The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-12-17
WEYLER HAVANA
TIE CAPTAIN GENERAL RETURNS
TO THE CAFITAL
He L. Given an Ovation and Is Con
yr,,u,st,d Upon the Death of the
Cuban Lcndcr-tubnn ympathiH-
ers StiIi Hope That MaceO Is
Alive, but VIII Continue the .o"-
test Even IL He Has Been Killed,

havana, wv
claims of the Spanish officials that
they have abundant proof of the death
of Antonio Maceo and his young nidc,
Francisco Gomez, son of Maxine 10
mez. continue without abatement. Inc
details which are announced to-day,
however. of the facts relied upon Tor
the Identification of the two CuDans
have caused an u"ndcrcurrent OF doubt
In this city. Maj. Cirujeda, who com
handed the Spanish forces in the en-
paremcut Mt Punta Bravo OH Monday,
md whose troops discovered the two
bodies and gave the evidence OF identl-
fcation, consented to be interviewed
on the circumstances Of the case. lie
said TO the correspondent OF II AS
sociated Press that when the reDels
were routed II was evident that the
body of the chief was abandoned on
the field. The Spanish column, with
ont stopping to explore the held. went
I'm hot pursuit Uf the insurgents and
followed them for Il mile or more.
Meantime. yOuN" Gomez is supposed
| TO have committed suicide by Maceos
side.
While the troops were returning 10
Guato after the pursuit had ceased,
| various gucrrillIs belonging to Maj.
Ciruipda'S command went over the
field where the rOut of the Insurgents
| had occurred and searched the bodies
remaining there for anything of m
portancc.
THE body Of Macco." Maj. Cirujcda
| continued. "waS relieved of Il ring,
| clothing. etc. The guerrillas who per-
formed the act were. ut the time, quite
that the body was that OF
Maceo. In fact. little attention was
paid to the identity of the bodies. 1t
was already dark on the field, and 1T
was raining. Various other bodies
were also searched
1t was an adjutant. according to
| Mai. Cirujpda's further statement. who
insisted that the above mentioned
body and the other. which v@s lying
by its side. were evidently Of first rate
| Importance. and that they must not
thus be left without Identification.
THE two bodies were. therefore, tied
by the feet TO the tails OF some horses"
Mai. CirUieda wen on to relate. and
thus dragged over the ground. the in
tCntion being to carry them to town
for Identification. But after proceeding
for awhile the horses became tired
with their burden and the bodies We're
therefore cut loose and left in the
road"
Chase by Spaniards
Key West. Fla. Dec. 1.-THE Gu
ban leaders here ard ut Tampa deny
the reports from the Spanish Office ut
Havana Of the deaths of Gen. Maceo
and the son Of Gen. Gomez. Although
reports from Havana are mcager. yet
II nnnltDh hos hnan InaniVal IN nFnN'n
that the friends Of the insurgents i'm
the Spanish capital do not believe the
report Of Maceo's death. The palace
officials do not confirm the mornings
report by any further details. which
leads the Cubans to think that this is
only a canard intended to influence the
| American congress now in session.
The leaders here have made diligent
inquiry, but have received nothing to
induce them to believe that Maceo has
been killed. Am rriCIn correspondents
] sent cOuriers to the scene of the bat
tie. but they were chased back to the
| city by the Spanish troops.
His Seventh Death.
New York, Dec. II. - DR.. Thomas
Estrada Palma and DR.. J. Castillo. of
the Cuban junta in this city. refuse to
| give credance to the report OF the
death of Gen. MaceO in a recent en-
| gagement.
This is the seventh time that the
news of Maceo's death has been cir
culated with the s"mblance of official
authority" said the doctor. Continu-
ing, the doctor said it had always been
the custom TO report that Maceo had
fallen in conflict whenever he COM
PEELED the Spanish to retreat with
heavy loss Of life.
FlntIy Denied.
New York. Dec. II. 80 The Worlds
Key West special says: Private Ha-
vana advices fatty deny the Spanish
report that Maceo has been killed. The
story was concOcted at the palace to
cOuntcract the bad effect of Maceo's
success in crossing the trocha be-
tween two Spanish forts near Canas
without losing a man.
spnniards Celebrate.
Madrid. Dec. IL. The official an
nouncement Of the death of Antonio
Maceo and Francisco Gomez, son Of
Maxine Gomez, has been published.
and has caused the greatest enthusi-
asm. Crowds OF students are march
Ing through the streets, manifestations
are being held In front of the ministry
for the colonies. and the crowds are
cheering for Spain, the army and Mai.
CiruJeda, whose column defeated the
insurgents under Maceo in Havana
province.
Dallas, Tex, De-. 12.-The head OF
the local Cuban committee to-day re-
ceived dispatches from Kew West
making absolute denial Of the Spanish
reports from Havana of the alleged