The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-04
ALARM OF THE AMERICANS.
The Hostile Feeling of the Spanish
Increasiu~.

Havana, Feb. /, via Tampa, Fla. Feb.
3.-American residents here are becOm-
ing alarmed as to their safety in case
the report of the Senate committee on
foreign affairs becomes a law. The news
of the action of the committee caused
many bitter utterances in the local pa
pers against Americans. The feeling
against Americans has been fed by news
paper editorials and public utterances of
rabid Spanish office holders, to the ef-
feet that the United States is to blame
for all the trouble that has come upon
Spain. The feeling has been intensified
since the recall of Gen. Campos, and
American citizens who are merchants,
business men, professional men, and who
are permanent residents here are very
much worked up over the outlook They
would feel much more secure If one of
Uncle Sans warships was anchored in
the harbor.
Already reports of severe measures
against suspects are coming in. The in
tense Spanish hatred for CubaGs, which
led to horrible atrocities in the last war,
is beginning to manifest itself Only the
other day at Hoyo Colorado little town
eighteen miles southwest OF Havana,
Cuban named De Nenatio Suarez who
had been arrested on suspicion, was shot
dead by his guards. A list containing 100
names of suspects was made up and pre-
sented to the commander of the volun-
teers in the town. Most of the men on
the list fed to this city, but others were
arrested. One of them was the unfortu-
nate Suarez.
The guards, who were Spanish volun-
teers, make the following report: Suarez
was arrested, and while being taken by
four guards through the main street of
Hoyo Colorado, asked to be permitted
to step into the house of his mother,
which they were passing. The guards
say that he closed the door and fas-
tened it after entering, and then escaped
from a rear door. They saw him run
ming among some banana trees and fired
at him. The ball penetrated the shou1-
der and came out at the breast.
The Cuban version of the affair is that
the man was killed in cold blood.
In the old war of 1S6S-7S it was said to
be a common practice to take a prisoner
to the outskirts of a town, give him
tip that he could escape and then shoot
him down as he ran. Reports of arrests
are made daily, but no further mention
Of trial or release or execution of
prisoners is made. In some cases the per-
sons arrested are members or prominent
families and political influence is used
to save them. The fear of these arrests
and of harsh measures when Gen. Weyer
arrives, crowds every outgoing steamer
with Cubans, who are fleeing to the
states, or to Mexico and South Amer
I had a. long talk with a messenger
from Gomez camp last night He was a
white Cuban who has taken his life in
his hands by passing through the lines a
dozen tlmeS. lie ndu upon MS p0i sun
concealed in different places a number
of letters one of which was addressed to
a relative of Gomez in Bermuda and was
in the handwriting of the commander-ln-
chief himself. The messenger said that
Gomez has been in the saddle daily for a
week, that he is surrounded by a band of
nearly 1900 men of his immediate fol-
lowers who worship him as hero and
obey without question. The men are
nearly all armed with rifles and are wei
mounted. Their supply of ammunition,
however, is running short, and Gomez IS
anxious to meet Maceo, who is said to
have obtained large quantity in his cam
paign in the western province.
The messenger said that Gomez IS not
dying of consumption, nor did he kill five
Spanish infantrymen with his own hand
while cutting his way out of the enemy's
both of which sensational yarns were re-
Gently sent out by the Chicago Associated
Press The messenger said that when
Gomez was told of the reports that he
was dying of wound from a Mauser bull
let in the leg that the wiry old man rose
in his stirrups and said: DO l look like
a dying man.
The messenger left Gomez on the border
of Pinar del Rio province, west of Guam
aiav He said that instead Of being de-
feated in the fight with Gems. Aldecoa and
Galvis at the Santa Lucia estate on Jan.
T. the insurgents held their position,
which was a strong one, and the Spanish
forces withdrew after losing over twenty
men, The officials at the palace now ad-
mit losing eighteen men in that fight, al
though their first report gave thelr losses
as two men wounded My informant said
the entire western country beyond San
Antonio which is the present limit of rail-
wav communication in that direction, is
in the hands of the insurgents.
(SigneO D. r. Clark