The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-13


in the streets-Rapacity and Brutality
of the spaniards.
Washington, July 10.-The following ac-
count of the state of affairs in the province
of Pinar del Rio in Cuba was written by
a Catholic priest in that province and
sent to Washington for the information of
the Government. 1t is entitled: True
and impartial data on the condition of the
'Reconcentrados' at Artemisa and Guiana
jay, Pinar del Rio province" 1t reads:
According to the report of the civil
Government of the Pinar del Rio province
from Jan. to Dec. 8, 1895, 1900 known
deaths occurred there. The inhabitants
before the war numbered 240, 200.
Gin Artemisa, town of 5000 inhabi-
tants, of whom 1900 resided in the town,
while the rest lived in the rural districts,
the normal yearly mortality was $50 per-
sons. During 1895 only $40 deaths &C.
Cured, according to the Civil Register of
that town.
''Las Mangas and Cayajabos, towns
near Artemisa, had. the former 5000 in
habitants, and the latter 7,500 These
towns having been destroyed, their in :
habitants took refuge in Artemisa, as did
also large number of people from Can
those that came from the rural districts
of these towns, formed total of $1,000
persons in the town of Artemisa. Of
these IL 900 have disappeared; some of
| them through exile, others by death,
while others joined the5 rebels. There
now remain only about 10000, of whom
4 900 are absolutely deprived of means Of
dying daily from want. Some Of them
| are sick, all are starving, without medi-
cines or food. They seem like animated
| skeletons, having for residence the streets
and porticos, living shut up in trenches,
having no work or means of earning a
| living. The few able bodied men who
remain are compelled to work on the
Notifications without remuneration.
THE sight of these unhappy victims of
misfortune so great is really awful and
imposing. The greater number are women
and children, who have lost their fathers,
husbands, or brothers. The men have
been either assassinated, some as suspects
and others to satisfy personal aninosities
or driven into exile. These unfortunate
people are forbidden even to go out to the
country to dig up roots for food, doubtless
because, as the military governor fire.
q uen ,ly remarks, "the seed must be cx.
terminated" viz, the Cuban natives.
Those who have means have left the place,
| avoiding Spanish vengeance, or have
abandoned their possessions and Joined
the patriots.
"There is O charitable subscription to
help the poor, but besides being very
small, nine tenths of it remains in the
hands of the authorities.
Hopeless indeed is the situation of
these unfortunate ones; sleeping on the
ground, clad with rags that barely cover
have but very little water to quench
| their thirst, SO the greater number of
them become III and die where they lie.
In such condition there are found daily
from twelve to fifteen bodies.
| "Girls IS, IA, and Is years old con-
quered by their horrible misery, fall VIC
tins of the brutal appetites Of their op-
pressors. A very few of these unfortunate
girls are sustained by public charity,
which very often conceals its gifts, fearing
to be suspected.
"The situation is growing worse every
moment, as is shown by the following
statement of deaths registered: January
1897, 10 deaths February, 1926, March.
first fortnight Of June l49, without any
epidemic existing during the last two
months.
"In June, 1895, was published the first
edict of RECOMMENDATION then the country
men brought to the towns the fowls, etc,
which they could save from the rapacity
of the troops. Later on Weyler declared
pacified the province of Pinar
to their plantations, provided they had
already paid their taxes. Many went
back, and few days afterward the Span
| lsh columns passing by burned and de-
stroyed all they came across, carrying
along with them all the cattle, the same
as if it had been captured from the in
surgents, compelling these poor people,
whose dwellings had been destroyed, to
return to the garrisoned towns. Many
of the old men were carried along with
the young as prisoners of war, to be cast
| in prison, where many have died of
hunger and many others of Ill treatment;
but few have ever regained their freedom.
| "On account of this second reconcen-
| tratlon the town of Las Canas, railroad
station in the Artemisa district, three
miles from the latter town, which had
| formerly 300 inhabitants, now has 5000,
| without doctor, an apothecary shop, or
any other authority than the Military
| Commander. These people live within
! the military lines, and not even from the
nearest places or by railroad are they al
lowed to bring medicines, which are re-
|
Is found carrying medicines into the town
is regarded as aiding the rebellion and
court martialled as such.
AT .Guanajay (Pinar del Rio province)
the situation is Undesirable. To all thu
calamities at Artemisa must be added
| the fact that many of the inhabitants,
more than 200 already, are taken from
their homes and foully murdered.
Through Pinar del Rio province there
were many who were very well off, and
are now within the garrisoned towns ac-
tually starving, while their cattle are
brought into the towns by the troops.
Although they are able to prove that it
belongs to them, they cannot get a pound
of meat to feed sick mother or starv-
ing child.
1.-THE Artemisa district was known as
Cuba garden, on account of its beauti-
full coffee plantations, on some Of which
there We're charming dwellings. Beside
these plantations, there were in Artemisa
other valuable estates All of them have
been entirely destroyed, and the magnif-
cent mahogany and cedar wood and every
thing of value have been carried from
| them to the towns and sold by the chiefs
of the columns or guerrillas, or by the
military commander. These same chiefs