The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-29
MANY SPANIARDS DESERT.
SOLDIERS JOIN THE CUBANs TT
ARMS AND ANN UNITIoN.

weyicr Subjects Them GO All Sorts OF Hard
ship ana Robs Them or Their Pay. but the
Insurgents give Them Opportunities or Pro-
motion - The Town or San Luis Captured.
HAVANA, via Key West, Juno 2s.-Sinco the
100 soldiers of the Spanish battalion Of Pizarro
Joined tho insurgents in Havana province there
have been many other similar assertions. Last
week n company Of the battalion Of San Quintin
Joined tho Cubans with all the arms and ammu-
milton they could take away from their bar
racks. The guerrilla forces of Guanabo, $50
strong, also deserted to tho insurgents about
tho same time. Gen. Molina, in Matanzas prov
incc, noticed that several soldiers were missing
from his column who we're not in the list of
dead, wounded, and sick. The subordinate Off
GERS reported to him that the soldiers had de-
serted to the revolutionlsts, joining the forces
Of Gen. Betancourt.
The cause OF oil these assertions Is the Ill
treatment which the Spanish soldiers are suf-
fcring. They are badly fed and six months in
arrears Of their salary. The little pay they get
is In paper money, Notwithstanding the official
declaration of the Minister of the Colonies that
90 per cent. is paid to them in silver. The pay
masters Of the battalions really received silver
late in May to pay the soldiers for the month of
December Of last year, but they exchanged the
silver for paper at $50 premium paid the sol.
diers In paper at par, and pocketed the differ
ence.
Tho Spanish sergeants are very much discon-
tented. BY the military law of Spain they can
not be promoted to tho rank Of officers without
passing first to the reserves. Once in the re-
serves their chances of further promotion are
very small. All tho sergeants clamor for the
restoration OF the old law, according to which a
plain soldier could reach by his own merits tho
highest grades in active service. Each Spanish
soldier who deserts to the Cuban army carrying
a rifle and $50 cartridges Is mado a sergeant,
and each sergeant q Lieutenant The ser.
geants,. therefore, are the first to desert and
favor the d~esertion Of their men.
The town Of San Luis, In Pinar del Rio prov
ince, surrendered on Friday to the insurgent
$50 men, besides those in the four forts which
protected the town. After the forts surren-
dered the garrison and the Spanish residents
took refuge in several houses, from which they
opened fire on the Cubans. Machado and his
men broke down the doors and took the houses.
In one OF them fourteen Spanish soldiers and an
officer were killed. Machado gave orders to
sack the town, which was done, the insurgents
capturing q large supply Of arms and ammuni-
ton. After the sack the insurgents retired.
A Cuban officer named Angel Crusellas was
captured by the Spaniards near Punta Bravo.
The guerrillas Of Miro-a Spanish Captain well
known for his cruelty-were carrying Crusella,
fettered, to Punta Bravo, when one Of the SOL
money In his pockets. Crusellas was searched
and $50 centenes, or gold pieces of 70. 80 each,
were found on him. Miro ordered his men to
shoot Crusellas. When the murder was &C.
complished he took 80 ~centenes for himself and
divided the rest among the soldiers. Tho Ruer-
rtllas entered Punta Bravo and openly boasted
Of the crime.