Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-03-11
WARTO THEKNIFE
The Policy Of the Followers Of In.
.surgent Gomez.
so SAYS GENERAL RIOS RIVERA.

Alleged wise Of Spanish Peace Emissaries
dependence Was the Only Solution and
That Any Future Delegation Of the Kind
Would Be Shot--Latest News from the
Trouble in Crete.
Havana, via Key West, Fla. March
1.-THE correspondent Of the Associated
Press states that he has been able to
make his way to the camp of the insur-
gents at Rio Hondo, north Of Candelaria,
and that he there met General Rios
Rivera. While there the arrival Of two
Havana gentlemen, accompanied by
a guide from the Spanish lines, was
announced. They bore passes introduc-
ing them as Gonzales Jorrin, a lawyer.
and Mariana Juarp, and describing
them as delegates appointed by the
Spanish government to make PROPOSE
tions of peace on the basis of reforms
to be given the isIand-a kind of self
government. General Rios Rivera re-
ceived them cordially. but gave them
to understand Immediately that he
would not hear of any propositions Of
peace not tending to the independence
of Cuba, and that therefore he could
only consider them as visitors to the
camp.
Will Shoot All Future Emissar;es.
During the conversation, at which the
correspondent OF the Associated Press
was presented, General Rios Rivera
showed tire two delegates the printed
order of General Maximo Gomez order
ing shot all who prosposed peace on any
terms other than independence, and de-
clared that Gomez would accept no
proposition but the Independence for
which they were fighting. The
Spanish delegates remained three days
in Rivera's camp. The greatest part
of his troops are blacks, armed with
Remington rifles and poorly dressed.
They have two Hotchkiss guns, one
dynamite gun, and five dynamite maga-
zines. When the delegates left the camp
General Rivera gave them a written
order, bearing his own signature, stat
ing that hereafter all emissaries pro-
posing peace under any scheme of au-
tonomy or local reforms would be tried
and shot
Garrison Surprised by Insurgents.
The insurgents surprised the garrison
of the village of Las Palmas, in the
province of Pinar del Rio, sacking the
stores. burning thirty-one houses, and
parading through the town. The COM
mander of the insurgents has been spe-
cially active in the Manzanillo district.
The cane fields of the plantations
Esperanza, Sofia, Salvador and Des
Amigos Isabel have been burned to the
ground. The losses are about $3,000,-
900. In Pinar del Rio, the rebels dyna-
mited pilot train on the Western rail-
road between Herradura and Paso Real,
completely destroying the engine, an
ironclad car and the engineer. A num-
ber of soldiers were seriously wounded
Very Active at Sancti Spiritus.
Frederick JOva and three others, own
ers of the plantation Natalia, Joined the
insurgents in raiding the Calabazar VIII
lage in the Sagua district. The insur-
gent forces in the district near Sancti
Spiritus are especially active. This is
due to Captain General Weyler having
all the Spanish forces take the field.
The city is empty of troops, and is
guarded by volunteers on duty. Large
| groups of insurgents are gathering
| around the outskirts, and the forts are
being fired on. The residents are in
daily fear that the insurgents will in
| wade the city and burn the houses.