The Breckenridge news., 1897-11-24
STARVATION
TALES.
Cubans Begging Crumbs of
American Residents.
That Americans Have Anything Is
Due to the Relief Fund of Fifty
Thousand Dollars Voted Last
Spring by Congress.
SEVERAL sKIRMIsHEs REPORTED

NEW York, Nov. 20.-A special to
The World from Havana, Cuba, says
In every town in Crba where there
are American citizens groups Of starv-
ing islanders gather every day in front
OF tho houses of those Americans and
beg for the crumbs that fall from the
table. That Americans have anything
on their tables from which crumbs
could fall is due to the relief fund of
$4,000 voted last spring by congress.
Consul General Lee has drawn so far
about S25,0 of the total amount and
has distributed the money to the con-
suls in Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Sagua,
Santiago and elsewhere.
These consuls buy provisions and dis
tribute weekly rations to distressed
Americans
There are 1,400 Americans ON the
consular relief fund list. OF these
about 300 are American born. The
others are naturalized citizens and
their families, who, having had their
citizenship papers properly registered
at the different United States consul
ates, are entitled, if in distress, to the
same relief as American born citizens.
This course Of action General Lee has
followed in all cases and the state de-
partment has approved it.
According to statement made by
Consul Barrier, who is stationed at Sa-
qua, about 10000 people are being kept
alive i'll Cuba by these rations, distrib-
uted for the support of / 400 Neigh
bors gather around the front door of the
houses of American citizens and beg q
Il. ~ 10 ~ H.
consulates.
Where suffering is so general. these
appeals are not in vain and the scant
supply of rice, jerked beef and bread is
made to do service for five instead of
one
In the town of Sagua, a person walk
ing through the principal streets about
II a. m or p M. can tell the houses
of American citizens by the crowds of
starving creatures patiently waiting at
the door and hoping to get even a
mouthful of rice or the crust of piece
of bread.
The most pitiable sight is to see the
babes in arms. hardly alive, and the
small children, with their thin little
legs and arms and distended bodies, all
indicating lack Of nourishment and
death by starvation. ~
o There are no markets in any but the
bigger cities, because nothing is pro-
duced TO supply them and no one has
money to buy with. Misery is univer-
sal suffering is everywhere and the
death rate goes up higher and higher
each day.
In the town Of Sagua where there is
a population of about 10000, the death
list for five years before the was was
500 year. In the month of August of
this year 64S persons died Of starvation
alone.
Consul Brice, stationed at Matanzas,
reports that since July /, $1,000 persons
have died in his district
AS he was crossing the public square
one evening lately, he saw a man fall
to the ground within few feet of him,
and Fastening to his side, found he was
dead. His body was nothing more than
skeleton Such scenes occur every
hour of the day all over the island,
where people are herded together.
General Blanco's orders to allow the
pacificos to cultivate land outside the
military lines would diminish suffering
if the people had the strength and the
implements with which to work, but
they have neither, and Weyler's scheme
to exterminate the Cuban population is
rapidly proving successful.
1t is generally believed here in Ha-
vana that Blanco has received orders
from Madrid to do everything possible
TO prevent starvation reports from going
TO the United States and that Minister
Dupuy de LONE has urged him to issue
proclamations and orders that will con-
vey the idea that the new regime will
faka para Of the nOnpOnl atantg and
will stop the present appalling death