The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-29
MACEo'S WORK OF MASSACRE
DYNAMITE USED TO BLOW UP 1000
SPANISH TROOPS.


to Give WeyIer Battle ON the Road
to MnrieI-Editor PendletOn
Reaches Key West.
New York, Nov. 2S.-IAeut. Jose Felix
Rios, a special messenger from the Cuban
| government to the junta in this city, ar
rived last night on the Clyde line steam
ship Algonquin from Jacksonville. This
afternoon be told a startling story in the
headquarters of the Cubans in this city
which would go to show almost beyond
doubt that a battle which took place in
the Ruh hills in October last, and in
which 1000 Spaniards are said to have
been killed. had been construed into an
engagement with Gen. Weylers troops in
the same territory about a week ago. The
details of the October battle are striking
| ly similar to the details of the story of
Gen. Weylers alleged engagement, which
was attributed to Lieut.. Rios, although
he now denies that he ever gave out
such an interview. He declares instead
that what he said about the alleged en-
| gagement with Gen. Weyler was simply
common talk in Jacksonville while he was
| there.
His story is as follows: 81 am Cali
| clan and went to Cuba when II years of
age. For long time 1 have been in the
| commission business in Havana. Having
worked hard for the Cuban cause l was
some time ago appointed a lieutenant in the
| Gomez army and took part in the battle
| of Saratoga. On Oct. % last, l was given
| documents by Gen. Gomez and by the
| Cuban government, represented by Gen.
| Cisneros, at a town caller Arancana, an
I ~ nffrla
men, 1 left certain part of the island in
a small boat and set a course for Nassau.
| We arrived there in five days. A Spanish
| gunboat, which had been hunting for us,
| got into port two hours later, but she was
quarantined and we were safe. From Mas
sau, after some delay, we went to jack
| sonville, thence to this city"
Some shrewd questioning at this point
led Lieut. Rios off the subject of his story
| and led into the details of fight that
| he said occurred in the Rubi Hills, just
| where Gen. Maceo's engagement with Gen.
| Weylers troops is said to have taken
| place He declared that he knew it to be
an absolute fact that the Spanish general
| Melquizo, with 1900 men, the exact num-
Der Gen Maceo is said to have engaged
| a few weeks ago, came suddenly upon
| Gen. Maceo with 5000 Cuban patriots be-
hind him. AS usual, the Cubans got to
| work first, and before Gen. Melquizo could
f-ee6-fA4E=I III S1tlpe ~1tS was St6EtSu Win
| a shower of ieaden hail that moved great
gaps in his line. The battle continued for
some time before Gen. Maceo, who had
evidently been waiting for Spain's SOL
diery, began to slowly retreat
At this point, as in the story of the
| alleged Weyler engagement, the dynamite
| incident comes in. Hundreds of Spanish
soldiers were killed instantly by the dis
| charge of the dreaded substance, almost
under their feet. The carnage was terri
| BILE. Maceo still retreated, and was fol-
lowed slowly by the broken lines of the
soldiers.
Then from a eminence this same emf
| nence is mentioned in the alleged Weyler
| engagement, Maceo brought a dynamite
| gun to bear on the Spanish and killed
off several hundred of Spain's soldiers be-
| fore darkness ended the fighting. Maceo
| and his victorious troops got away. The
| Spanish, he declared, lost nearly 1000 men.
| Lieut.. Rios was then asked If the story
dated Nov. 26 from Jacksonville, Fla, and
| purporting to be an interview with him,
was true. He replied through an inter-
| prefer, that the Weyler story he knew
nothing about, but explained when he was
! told its purport, that he had heard the
same thing before leaving on the Algon-
| quin for this city.
do you know whether it was true or
| not?" he was asked.
He replied that he knew nothing at all
/ IL.
| Of Gen. Weyler's engagement with Ma
ceo's men in the Rubi hill district, which
| he has declared was an untruth.
| Lieut. Rios says regarding the occu-
| pancy Of the province of Camaguay by
| the Cubans: The Cuban government is
in healthy operation in this district. The
| Spanish have given IL up. In the noun
tains' under the roofs of old farm
houses, the new government of Cuba
| Libre conducts schools for the children
| patriots. The pupils range in age from
Z to 13 years, all the boys Of a greater age
than that being engaged in the fight for
the islands liberty. In the province of
Camaguay and ORIENT, they have shoe
makers shops for the shedding of the
| Cuban soldiers and blacksmith shops for
| the shoeing of the patriots horses. A sort
of tax is levied there by the government,
| but 1t is not compulsory. These provinces
| the civil governors, Mendosa and Manuel
Cespedes, are in charge Of. A very small
| force of men is all that Is necessary to
protect the people there"
Lieut. Rios was accompanied to this city
on the Algonquin by Capt Dupier and an
other Cuban. The documents sent by
Gomez and Cisneros are In the hands of
the Cuban Junta.
Joaquin ID. Castillo, sub-delegate to the
| Cuban junta, who is accused of having
| aided and abetted the steamship Laurada
| nlibustering expedition to Cuba in MAY
| last, waived examination before Commis-
| sioner Shields this morning and was held
for the grand jury under $500 bail.
Key West, Fla, Nov. &.-Passengers
by the steamship Olivette tonight report
that Gen. weyler left Havana for Mariel
by steamer. It is reported that 1900 in
| surgents are waiting on the road to Mariel
| to intercept and give him battle.
One hundred and forty-three prisoners
were deported to-day. Seventy-nine were
nanigoes and the balance suspects. Four
teen were arrested yesterday, tried by
| drumhead court martial, convicted and
| sentenced to-day.
| Coloma, while being led to execution on
the 26th, was slapped in the face by a
| Spanish official for a trivial remark. He
/ died game. His last words were: Cuba
| Libre."
Passengers also report that Orna Mel
| ton Is very sick and very badly III treated.
Eight hundred wounded Spanish sol
diers were brought into Havana yester-
| day