The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1897-01-16
LUCKY TO GET HOME
wARLIKE AMERICANS SENT BACK
FROM CUBA.
Stories of Insurgents Tell of Awful
Murders by the Allies of
WeyIer.

Philadelphia, Jan. 10.-James Mcguire of
this city, jeremiah Bonds of New York
and Charles Allen of Stamford. Conn,
have Just reached this city after a thrill
ing experience in Cuba. IN the course of
which William Barry of New York, who
had accompanied lnem, was shot and
killed by Spaniards.
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 81. Here they fell
in with Josef Ruiz, 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 80 Spaniards.
They were taken prisoners. searched, and
finding papers confirming suspicious on
Ruiz, held 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 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 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 q
tortuous and wearisome journey they ar
rived in the region of San Cristobal.
Again Captured.
A few days afterward they were cap
tured by a band OF Spanish patrollers
Their hands were tied behind their backs
and they were compelled to march for
distance of over 10 miles, when they wer,
thrown into a prison. The next day the!
were forced to march again until late il
the afternoon, when they were put in an
other prison and so they We're marche
} from prison to prison until Havana wa
reached. Here they were thrown into
well-guarded prison, where they wer
separated.
J On December % the three American
were brought before some commandin
r officer whose name they did not learr
but 1t is presumed that it was Genera
2 Weyler. They were told that Ruiz, tn
= young Cuban, had committed suicide b
shooting himself with a revolver, whic
he had snatched from one of the guard!
The three friends said nothing, but dis
credited the suicide story and were firml
convinced the young Cuban had bee
1 murdered.
( The trio of Americans were offered the
/ liberty and passage home if they signe
( a paper swearing allegiance to the quee
a of Spain and promising ON oath to do a
: they could against the Cuban cause in til
United States. This they agreed to d
! and were released.