New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-16

A STORY OF A SPANISH OUTRAGE IN
THE TEN YEARS WAR.
THEY WE'RE CUBAN MEDICAL STUDENTS AND
WHEREIN A BURIAL PLACE WAS FOUND
TO HAVE BEEN DISTURBED.

WHEREIN A BURIAL PLACE WAS FOUND
TO HAVE BEEN DISTURBED
whenever you read accounts OF Spanish atroci-
ties In Cuba do not make the mistake OF believing
that they are in any way exaggerations. have
lived In Havana, and while not personally familiar
with this present war. was there during the Ten
Years War and | know whereof | speak This
statement was made in Brooklyn yesterday by
medical student Of one Of the colleges in New-York.
who Is an American. born In Havana. HIS fatner
s at present in Cuba and a well-known man there.
but in order to save his family in cuba from an
noyance and persecution the student stipulated
that In the story he about 10 tell his name
should be mentioned.
Il want" he continued 10 tell you tale Of
Spanish outrage which happened in Havana In 1913.
almost, at the close Of the Ten Years struggle.
which | witnessed In all the terrible history OF
Spanish msrule and butchery in that isanh the
killing OF seven innocent medical students by the
order OF the Captain-General AT the inscgatlon OF
a mob Is about the most heartless and nhuman
net that ] ever heard Of and ! tell II simply 10
illustrate Spanish methods, and to show that N
the present war similar cruees are being enacted
which the world will never hear or In havana
there IL an old cemetery surrounded by four stone
walls built with inches in tiers. and thick enough
10 hold a coffin lengthwise. The fronts OF these
inches are covered by panel OF thick glass, so
that the coffin may be seen inside. In the latter
mart OF 1878 one OF the Spanish generals died and
his coffin placed in one of the inches Inc
Havana Medical College at that time was situated
near the cemetery. one day fourteen Students
having nothing else 10 do. visited the cemetery.
That nigh; one OF the cemetery attendants noticed
that the glass in the Spanish Generals niche was
scratched He told the parish priest OF the out
rage" and the priest in turn sent WORD 10 the
authorities. Next day number OF policemen VS.
tied the college and arrested every student 10 the
number OF about nifty, who had been at the college
H. .ha Gnan i-h ii
and at once a report spread through the city that
Spanish grave had been desecrated by young Gu
bans. The volunteers who let 1t be understood,
consisted OF Spaniards living in the island and OF
some OF the lower classes. were aroused WITHIN all
hour the jail surrounded by howlins. frenziei
mob Balmaceda wae absent in the eastern part OF
the island at that time and the Segundo Cabo. or
Lieutenant General was in command. He assem-
bled his troops front the palace and told them
he would Investigate the and punish where
punishment was due.
NO EVIDENCE AGAINST THEM.
"A commission Of Spanish officers was immedl-
ately assembled and the case was tried then ana
there. Not single weknown Cuban was caiied
into the case The gardener OF the cemetery. who
had been called a. "A witness said that ne had
noticed scratches on the glass, and had also
seen that few flowers were missing. Further tes-
tmony on the part OF the assistant gardener showed
to the commission that the students were IN no
wise guilty OF any wrongioing whatsoever The
assistant gardener said the scratches had been
this the Spanish commission shut MN up ana
PRACTICALLY threw him out OF tne roo arose one
Spanish officer Captain Capdevilia. and said that
lie advised their release and the dispersion OF the
mob and said If these students Mere harmed n,a IL
Immediately put ont OF the room. and next day was
a,msn,s in high military court Of Spain The mob
was every minute growing larger and more vociier-
S %a Sear ae the pace and ssuno
Cabo appeared on the balcony and made a speech,
sa1dests The volunteers and their. supporters
would not have 1t this way and demanded the lives
conference of the commission. and the additional
fact was brought out that OF the fourteen students
part of the Enclosure where the grave was located.
and only one youth among TINS nSmber p9 n
sibe to scratch the glass. With this hir1sy accusa-
Commission decided that seven OF the boys. whose
ages ranged from fourteen TO twenty years, should
The parents of the unfortunate prisoners became
offered the weight of the prisoners in gold to the
spaniards If they would free them. The commission
The prisoners had TO be killed.
SHOT DOWN BY A REGIMENT.
Next day was a fete day. Early in the morning
as the seven young fellows were lined up In front
OF a blank wall surrounding the Carcel brother
OF the youngest prisoner offered to stand up for
him and be shot. but this allowed. Instead
of having file OF soldiers is usually the case.
the Lieutenant General called out an entire req,
ment 10 perform the massacre. The order 70 nre
given and the were literally shot 10
pieces.
II know OF similar atrocities committed IN that
war. OF which General Weyler is guilty, and while
he is inhuman enough for anything Inc s S
censorship prevailing prevents the world from
he airing Of crimes equally bad which are com
mtted every day. II the Cubans can hold olt i1s
another summer II by change the wdd sn1u
the present number OF $4,000 Spanish troops on inc
island to about 1900 In the end CUBA VIII NC
free"
MKAyES BLIND SON ROBBED.