The herald., 1896-12-09
GOMEz'S DEATH.
Positive Assertions That the Insurgent
Leader Is Dead.

Leader Is Dead.
HAVANA, Dec. S.-(Copyright, 1896,
by the Associated Press). 1t is stated in
most positive terms by the Spanish au-
thorities that Antonio Maceo, the great
insurgent leader and the heart and soul
Of the Cuban cause, has been killed in
Havana province after having affected
the passage of the western trocha near
Nariel at it's northern extremity. With
the Cuban leader died the youth, Fran
cisco Gomez. son of Maxine Gomez, who
accompanied the mulatto general on his
passage OF the trocha.
More explicit details of the finding of
the ccrpses of fallen Cubans and of the
facts relied upon for their identification
are at hand through the report OF the
Spanish commander Major CiruJeda.
who contested the passage of the trocha
unsuccessfully on December Qast Fri
day) with Maceo. and who sustained
. another conflict yesterday with the
forces under the insurgert leader 1t
was in a reconnaissance after the latter
engagement that the Spaniards found
two corpses. not separated in death.
which they have identified as those of
Antonio Maceo and Francisco Gomez
The authorities now permit the publ
cation of Major Cirujedls official re-
port that the engagement with Maceo
on December 4, when he forced the tro-
cha was fearful combat which is
the first official admission that Maceo
brought with him across the trocha
considerable equipped following. and
fought a hot engagement to effect his
passage.
After the Cubans had passed into Ha-
vana province the Spanish commander
effected a fresh concentration. in that
province and awaited the arrival of Ma
Geo. He had received confidential in
formation of the proposed movements
of the Cubans and arranged his forces
accordingly He had, in addition, re-
ceived a detailed description of the horse
which Maceo was to ride as well as of
its caparison. The expected battle oc-
Cured yesterday. but no details of the
engagement are given out for publica-
tion here.
After the fight the Spanish troops
made a reconnaissance of the ground
previously held by the Cuban forces.
Here were found the two corpses lying
together and indeed, almost locked in
an embrace of death The one body was
that of a mulatto. a stout man with gray
crispy, curling hair and the other that
of a slender dark haired youth.
Both men were dressed In White linen
duck suits. When the linen suit was re-
the two it was found to have under it a
fine undershirt with the initials "A. M
upon it, The pair of black silk socks on
this body contained the same initials
worked in red. There was gold ring on
the finger containing on the inner rim
tha engraved inscription Antonio y
Maria" A revolver with an ivory han
die and marked. together with small
gold-mounted Telescope, were also found
on the body. The head of the younger
mans body was resting upon the body
of the first. There was found on 1t u sill
yer watch. an ammunition bag and sew
eral handkerchiefs bearing the initials
"F G''
Among the papers the following letter
was found. written in the somewhat
cramped hand of an aged man:
Cuban Liberator Army. General
HEADQUARTERS Cuba, in the field, Sep
tember Is, 1886
Dear Pancho--I wrote you not long
ago. / am informed of your running
aground and the cause of it. am just
thinking how long your stopping VIII
last No doubt you have been wrong,
but we have to keep up. Nobody is to
blame for the success that has come to
them For three days past there has
been an attack at Cascorro and the enc
my Is quite tired. so that if no reinforce
ments come they will yield Yesterday
l had a letter from your mother. dated
August 90 Embrace Caesar Miguelito
and the comrades and Artega in partic-
ular."
This letter bore the signature of NJ.
Gomez.
1t is stated in addition to the above
particulars that there was found on the
body of the younger man letter writ
ten in pencil saying that he dies rather
than abandon the corpse of his general.
Maceo.
Such are the details of identification
upon which the Spanish officials rely
for their expressed conviction that An
tonic Maceo has met his end. No news
received since the outbreak has created
go great a sensation in Havana or has
been deemed so encouraging to the
Spanish cause.
Since the famous raid of Cuba across
the whole of the island last year, when
Maceo invaded Pinar del Rio while Co
mez returned to the eastern provinces,
the mulatto general has held his own In
the western province against the utmost
efforts of the Spaniards to dislodge him.
He transferred the whole seat of War
from the east to the west end, and while
his enemies claimed he had run into
trap and built strong trocha across the
island to keep him there, he continued
his indefatigable campaign and consist
emily claimed always that he could cross
the trocha when he wished and effect
q junction with Gomez in the east.
The diary of MaceOs operations found
with the body. in addition to the details
already given. it is stated that Maceo
was wounded before crossing the trocha
In a skirmish on December 3.
After crossing the trocha on December
4 he Joined the local Havana bands of
the insurgents
Major Cirujeda arrived in Havana at
noon with the documents which had
been taken from the bodies of Maceo and
Francisco Gomez.
STILL AFRAID
KEY WEST. Fla, Dec. S.-Tonight's
news from Havana says the main forts
have been reinforced 1t is whispered
that mines have been laid in all the main
approaches to the city.
A MANILA MASSACRE
MADRID Dec S.-Unofficial dis
patches received from Manila announce
, q terrible massacre of insurgent prison
ers on the island of Luzon, one of the
Philippine group. 1t appears that
number of prisoners succeeded in es-
Gaping from the fortress of Cavite The
fugitives were pursued by troops who
overlook and killed sixty of them in the
streets. The others were recaptured.
MACEO'S RECORD.
WASHINGTON. Dec S-Antonio
Maceo was without question the most
brilliant figure of the present revolution
in Cuba. He effected landing at Cerse
de Barancoa on March 31st With hir,l