The evening times., 1897-12-23

New York, Dec. 23.-The Herald's ia
vana correspondent sends. the following
ErnestO Tosca, Consul General Lees sec-
retary, who was sent to Col. ArranguIen's
camp to plead for mercy for Col. Joaquin
Ruiz, has returned To Havana, having
reached his destination only to obtain a
fun confirmation of the gallant officers
| death.
| Mr.. TOsca was unable to deliver Gen.
| Lees letter to Col. A rrangurep, who, soon
| after the shootin" of Ruiz, had depa T.ed
| for a distant camp. The secretary brought
hack the full statement from Col. .Aran-
! guren's second in command, giving details
| Of the death of Col. Ruiz. as follows:
This gentleman says the statement
came to Our fields dressed in the unif1r
| OF Spanish military officer, ann pefore
the Cuban forces made TO Col. A -r,osuren
propositions of autonomy for Cuba. Then
Col. Arraneuren, respecting tue orders CT
our army, made Ruiz a prisoner and lie
was executed later after court-maiiial
in the name Of the law OF organization
Of our army; and that 1t may he known,
Tosca, who came commissioned by the
United States consul general in Havana"
Efforts are being made to recover the
body OF Col. Ruiz, which, il is believed.
was buried on the estateLa Majagua, near
San Miguel. Gen. Lee has been refIiesteI
tc send 4 messenger to the insurgents To
ask for the surrender of the body. lie re-
fused to DO SO unless officially asked Ly
II .xt,t, -..f-
were sent yesterday TO try to find tie
body.
Indignation over the killing OF COL Ruiz
is still intense in Havana Many are dis
posed to blame Gen. Blanco, aii.sing
that he forced Col. Ruiz to go in spite
OF the l1ttcr's protestation that it n ,ant
certain death. This story is impfp'atle,
but its circulation served to arouse an
ugly feeling among the fiIemen. OF whom
Col Ruiz was chief and by whom he was
adored. The feeling is intensified by a
story that Col. Ruiz contributed 20 the
support of Col. ArranSuren's mother, end
that only a few days before his ,,eath
he sent her $50 at Col. Arrangur ms per
sOnal reqLest.
All accounts gree that Col. Arrlnguren
was perscnlIly opposed to the infIiction
u tht 'Nt'ti'tC
saved Col. Ruiz, but his own life would
have been sacrificed had he refused i'm
mediate compliance with the orders of his
superior Officers.
A cabIesra1 7. was rec eived toda stating
that Gen. Lee had been instructed By
Secretary of State Sherman TO nctiry Gen.
Gomez ana the other rebel leaders that
hey need expect no american sympathy
ha.- Il
OF truce. Gen. Lee told me he had received
no such instructions. anu added that Re
knew Of no instance OF the display of :,
flag OF truce during this war. 1t had |
never been stated by tie Spanish authori- !
ties that ''ol. Ruiz was under flag of |
truce, that Institution being unknown to |
the Spanish army in Cuba. and its use !
being interdicted in diving 4 recognition |
of the insurgents as hcllieerents.
This is SO widely known that the Span |
iards,- While denounciug the killing as |
an act of savagery, frankly admit tIat |
Col. Ruiz was under no protection. and |
had been abundantiy warned of the CON
sequences Of his action in approachin-, the |
rebel camp.
Much excitement was caused last Sun
day morning when small white wa rship
b caring stIong resemblance 70 the
United states guhboat Annapolis, was :. IN
slowly approaching the harbor A r,Imor
was spread that an American warship was
Coming in. and the people became TX -ited
when the strangers gun opened in ;ai.ite
to the forts, many believing that ;he city
was being bOnbarded. 1t was soon ippar-
ent that the vessel was the German school,
ship Stein, but several tours elapsed be-
fore quiet was restored
All last night and this morning raging
fires have been visible southwest of Ha-
Eana, only ten miles distant. Startling
zane on the Toledo and the Portusalete
estates. where grinding was about 70 .om-
nence. was set on fire by the rebels, and
destroyed.