Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-11-22


and Try to Prevent the Relief Of the
Starving Reconcentraio., Whose Condl-
tion Il Described as Terrible-Inridents
Of Dcsti:ution and Heartle-sness-Par-
doned Rebels Join the Insurgents.
Madrid. Nov. 22-The royal DEGREES
for the establishment of autonomy in
Cuba will be submitted to a cabinet
council today.
Havana, via Key West, Fla, Nov. g.
Ia Lucia. in a recently published edi-
torial. expresses doubt as to the SINGER
ity Of the Friendship for Spain profe ssed
by the American government ard says:
IF the American government cannot
prevent the sailing from the ports of
that country Of expeditions in aid Of the
Insurgents. and does not respond in other
ways TO Spain's efforts'to come to favor
able terms. II Is useless for Spain to
maintain friendly relations with Amer
lea. Reports from Matanzas say that
the Conservatives having become en-
ragged at the change in the governments
policy are disturbing public order. Ex-
Mayor respoinitiated the disorderly con-
duct by publicly giving offe1se to Senor
Armes. he new civil governor of the
province. The chief Of police followed
Senior Crespo's lead by endepvoring tc
prevent aid being given to the suffering
reconcentrados by newspaper corre-
spondents and others. OF the rsconcen-
trados In Matanzas, numbering mere than
$4,000. seventy-nine died in two DAYS.
thirty-seven perishing from hunger. Sat-
urday seventeen deaths were reported. a
large prof ortion Of which were the result
OF starvation.
Horrible Episodes Occur Daily.
In Jaruco about 65 per cent. Of the
Deaths are caused by starvation. and the
same is true of many other towss owing
to the lack Of proper ci3.hing ard of
blankets the situation o: the reconcen-
trados is becoming worse as the winter
season approaches, despite the efforts
made to relieve them. Horrible episodes
are of daily occurrence among the re-
concentrates. After lying for three days
upon the sidewalk in front Of a house in
Matanzas a poor negro woman, who was
suffering terribly ard unable to move,
was carried away by a fiocd caused by
a heavy downfall of rain. A short time
afterward her dead body was discovered
few blocks away. and at last reports
was still lying In the gutter.
1nhumsnity Of n Cab Driver.
A cab driver who was carrying a sick
msn 10 hospital observed that his pas
senger was dying. dragged him from his
cab. leaving him on the curbstene. where
he finally died. Cases similar to these
are OF frequent occurrence. Reports
from Candelaria say that a man who
was suffering from smallpox was driven
by the authorities into the insurgent
camp at Cejadal Negro, Pinar del Rio
province. where threats were MADE to
hang the man IL he was not taken away.
On "Wednesday evening the remaining
cane fields on the plantation Portugalete,
owned by DIR. Manuel Calvo, were de-
stroyed by fire.
Bianco Disgust. the Autonomist..
Marshal Elanco has appointed thirty
four new employees at the custom house
OF these five are native Cubans and the
remainder Reformist Spaniards The
nutonomists are greatly disgusted by
these appointments~ Sixty persons en-
ployed about the docks ard 500 others
in various parts Of the island have
Joined the revolutionists. and a number
Of prisoners at Guines who were par-
doned under the recent proclamation
have returned to the Insurgents. SMALL
pox is ravaging the neighborhood Of the
insurgent headquarters in Pinar del Rio,
and there are in the hospitals in the hills
LEO persons suffering from the disease.