The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-04
STEALING FROM SPAIN.
Tive Hundred Spanish Omcers and Contractors
In Cuban Pri.oup.


HAVANA, July 1.-Two hundred Spanish off,
GERS and contractors of the army are imprisoned
ut the fortress Of La Cabana here and at the foot
Of Jagua, in Cienfuegos, under charges Of fraud
upon tho Treasury in provisioning the army.
Colonels, Observation-Disclosures, Majors, and Cap
tains have a conspicuous place in this list of
swindlers. Many merchants who arc well
known as members Of the Incorporating Span
ish party, La Union Constitutional, and who are
now In prison. have shown by their conduct that
their campaign for the continuance Of the war
against the Cubans is inspired more by their
greed than by patriotic feeling.
The amount Of money stolen by all these per-
sons is estimated ut over SIS, 200. 900 during the
two years Of the war. This Is the way in which
tho frauds have been committed:
Orders from several battalions In the field for
goods were sent to Cienfuegos, and tho mer-
chants who received them, and who had a pro-
vious arrangement with the military cashiers,
delivered only u fourth or a third part of the
orders at the regular prices, securing q receipt
from the Colonies for the full amount. On pres
~entstion Of the receipt the cashier paid the full
sum, but the Inference between the real value
Of the goods delivered and the sum paid was
divided between the merchants, the cashier, and
This fraudulent practice was going on swim
mingly when the soldiers, badly fed, began to
protest, to revolt, and to desert to tho Cubans.
Then %eyler ordered the arrest of all the swim
1t has beon discovered also that. when Gen.
Weyler several months ago. prohibited tho
grinding Of sugar cane, Gen. Pin, in accordance
with a previous arrangement with the Captain
General, notified many sugar"cane planters
that the Spanish army would not disturb them
in their work IL, they secretly paid a certain
sum for the privilege. Tho owner OF one sugar
estate paid to Gen. Pin $4,000 and another
$25, 600: The business was, being carried on
upon this very profitable basis when Gems.
| Weyler and Pin quarrelled over the amount
paid by one farmer, and the result was that tho
Captain-Genera sent Gen. Pin to spain. accusing
him OF immortality. The merchants, OF Glen
fueSoS gave a banquet to Gen. Pin before his
departure to show Gen. .NNeyler that they, APP
| proved OF Pin because The had behaved hon
ostly. not concea!ing from the Captain.Gencral
the amount of money he had received
Major Pineiro, chief OF the spanish guerrilla
force OF Lajas, Cienfuegos district, has been ar
rested by Gen. Weyler to avoid trouble with Eng
land. Pineiro. with u lieutenant and three sol
diers OF his gucrrillas, murdered Mr.. ID Abri-
john, a British subject, and assurances have
Scen given TO England that the murderers would
be punished and the family Of the victim in
demnincd. 1t is said ut Ctenfucgos that Mr..
DAbrijohn was killed by mistake. Pineiro and
his men meant instead to have killed Senior
Perfecto Mora, an old and weu-known resident
OF L.ajas.
In santa Clara city and several other towns
n number OF cases OF cholera morbus have
occurred with fatal results. 1t Is due to the
famine and the filthy condition Of the thousands
OF persons who are driven into the towns FROM
tho country by Weyler's orders.