The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-01-24
Desperate Hand-to-Hand Encounter
Upon the Vessels Deck.
After the Captain and Half the Crew
Were Killed and the Remainder
Had Surrendered, the Rebels APP
ply the Torch-lnsurgents Routed
in an Engagement in MantanZaS
Province - The Three Friends
Crew Likely to be Punished for
Piracy.
Piracy.

KEY WEST (Fla.), Jan. 23-Havana.
advices received in Key West are to the
effect that the Spanish gunboat Come
Ia has been captured and burned by the
insurgents.
The Cometa was one of the most pow
erful of the smaller Spanish vessels in
Cuban waters, and has been cruising
near Cardenas to prevent the landing
of filibustering expeditions. For some
time she has been accustomed to an
Choir at a point off Sierra Nora, ia
forable place for an attack from the
shore, and the insurgents determined to
capture her. Last Tuesday night they
opened fire on the vessel with a L.
pound Hotchlliss gum. The vessel was
struck several times and badly damag-
ed. While the crew We're in confusion
boats loaded with insurgents left the
shore and the Cometa was boarded. A
desperate hand-to-ha fight took place
on the deck of the gunboat the CubanS
using the machette with deadly effect.
Finally after the Spanish commander
and half his men had been killed the
survivors surrendered. The vessel was
then burned
REBELS ROUTED.
HAVANA, Jan. 23.-The Spanish bril-
gade under command of General Molin,
which has been operating i'm the vicin-
ity of Zarabanda, in the province of
Matanzas, has had AN engagement with
several combined parties of rebels. The
official reports say the rebels We're de-
feated and routed. In their fight many
of the rebels threw themselves into the
Habana River. Fifteen were drowned
and twenty-four persisted by sinking in
the mud The troops lost two killed
and seven wounded.
General Weyler is now at PaloS, in
the province of MatanZas.
THREE FRIENDS LIBEL CASE.
JACKSONVILLE (F1a-), Jan. %
In the case of the United State versus
the steamer Three Friends libeled for
forfeiture of the December trip, an or
der was made by Judge Locke of the
United States Circuit Court this morn
ing sustaining the exceptions of the re-
spondents upon the grounds as Set forth
in the order on the libel of the trip of
last May, and the libelant was granted
permission to amend the ubed, and If
the amendment was not filed within
This order of the court is considered
another victory for the owners Of the
Three Friends, but it is probable that
the Government will appeal.
MAY BE PUNISHED AS PIRATES.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.-If the pub
lished stories regarding the Cuban fill
clustering tug Three Friends ON her
last voyage of firing at a Spanish YES
sci are true, the Attorney General of
the United States declares that the
vessel is, amenable to the laws OF p1-
racy, and her officers and crew are
liable to be punished as pirates.
Attorney General Harmon, it is Of
ficially stated, is considering the adj
visibility of instituting proceedings
against the Three Friends ON that
charge, and in order to expedite the
laws he has prepared an application to
the United States Supreme Court for a
writ of certiorari on the United States
Circuit Court at New Orleans for the
transfer of the case to the Supreme
Court, so that the latter tribunal may
pass on the decision given at Jackson
vile by Judge Locke, who held that
the Government In it's bill of libel
against the Three Friends did not show
that she had violated any law. He gave
the Government ten days to amend its
bill, and declared that unless this were
done he would dismiss the application