The herald., 1896-12-13

and identified at first. 1t is stated that
| this murder leaked out through drunken
| Spanish soldiers while in Havana day
or two after the assassination.
| The Cubans here are in a state OF
great excitement. and swear Cuba shall
be free. over $4,000 was subscribed today
| for the junta to keep up the war with.
SPANISH DENIAL.
! HAVANA, Dec. 12.-It is announced
! in official circles that the accounts re-
ceived by the Cuban junta detailing the
manner in which Maceo met his death
| are absolutely untrue. The statement
! that Maceo was assassinated through
the instrumentality of DR.. Zertucha,
| Who, it was claimed, led Maceo and his
! staff across the trocha, where they were
met by Ahumada and Spanish soldiers
and murdered, after being invited to
| conferences. is officially and emphati-
| ca,ly denied.
! A RAY OF HOPE.
JACKSONVILLE. Fla. Dec ia
| special to the Citizen from Key West,
| Fla, says: Passengers by the Olivette
| today announce that Maceo is still alive.
| DR.. Zertucha. who claims to be his ply
sician. betrayed him and only escaped
by miracle He went with Maceo as
far as the trocha and saw the party
through safely. They were commanded
by a mulatto who resembles Maceo, who
was killed in the engagement after pass
ing through the trocha. Then Maceo
and followers returned to Pinar del Rio
province and went into cabin, when the
doctor reported to the Spanish. They
succeeded in killing most of the party
but Maceo Drained the first man and
escaped to the woods, leaving his cloth
ing and effects in the cabin.
Great excitement exists here over the
news.
CIRUJEDA'S REWARDS.
MADRID, Dec. 12.-The queen regent
admitted today in audience Sonora Cru
jeda the wife of Major Cirujeda who
commanded the Spanish troops in the
engagement in which Antonio Maceo
was killed. Her majesty congratulated
the majors wife and promised royal
protection for the majors eldest son,
who accompanied Sonora Cirujeda. The
queen also promised to pay for the boys
education
Those copversant with the plans of the
Spanish premier state that since the
debate in the chamber of deputies the
government has not thought of the pro-
posed reforms in Cuba, being solely oc-
cupied with providing means for the
success of the war. While they con-
slider the death of Antonio Maceo a great
blow to the insurgents, it is pointed out
that some time must elapse before it can
be fully felt. When Maceo and Gomez
were asked at an earlier period of the in
surrection whether they would order
their followers to lay down their arms in
the event that autonomy were granted
to Cuba they refused and said they
would only consent to complete inde-
pendence and republican form of gov
ernment Spain, therefore, is convinced
that the rebellion will have to be crushed
by force of arms and that to discuss re-
forms at the present moment would be
equivalent to proposing an arrangement
with the insurgents which almost would
secure a peace which would not last six
months 1t is maintained that so long
as the slightest doubt of the superiority
of Spain exists in Cuba the war will
| continue, but that when her supremacy
| is established Spain will consider the
advisability of granting such reforms
as may be necessary.
THELAURADA CASE
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-The trou-
BILE arising over the attempt of the Amer
lean steamer Laurada to enter the port
of Valencia, Spain, has been fully COM
municated to the authorities here.
Senor Dupuy de LONE, the Spanish min
lister, was at the state department and it
is understood his main purpose was to
confer with Secretary Olney regarding
the Laurada. No announcement has
been made of the attitude of the United
States, but there is good reason to be-
lieve the officials of both governments
will act together to prevent sensational
developments.
A careful watch has been kept on the
Laurada for many months, and it is
claimed her present movement to a
Spanish port is designed to precipitate
an outbreak and commit an indignity to
the American flag which she carries. 1t
| is also pointed out that the Laurada
was chosen to go to the Spanish port
| which has shown the most excitement
| during the present trouble. 1t was there
/ that student riots We're reused and an
! excited mob threw stones at the Ameri-
| can consulate.
! AS showing the character of the Lau-
radas trip. the watch kept upon her dis
| closes that she went from Halifax with
| a cargo of apples to Swansea, England,
and thence to Naples, Messina and Pal
| ermo, Italian ports on the Mediterran-
! can. From Palermo she sailed for VAL
| encia with the ostensible purpose of talk
| ing on cargo of oranges and coaling 1t
is asserted, however, that this proposed
| entry is not made in good faith as the
usual place of coaling ships leaving the
Mediterranean is at Gibraltar where the
facilities are ample; also that a cargo
| of oranges might have been secured at
| any of the Italian ports where she stop
| ped
! A FALSE ALARM
| MADRID, Dec. Pit is reported here
that the United States has instructed
! Mr.. Theodore Mertens, United States
consular agent at Grao, four miles from
| Valencia, to advise the captain of the
| Laurada not to attempt to enter the port
| at Valencia. If the captain of the Lau-
Il