El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-07-14
CUBANS AVENGE THEIR WOMEN.
Guerrillas Put to the Machete for TAX
irr Female Prisoners.

| Midway between SANTA CARA ana
| Sancti Spiritus the insurgent bands of
| ClaverO and PeraS met detachment
of 800 Spanish guerrillas, carrying with
them Il number of women prisoners
The Spanish guerrillas had raided a
parifco camp near by, and had killed
els hteen or nineteen men, capturing
| oaly the women and girls, whom they
were taking to their camp.
A girl eScap d from the camp while
| the massacre WAS going on, and by
chance met some of Ciavero's men. In
| a short time Clavero aud Peras had
| united their bands and started in pur-
suit of the guerrillas. The Cubaus
Slparting unuer their wrongs, were
| anxious for a chance to revenge the
many murders commit ed on their
women. While the guerrillas were
camped for MONDAY rest, and many
of them were stretched out under the
shade trees for a siesta, the Cubans
dashed in upon them with fierce cries
of Cuba libre" and "a la machete."
The guerrillas were taken compile ely
by surprise, and could only make a
feo BILE re Stapce.
The euraged Cubans dashed through
the can y shooting right and left, aud
putting to The mac e5e al who oppos-
ca them. Tee Spanish officers were
found near a hut containing the pris-
ouers, and they were killed to a man.
The guerrilla lost seventy-tive men, n
Guiding Capt, Torres and two OF his
officers, and the band was so com plete-
ly rou ed that it will be some time be-
fore it will reorganize. The Cubans
rescued tweuty-one of the women and
girls. Six of them had been badly in
jured.
Clavero and Banderas have sent
word to WeyIer that if his guerril as
persist in their warfare against women,
according D his orders, hereafter they
will hang to the trees every Spanish
soldier ard officer captured. 1t is
understood that the reprisals of the
Gu ban leaders reported a few days ago
had lent a partial effect, only one of the
Spanish commanders recognizing it,
and agreeing with the Cuban general
that prisoners captured should not be
summarily executed. Officers of Wey
ler'S main forces are still Ranging and
shooting all prisoners captured, and
the Cuban leaders are determined to
stop it.
Last week Gomez received news that
ten Cubans were butchered after they
had surrendered in the fight in Santa
Clara Province. He Immediately hung
an Off ser and seven privates whom he
had held captlves, aud he then sent
word to Weyler that he would keep up
the war of reprissl as lOug az the Span
iards xe'utei their prisoners. The
general now has eighteen prisoners,
one of them major in the Havana
volunteers, and h has notified Weyler
that they are to be executed whenever
he hears of further Spanish atrocities.
Ii is said that Weyler has remarked
that he did not care how many men
were hung, there is still an
ample supply in Spain, and he propos-
ed 10 execute every Cuban prisoner
caue ht.
A letter received recently from Gen.
Ducasse, in the provinces Of Pinar del
Rio, says that two expeditions landed
there this week. A Spanish gunbOat
attempted to capture one of them, but
the tillihustering vessel ran ont to sea,
eluded her pursuer, and returning at
midnight, safely landed the cargo,
which was taken inland.
In his letter, Ducasse speaks of an
engagement in the hills of Montereso
and tells of the remarks BILE effect of a
dynamite shell fired by the John Lynn
battery during the engagement. the
battery was posted at the end of a
long valley or detile, through which
the Spaniards had to come. The path
for d distance of about 200 yards lay
through deep canyon. with high
rocks on each side. AS the Spanish
were seen approaching, some 200 in
number, the gun was carefully trained
so as to throw the shell in the middle
Of the d, file. AS soon as the govern
ment troops had entered the path and |
all were in full sight, the gun was fir
ed. The screaming, Kissing shell was
heard by the Spaniards, and they at
tempted to rush backward, but it was |
too late. The big bomb fell in their
mist, exploding as it touched the |
ground, with report that was heard |
fn Ln1 ir,I
the ground, while the sharp splinters
of il on hurled dead in all directions.
\ second later another grinding
noise was heard, and the walls Of the
on either side were seen to
trembIe. The Spaniards saw their
peril and shrieked in horror, but there
was no escape. The rocks plunged
down with fearful momentum, COM
pletely closing up the path to depth