The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-01-16
LATE NEWS FROM CUDA.
HEAVY FIRING INDICATES A RAT
TIE IS RAGING SOUTH OF
HAVANA.
ALL COMMUNICATION IS GUT OFF.
A Large Force From the East Reported
as Nov ; Towards Havana--Cu-
ban General Cephro is Prisoner
i'll Moro Castle.

Havana, Jan. 14.-EXciting news from
shape which prevented its accuracy from
being denied. The sound of continued
artillery firing was heard south of Union,
not far from Bejucal, the town which
was attacked by the insurgents with the
result that, according to the official state
men of the affair, they were forced to re-
treat after heroic resistance upon the
part of the government force defend
ing that place, the battle lasting, it is
claimed, five hours. But it is admitted
that the insurgents plundered stores in
the outlying streets of Bejucal burned
Il number of houses and destroyed the
railway depot by fire. Previous to this
they had burned the town of Salud, quite
good sized place, and partly destroyed
Quivican, a smaller place. They varied
these operations with burning freight
trains and destroying railroad bridges as
they pushed northward towards Ha-
vana. This force of insurgents is the
one supposed to be commanded by Gomez
i'll person, although it has been insisted
that he is still il the province of Pinar
del Rio, and that he was in conflict
with Spanish troops commanded by Gen
eral Lenarez. 1t is believed that an i'm
portant engagement is taking place and
further explanation is anXiously expect
ed. Confirmation has been received of
the report last night from eastern PROV
inces that Insurgent Leaders Rabi, Jose,
Maceo and others at the head of strong
force of insurgents from the province
of Puerto Principe, believed to be much
better armed than any previous forces
and to have been reinforced by tilibuster-
ing expeditions containing numbers of
Americans, are moving eastward, appar-
emily with the intention of reinforcing
the insurgents now operating in the
ncighborhood of Havana. Those insur-
gent forces are said to have moved into
the Remedies district, apparently having
crossed the frontier at about the same
place as Gomez crossed it and to have
moved in a nOrthwesterly direction from
uuoLJ pug so!pouoH OF snl!L!dsH nouuS
there on westward.
The presence of this additional force
of insurgents moving through the prov
ince of Santa Clara and in the direction
of the province of MatanZas, will natur-
from sending into the Havana district
all the troops they intend to draw from
Santa Clara and Matanzas with the in
tcntion of driving the insurgents in this
vicinity into the province of Pinar del
Rio westward until they were all placed
in Il position where they could be either
cXterminated or forced to surrender. The
captain general has been forced to meet
this move by sending back towards Santa
Clara several columns of troops which
were on their way through the province
of AlatanZas to reinforce his forces in
this vicinity. The insurgents, it is be-
lievcd, will thus be enabled to keep for
some time longer their almost unchecked
operations and if the Spanish generals
are not able to prevent Il junction of all
the lnsurgcnt forces now in this vicinity
the situation will become more critical.
Estimating that the insurgents now
have about 10000 men, more or less well
in this vicinity, and that they are
reinforced by 10000 more we'll armed
men from the eastward, Gomez will, so
friends of his cause say, have under his
command quite fair sized army, and
should be able, all things fairly favorable,
to take the offensive. even against a
,LioIiS lolCe VI Opalllsn lroopS uelellulHS
Havana. Of course these are the views
taken by the friends of the insurgents
md are directly at variance with those
lf the Spanish officials, who claim that |
the second Cuban army advancing from
.he east under Rabi and Jose Maceo does
not number, and never will number 5000 |
nen. They admit, however, that the |
commanded by Garlic, Jose
Aguira and Regio have already Joined |
he ltabi-Maceo forces in the Remedies
district and consequently it is to be pre-
'umed that all or nearly all the different
Juban bands eastward would join the
rmy commanded by Rabi and Jose
'laceo with the view of pushing west
yard in the strongest force possible.
'upposing. on the approach of this force
oward the province of Havana, that