The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1897-01-15
LUCKY TO GET HOME
WARLIKE AMERICANS SENT BACK
FROM CUBA.
Stories of Insurgents Tell of Awful
Murders by the Allies OF
Weyler.

Philadelphia, Jan. 10.-James Mcguire OF
this city, jeremiah Bonds of New YorR
n Charles Allen of Stamford, Conn.
nave just reached this city after a Thrill
ing experience in Cuba, in the course OF
which William Barry of New York, who
had ompan1 tnem, was shot and
killed by SpaniaTds.
On September 10 last the trio mention
ed, in company with Barry, started for
Cuba to join the forces of the insurgents,
and arrived September q. Here they fell
in with Josef Ruiz, a Cuban patriot, who
volunteered to guide the quartet to the
retreat occupied by the Cuban command
ers. They headed for Pinar del Rio dis
trict and when near Mariel were sur
prised by a body of about so Spaniards.
They were taken prisoners, searched, and
finding papers confirming suspicious on
Ruiz, held a consultation and decided to
kill all the prisoners. The conversation
was carried on in Spanish, but Ruiz in
terpreted their remarks for his American
friends. Recognizing the desperate stu
alton in which they had placed them
selves, the quintette decided to risk their
lives in a vigorous effort to escape, rather
than wait and be shot. Mcguire rolled
over to Ruiz and the young Cuban used
his teeth with such success that he soon
had Maguire's hands cut loose. Mcguire
then took a knife and liberated his COM
panions. 1t was dark, but the moon shed
light sufficient to illuminate the ground
for some distance. With a rush the five
men ran to the spot where they noticed
some machetes and guns. They armed
themselves each with a machete, revolv-
er and belts full of ammunition. AS they
attempted to get away the Spaniards
pursued them, firing a deadly volley after
them. Barry fell, shot through the heart.
at the first fire and Bonds right arm was
perforated by a ball.
The surviving four succeeded in out
~distancing their pursuers. They made
every effort to get back and recover
Barry's body, however, but were unsuc-
%cessful, and were compelled to make
their way further into the mountainous
regions of Pinar del Rio, and after a
tortuous and wearisome journey they ar
rived in the region of San Cristobal.
Again Captured.
A few days afterward they We're cap
tured by a band of Spanish patrollers.
IIl6lf udllQS were lieu DeHlnQ LnelT BACKS
and they were compelled to march for a
distance of over 10 miles, when they We're
thrown into a prison. The next day they
were forced to march again until late in
the afternoon, when they were put in an
other prison and so they We're marched
from prison to prison until Havana was
reached. Here they were thrown into a
well-guarded prison, where they were
separated.
On December % the three Americans
were brought before some commanding
officer, whose name they did not learn,
but it is presumed that it was General
Weyler. They were told that Ruiz, the
young Cuban, had committed suicide by
shooting himself with a revolver, which
he had snatched from one of the guards.
The three friends said nothing, but dis
credited the suicide story and were firmly
convinced the young Cuban had been
murdered.
The trio of Americans were offered their
liberty and passage home if they signed
a paper swearing allegiance to the queen
of Spain and promising on oath to do all
they could against the Cuban cause in the
United States. This they agreed to do
and were released.