Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-07-02
BROKEN DOWN BEYOND RECOVERY
BY HIS PRISON LIFE.
PROMISED TRIAL NOT IN SIGHT.
WILL BE DELAYED'FOR MONTHS IN
LESS UNCLE SAM INTERPRETERS.
spanish Are Trying 10 Postpone Ii In
aeduIteIy. while the UnfOrtu-
nate Competitor Prisoners
Are Dying in Cabanas-
Disease Rampant.

Havana, July 1.-The trial Of The Compel
-itor crew viii not take place on July ], as
l has been reported. 1t may not take place
for several months yet. unless the United
States presses the matter. The authorities
here hesitate 10 bring the men 10 trlal Tor
diplomatic reasons. They realize the TACT
that, ii the laws of Spain mean anything
and are not TO be brought into disrepute,
the sentence OF the Competitor filibusters
mlfst~be a severe one. On the other hand,
Spain does not desire TO aggravate any
hostile feeling that may already exist in
the United States against her.
IL was Just about the middle of June that
Consul General Lee by direction of his
government. pressed her for an carry trlai'
lie pointed out that long delay had al
ready taken place. and declared II unjust.
10 the COusulS letter General NeNler sent
a most Indefinite reply. He began by eN-
CuSing .the past delay on the Brounu lndt
nToreedinss on the part OF The prosecution
had consumed much time. and now. he said,
the lawyer who had been assigned 10 tht
prisoners had been given until the Sni OF
General Weyler stated that II was I'M
possible TO say when the trial would be
brought on"
to delay the trial indefinitely.
Ia the meantime the Competitor crew is
laEguishiHg in prison. Some OF them Esih-
not stand confinement much longer. They
are not treated badly. so tar as spanish
treatment of prisoners an Cuoa goes. An amer
Ca banas during these hot months means;
. When Ona Melton. for example, was tax
en- prisoner he was a remarkably nne spec
linen of a man. To-day he IS broken DOWN
beyond recovery His shoulders are bowed
and his frame wasted 10 skin and none,
Disease among the Spanish troops in Sanl-
ago De Cuba has been SO severe that When
General Weylog ordered the move INTO the
interior against the rebels, the only soldlers
available were ConYaleScepts. All over the
island. disease among the Spanish troops Is
increasing at a fearful rate. Out OF the
thousand men in Negar battalion IN
Pinar del Rio. nearly 100 have been rem
dered unfit for service by malaria. The
hospitals in Havana are crowded TO over
flowing.
General Ruis Rivera is dangerously i'll.
The prisoners doctors have performed
delicate operation upon him and he Is now
in critical condition.
The Herald's correspondent in MatanZaS
reports fierce engagement on. saturday
last between Spanish troops and a body OF
insurgents. Between sixty and seventy
SpaniardS were killed and wounded. The
rebel loss is not known General Meilne
who was near by with "A column of men
came to the assistance OF the Spanish and
was badly wounded during the engagement
There are in the vicinity of Matanzas zoo
insurgents well armed and equipped.
The rebel leader Guaracha captured ana
Killed two Spanish spies near the city limits
of Matanzas on Sunday last. The corre-
spondent also vouChes for the statement
that the Spanish macheted seventeen pa
cificos, men and women. who had left town
for a plantation to get food.