The San Francisco call., 1897-03-24
CUBAN PATRIOTS
GAIN VICTORIES
They Attack and Capture
the Town Of Cano,
Near Havana.
Guerrillas Sent Out by Weyler
to Murder the Innocent
Also Suffer.
Shocking Cruelties on the Part of
the Spanish Forces Are
Daily Reported.

NEW YORK, N. T., March 23.-A Spe-
cial dispatch to the Sun from Havana
saws: The town of Cano, near Havana,
has been attacked by the insurgents and
captured after hot engagement with the
garrison. The insurgents ransacked many
stores and supplied themselves with a
large stock of arms, ammunition, cloth
ing, medicines and money. After an
hour in town they again retired to the
country.
One OF the stores ransacked belonged to
o Cuban named Gomez. who was rich
grocer and strong partisan OF the
Spariards. The insurgents punished him
by taking away all the cash they found in
his store, over $4,000 in gold, and all the
merchandise, worth $1,000 more. Strip
ping the man, they Obliged him to set out
barefooted for Havana.
Near the same place the Spanish guer-
rilla of La Media Luna was surrounded By
the insurgents, who killed all the Cubans,
most of them colored men from Havana,
who belonged to it. Captain Gutierrez,
leader of the guerrillas, was clso killed.
The men OF the Media Luna were noted
for their cruelty to women, children and
them who were whites of Spanish birth
were released, after promising that they
would never again take up arms against
the independence OF Cuba.
From Puerto Principe comes the news
that another leader Of Spanish guerrilla
force, the famous Captain Rodjas. was
killed in a recent engagement with the
revolutionists.
He was marching few days ago with
his men at the head of the column of
General Jiminez CasieIianos when the
latter attempted to capture the Cuban
Government at San JerOnimo. Rodjas
was recognized by the Cubans who met
the column, surrounded by them and torn
to pieces, with forty-three of his followers.
An awful report comes from Sarcti
Spiritus. which If confirmed will make one
of the darkest pages in the history of the
Cuban war. The Cubans affirm that
Sonora Joseia Canizares, mother of the
Secretary of the Interior in the Cuban
Government, Santiago Garcia Canizares,
was tortured by the Spaniards and burned
to death. The Spanish official report of
the affair is that her death was purely
Academia Sonora Canizares having been
burned while lighting lamp, which fell
on her dress.
A special TO the Times from lamp
Fla, says: The passengers on the Oil
vette last night told story of the hor-
rible murder committed in Pinar del Rio
province last night, near Artemisa, of the
family of Captain Luis Perez, Cuban
leader, by the Spanish guerrillas.
He uifo rhrao oil sfo and five child ror,
were killed in cold blood. They were
living some distance from town. when
this band approached. The women hid
and refused to open the doors when the
guerrillas demanded entrance. They
forced the doors with their muskets and
soon found the poor women.
Mrs. Perez was found in one room, hid
den with the children behind bed. The
guerrillas raised their matchetes to kill
them. The mother threw up her arms.
pleading for mercy. They told her that
she must die. She then pleaded for the
lives OF her children, but for answer she
received a saber cash that split her head
open, scattering her brains and blood
upon the helpless infant she held in her
arms Four other children were sIaugh-
tered.
The guerr;llas then pillaged the prem
ises. They found the two sisters and en-
deavored to extort confessions of rebel
plots from them. When they found that
nothing could be learned the women were
subjected to the grossest indignities and
afterward murdered. Not yet satisfied,
the band went through the house and
plundered it thoroughly. and took every
thing they could find.
Juan Perez, an aged relative of the fam
lily, had crept up into the loft of the old
fashioned country house. where he was
silent witness to all that took place. AS
soon as the murderers had gone he fed to
the camp of the insurgents and told them
the story.