The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-02

| opera, and there is a succession OF the,
| atricai performances, concerts. sIahu
| opera anu other interesting events IN the
! world OF amusement.
The date for the arrival OF this opera
! company came a few days ago. anu
! they arrived escaping the rebels III lle
( cieverest way. arrived WIN theiI cos cos
J tunes, their scenery, and, their merry
| repertoire.
But the commander had to order them
/ away. His last message from spain was
/ TO the effect that he must not allow the
! people TO congrcgaie In places OF ainrxe
/ ment. The Havana Opera-ltouse ls clos-
/ ed There are no emusemcnts In Havana
/ now. At night people llsht thelI CdhIios
10 count out the morning stoIc, Du'
| they cannot 20 out, no nor fedu htNS-
I paper. There are no newspapers mere
| now. - -, 49,
they were right in closing the places
| of amusement for there are rebel spies
| in Havana You don't think soF Then
i watch the city for day Watch the
! freight train that has been loading for
two days 10 carry supplies 10 the people
| outside Havana. Watch u start upon
| lis way 10 gives its pun. puff It's
| whistle is kept down by the engine err
! And n steams away. Away How far?
| Not more than five miles, only around
! The first bend in the road. There II is
met by a band of rebels who have been
waiting for II. Across the track they
L
with Kerosene. At the first touch Of the
engine the train IS on fire. on. on IL
, rushes into the country. carrying with
IL blazing trail that sends destruction
10 the Spanish lands far and wide.
DO you know there are a thousand
Cuban spies in the city of Havana? p
asked q Government Official Of me when
] quericd OF him why all the Havana
movements were forestalled.
But about the churches and public
buildings The churches are open in
way But II Marin were to let the OPP
cra-housc doors swing wide for one night
! predict that all the Cuban spies and
the rebel sympathizers would buy seats
and gather there. and that one insurgjr
remark I'm that vast asscmhlacc wOi~d
turn the audience into rebel mob that
would rush rampant through the streets
OF Havana. The people are loyal Span
ish subjects. But they are hungry, Has
hunger ever had chance 10 prey upon
your morality?
The newspapers I'm Havana were dis
tribufed "A few hours ago. before ! took
up my pen to write. and what do you
think they said2 Nothing Al all. II this
newspaper were 10 come out with such
an edition Just once in its lifetime II
would lose its circulation forever.
The stalest Of news. the tritcst Of pa
triotic sentiments. the least innammahle
Of fiction the dullest. staidest lot OF print
ever put through an innocent printing
press The Commander has forbidden all
Of all war news The only bits Of war
news that ! have read were sprea1 out
chronicles Of the defeats OF the rebels
Nobody believes they are defeated How
can they? An hour ago a train loaded
with fruit-iiavanas fOOd-arrived here
in flames. the fruit smoking in "A ruck OF
softness
Havana is In this frightful position.
Half its people are outside Havana. Those
outside have absolutely nothing 10 eat.
II the city sends them food II will be
destroyed before il reaches them. If il
invites them into the city IL knows 10 is
bringing ruin upon Havana itself-star-
walton inside the city. sickness. malaria
and the desertion of all the laD6 around
Havana, allowing the rebels 10 surround
II in "A way that makes If possible 10
have the most persistent kind Of a siege.
Ia rather be Constance to-day than
Queen Of Havana.
This morning at a very early hour there
was a commotion in the city. People
were hurrying through the streets. This
is unusual People in Havana are not
allowed to hurry now. All the guards
turned towards the city limits You
could see the backs Of their uniforms as
they hurried along the streets that lead
out from the town What Is II? Who
A few whispered. Can IT be Gomez?
Has Gomez attacked us?"
But II was not Gomez. The invaders
Of the city and Of its peace were brought
up ine avenue III NitHNts without Ul-
umph. upon stretchers. window shutters
and upon hands made into chairs They
we're SPANS starving lOyalists. They
lived in a little settlement Of their own
outside of Havana, dear little place
that sent butter and blk and eggs 10
Havana for the daily food. But Gomez
passed over that place two weeks ago.
and since then the people have been
struggling towards the city shoeless
without clothing. horseless. without milk
or food or fruit. without anything except
the remnants OF their burned houses in
their hair and sticking into their charrsN
feet. Some were not broug0t into the
citv They were laid beyond it's gates.
Those who venture outside Of Havana
to-day tell strange tales Of coming peO-