in their
locality in consequence OF troops having
massacred peaceable citizens at GuayatO
on Sunday, the 22d.
The official government report, issued
Sunday, states that fight occurred near
Punta Brara on the previous day between
the troops sent from Mariana. and the
insurgent bands of villauueva and Acosta
resulting in glorious victory for the
Spanish arms, twenty insurgents having
been killed and fifteen prisoners taken.
Residents at GuataO have identified e;gh-
teen OF the dead as pacificos peaceful citi-
zens), two were insurgents. and the pris-
oners are nearly all said to be peaceful. One
Of them. named Ladislao Quintero, claims
American citizenship. He is wounded by
q ball In the arm.
The following names of the dead paclf-
icOs have been obtained:
Jose Cantera. Pedro Amador. Pascual
Chaves. Vidal Prcito: Francisco Loza. II.
Quisano. n. Hernandez, Ascadio Garcia,
francisco Sales and Pancho Chico. 1t is
impossible to obtain the names OF the 9TH
ers owing to the fright of the inhabitants.
thorough investigation by American
correspondents despite the fact that one
OF their number has been arrested and
lodged in Moro Castle. accused OF visiting
Guatao. has resulted In aabtaining the fol-
lowing facts:
On the morning of the 22d band. not
exceeding forty insurgents. uIder VILLAIN
ueva and Acnsta. were attacked on the
highway by troops under Lieut.. Zieugesti
and civil guards, also under the acialde OF
Hoyo Colorado. town two miles west of
Punta Brara. The fight occurred at the
western entrance of Punta Brara, twelve
miles from Havana. 1t resulted in wound
ing one Spanish soldier, who was shot
in the head and died half an hour later.
The insurgents withdrew all the troops,
entered Punta Brara, and remained two
hours. sending mounted messengers to
Marianao, fivemiles east, asking that troops
be sent to Punta Brara. Lieut.. Zuegesti
then moved his detachment back to Hoyo
Colorado. The Marquis de Cervera, al
caide OF Mnrianao, In command of troops
there. sent eco men. including the battalion
Publico, volunteers, firemen and a section OF
horse artillery. all under command of Capt.
Calvo.
The troops found group of about twenty
five rebels a a stone bridge on the highway
at the eastern entrance OF Punta Brara at
p. M, and some scattering firing followed.
Both sides admit no losses occurred. The
rebels rctreated south along the road lead
ing to Guatao, a small town one mile dis
tant. aving thero before arriving at the
town and scattering in alldirections.
cuOr NfrJ
The Spanish column kept the road and
entered Guatao, firing right and left ut
everybody in sight. A milkman loading
wagon in front OF his house, an eighth Of
mile outside OF town. was shot ard wound
ed. He ran AID concealed himself in. the
house. Some troops left the line, broke
into the house aud shot the man dead in his
room. The people OF Guatao fled to the
woods or hid In houses upon the arrival
OF the troops. who fired irdiscriminafely.
The town contains about forty houses,
many OF them only tbatched huts. Several
men were shot while running toward the
woods and others in places OF oenceal-
meDt. Some were too old to run. One man
sick with erysipelas WAS killed in bed.
The troops entered the houses and shot
men In the rooms. One woman whose bus
band hid in a bedroom stood in the front
door, pleading for life. and was struck
by the butt Of a musket and knocked in
sensible. A soldier broke down the door
and shot her husband One man, fifty
eight years old, was killed. All mentioned
We're peaceable citizens.
The three brothers, Chaves, cigarnlakers,
working in Havana, left work in this city
Saturday noon, and went TO GuataO in the
afternoon to visit their mother. One was
shot dead running to the wood and two
were taken prisoners. Troops brought the
bodies o the dead from the house ses and fields
and placed them on the ground in front of
the main store. The prisoners, who were
captured in houses and fields without arms,
were pinioned and compelled to walk to
Marianao. They were bruised and ILL.,
treated on the way. and required medical
attendance upon their arrival.
Three physicians OF the Red Cross So
ciety went to Guatao and found thirteen
dead and no wounded. The bodies were
buried in the cemetery at Guatao.
THEY KILLED THE PRISONERS.
Five prisoners taken on the morning OF
the fight on the outskirts of Punta Brara,
were killed in the fields, making eighteen
peaceful citizens slain.
The Spanush papers claim the insurgents
took refuge in the houses at Guatao, firing
upon troops from the same. A careful ex-
animation of the house and huts shows no
signs of bullets, no outer doors or windows
are broken and there are no signs of con-
flict. The only stone building In town,
the church. was not entered.
Among the dead was the grave digger,
making it necessary to obtain negro to
dig the graves, The residents of Marianao
say the troops were drunk when they re-
turned with the prisoners Saturday night.
Edward sanches, keeper Of a dry goods
store at Marianao and a member of volun-
teers, openly boasts he went into bedroom
at Guatao and shot man underr the bed.
openly boasts he went into bedroom at
Guatao and shot a man under the bed.
The facts above related are verified by
persons who went to Punta Brara and
Guatao.
Madrid. Feb. GA dispatch to the I'M
! parcial from Havana says that upon the re-
quest of United States Consul General Will
iams, Capt. Weyler has ordered the
release of Charles Nicholson, the CORE
spondeut in Cuba of the New York Journal.
and Lorenzo Betancourt, his interpreter,
| who were arrested and confined in Moro
Castle after having visited the insurgent
quarters, and Messrs Nicholson and
Betancourt have been liberated.