The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-07-02
SPANS POLICY TO DELAY.
The Trial Of the Competitor Crew Is
Indefinitely Postponed.
Tue HORRORS OF PRISON LIFE.
Disease II Playing snd Havoc with
the Soldiers In the Royal
Service.

New York, July IA dispatch to the
Herald from Havana says:
The trial OF the Competitor crew Will not
take place on July l. as has been reported.
1t may not take place for several months
vet unless the United States government
presses the matter. The authorities here
hesitate 10 bring the men to trial for diplo-
iuatic reasons. They realize the TACT that il
the laws OF Spain mean anything, and are
not 10 he brought into dlsrepute, the sem
tonce of the Competitor fiiibusters must
De severe enc, On the other hand, Spain
dpes ioi desire TO aggravdte any hostile
feeling that may already exist In the
United States against her.
IL Was 1usL about the middle of June that
Consul General Lee, by direction of his
government. pressed for an early trial. He
pointed out that 4 long delay had already
taken place and declared 1t unjust. To the
consuls letter General WeyloI sent a most
indefinite reply. He began by oxcusiug
past DELAY on the ground THAT the proceed
inss ON the part of the prosecution had
consumed mucn time. ana now he said,
The LAWYER Who had been assigned TO tho
prisoners mad been given unul the end Of
July TO prepare his defense, In conclusion,
General VIEWER stated that it was Inn
possible TO say when tho trial would he
brought On
TO DELAY the trial Indefinitely.
In tho meantime the Competitor crew
are lsnGuishing in prison, some OF them
can not stand confinement much longer.
They are not treated badly SO far as Span
ish treatment oil prisoners i'll Cuba goes.
Americans can not roali1e what couhne-
mont in Cabanas during these hot months
means, When Melton, Tor example. was
taken prisoner he was IA remarkably hno
specimen Of manhood. Today he is broken
down beyond recovery. His hhonllers are
bowed and his frame Is wasted 10 skin aud
bone.
Disease among the Spanish troops In
Santiago dc Cuba has been so severe that
when Gcneral Weyler ordered the move into
tho interior against the rebels the Gully
soldiers available were convalescenls. All
over The island disease among The Spanish
troots rs increasing at n fact rate. out Of
tho 1000 Ip1n in The Ncgara battalion in
finar del Rio nearly 100 have been rem
derad unfit for eervioe by malaria and dys-
EMERY. The hospitals in Havana arc
crowded to overlooking.
General Ruiz Rivera is dangerously III.
T'ho prison doctors have performed deli
cate operation upon him, and he is now in
IL critical condition.
The Herald's correspondent III Matansaa
reports fierce engagement on Saturday
last between Spanish troops and large
body Of Insurgents Between sixty and
seventy Spaniards were killed aud wound
ed The rebel loss lis not known.
General Molina, who WIS near by with a
column OF men. went to the assistance of
the Spanish and was badly wounded dur
ing The engagement.
There are in the vicinity Of Matanzas
200 Insurgents well armed and equipped.
The rebel leader. Guaracha, captured aud
killed two Spanish spies near the city
limits of Matanzas on Sunday last
The correspondent also vouchess for the
statement that the Spnnards macheted
fifteen pacificos. men and women who had
left town for a plantation 10 get food.