Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-25

only correspondent who refused to sr7d the
story to New York | knew there was no
truth in It. Nothing Of the kind ever &C.
cured. The nearest MaceO ever was to that
city was when he went fro n the mountain
thickCts along the north coast this fall
followed the line OF hills 20 he westward Of
the city, circled around II ave miles on and
passed eastward in the direction OF san
Cristobal pursued by General Melqui2o.
COMMANDER OF THE DISTRICT.
Near the hospital met Major Cebran, the
military commander Of the city | had met
him when he was governor OF Cienfuegos
and he politely offered to assist me. After
wards visited General Melquizo, the mill
tary head Of the district, at his headquarters,
| in large private residence at one corner
of the plaza. Next to Weyler perhaps, Cen
eral Melquzo is best known in the United
States of all the Spanish commanders in
Cuba He has been serevely criticised by
the press, but he received me with much
courtesy.
General Melquizo is tall, erect, 1.-the mus
Cular and active. In his military bearing
he suggests British field officer of cavalry.
| His face is thin. his look distinguished; his
| closely cropped hair is iron-gray, and the
large straight moustache is streaked with
gray. AS becomes an active soldier, his
| thin checks are Drowned from exposure and
his deep, dark eyes are as penetrating as
| the blade of knife. He wore an undress
hussar's jacket. He Is a military man, pure
sentiment in the line of his duty as a billet
of wood, but in private life is kindly and
agreeable.
General Melquizo has Just returned from
a fortnight's expedition through his terri
tory. He went over the hilly country at the
southwest and northwest end of the island
His description of his trip is too long to
cable, hut a summary of 1t is that he found
no insurgents. save a few groups of four or
FIVE. The largest band seen numbered five.
Most of the rebels have hidden their
arms he said, "and are trying to appear
as pacifcos." There are two classes of
alleged pacifcos. One is composed of honest
ones who wish to take no part in the rebel
| lion | am arming them they can de-
fend themselves against the others when
they work. They want to cultivate their
tobacco
"PACIFICOS" WHO ARE DEADLY.
"Thc other class secretly carry arms a
part of the time then go out and lurk in the
thickets and fire on my soldiers They
should be treated as the Germans treated
similar French guerillas in the Franco
Prussian war-shot on sight have yet to
hear of the German commanders being as
sailed for their necessary severity. The
rebels in my district are completely dis
organized now. Maceo's death was a heavy
blow to the rebellion. He was brave, and
had natural military instincts. He was
superior In all respects to any other rebel
leader. He is entitled to credit for honesty
OF purpose He would have held out until
the last. His black followers sacrificed
their homes in their devotion to him. His
white adherents generally are worthless as
fighting men. This is the case everywhere
on the island. They are not warike peo-
Pile and they take good care of their skins.
Il found much suffering among the people
in the hills. | have been assailed through
the press so fercely by the rebels that
am feared by the women and children.
brought in children so nearly starved they
could not eat solid food young girls and
mothers nearly dead from starvation. l am
feeding the children. There are many of
them here, whose lives will be saved. feel
deeply for them.
"The plan of compelling the families of
rebels to go to towns is wise from military
standpoint. Your Sheridan swept clean the
Shenandoah valley, not because he wished
to, probably, but from a military necessity.
l presume the time Is not distant when the
regular Spanish troops will abandon Pinar
del Rio. leaving order 10 be restored by the
civil guard and volunteers. | am aware
that am criticised severely by the Ameri-
can press for alleged acts of mine. | am
not angry about it, but | feel a regret. 1t
appears useless to stem the tide of mis-
representation concerning Cuban affairs, for
popular sentiment has been worked up in
the United States by false statements. | am
soldier and / obey orders. ! do my duty
and my conscience is clear l regret that
the people of North America accept only
one side of the question"
General Melquizos manner ard words
show that he thinks he has been badly
treated by the American press, that he re-
grets the fact but because he has not
exceeded duty in that all may be truthfully
laid at his door. OF the numberless false
charges made he cares nothing, in which re-
spect he is like all other Spanish officers
with whom / have conversed.
CORRESPONDENT WELL WATCHED.
The general invited me to accompany him
on trip over his command. but / was COM
PEELED to decline the invitation. as freight
train was to go to Artemisa the next day
and | decided to return on it. The chief of
police stationed a soft spoken, light tread
ing man near my chamber at night prob
ably to prevent anybody from carrying me
on. He carefully peered through the open
window occasionally, but whenever caught
him at it he Immediately withdrew from
sight, only TO return again. He saw me
safely out of town from a discreet distance
before daylight this morning. The railway
is open now and carries large quantities of
army supplies. The train proceeded eau
tiously, with a pilot engine on ahead, and
in the rear a guard of fifteen infantrymen in
an ordinary box freight car, armored with
strips OF half-inch iron and provided with
loop holes for musketry. The only passen-
gers were Spanish officers. / had heard be-
fore starting that party of rebels appeared
near PalaCious the night before and fired
on the forts but the train conductor told
me he had seen no insurgents and had not
been fred on in a month.
General Weyler found no important bands
OF insurgent in his two trips through Pinar
del Rio | learn. The reports published in
the United States of severe engagements
were untrue, In his second expedition in
the province General Weyler saw no group
of rebels numbering more than ten.
ENCOUNTERS AN ENGAGEMENT.
The train reached the fortified village
of Paso Real at a. IN. The place was in
commotion. The military commander was
on the station platform and said insurgents
wero outside the town. The small garrison
was under arms. The country to the south
is level and clear of undcrgrowth, but nu-
merous tall royal palm trees are scattered
over the fields. Standing on the car plat
form ! heard the sharp pop of a rife and
saw puffs of smoke coming from the palm
trees about a quarter OF mile away. An
old man in field ran toward the village,
while the people living in the huts near
the track crouched on the ground. As soon
as the firing began the Spanish soldiers in
the armored car prepared TO defend the
train Most of them climbed through
square hole in the top Of the car and stood
rifles In hand on the roof The others thrust
their rifles through the loop holes. The
Spanish officers travelling by the train went
into the armored ear and | followed them.
In II were two goats three young pigs q