San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-27
TWO CUBAN REFUGEES.
Hard Lines of the Belle of Cienfuegos
and the Doctor.

Hard Lines of the Belle OF Cienfuegos
and the Doctor.
Netw York, Sept. 27.-The Journal
and Advertiser says: Three years ago
Miss Eloise Brunei was the tellc Of
Cicnfuegos, Cuba. She was wealthy.
Now she lies upon cot in a ten by
ten room in a small house on the out
skirts of Philadelphia, her body burn
ing with fever, her mind rackei by ter
ror of the Spaniards, her memory full
of an experience abouEding in starva-
ton, suffering and peril. In her deler-
ium she cries for protection against
the Spaniards, whom she thinks are
seeking to murder her. In similar
condition, aggravated by wounds, is
DR.. Andrew Brunei, who served as ma
jor in the Cuban army. The father of
these refag aes was an American who
owned a large estate in CIenfucgos.
He dided in 1898 and his son, DR.. Bru-
net, went to Cuba to settle up the es-
tate. The Spanish administration of
such affairs made this long and diff
cult task.
In September 1895, Gen. Rego raised
the Cuban standard in Ciefuegos dis
trict and the young American-Cuban
was one of the first to join him. 1t
was impossible for his sister to remain
on their plantation and she, therefore
went into the Cuban servece as a
nurse. For twenty months she shared
the hardships of the patriots with
scarcely ever sufficient food and with
never a roof over her head or bed to
lie upon. She toiled bravely in the Gu
ban cause, Gearing for the sick and
wounded, helping to cook the scant
provisions and proving herself he
rome on many occasions.
After twenty months of this life they
both contracted malariaI fever and
were so i'll that they had to leave the
insurgent party and seek shelter and
food. They found neither and were
compelled to take refuge in a cave
where they lived for three weeks with
no food but some green pumpkins, half
grown sweet potatoes and water from
a stagnant pool. Once they were two
days without a morsel Of food, when
an old man discovered them and
brought them some rolls. Both suffer-
ed terribly from fever and were often
delerious. Finally the brother manag-
ed to climb the hill and attract the at
tention of a Spanish planter who took
them to Sierra, wher they were taken
by boat to Cienfuegos. When they
landed at the wharf, Miss Brunei had
no shoes and her dress, which she had
worn for three months, was in shreds.
Their feet, hands and faces were swol-
len and they were pitiable looking OBJ
jects. Though almost unable to walk,
they were dragged along by the Span
ish soldiers who cursed and struck
them. The Spanish commander exam
ined them separately to find cause to
put them to death but failing in that,
he permitted them to go to their sis
ters who lived nearly a mile away on
condition that they reported in person
every three or four days. This, in
their condition, entailed the most in
tense suffering, but the order was en-
forced.
Then followed long correspondence
with the State department at Wash
ington and in the end the consul was
ordered to help them. They received
their passports on August 30 and sailed
on the seventh OF September Their
passage was paid all the way to New
York, instead OF Florida. DR.. Brunei
and his sister have filed a claim at
Washington against the Spanish gov
eminent for the destruction Of their
property at Cienfuegos.