Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-08-14
CUBAN INSURGENTS
MAKING IT LIVELY
successful Raids Have Been Made
on Numerous Towns Held
by the Spaniards,
s0Mez AND WEYLER DUE TO MEET
Cubans Took Stores and Secure Sup
plies With Comparatively Lit
tie Trouble From the
Enemy.

Havana, Aug. THE insurgents dy-
lamited a culvert near Esperanza
'ailroad station of the city of Santa
lara on the night of July 80. The cul-
'ert was completely destroyed. traffic
stopped and all telegraphic commune
'ation cut off. The authorities sig
'aled by Photograph to Cienfuegos for
'elief. The mex night, while local
volunteer forces were p%atrolling the
own, they came suddenly upon a
group of insurgents in the center of
Dne of the principal streets. The
challenge was given and the insur-
rents replied with "Nivi Cuba libre,"
md opened fire. The authorities are
entirely at a loss to know how the IN
turgents entered the town and sue
seeded in getting by the fort, garri-
soned by the Third regiment of local
guerillas, which was at the extreme
end of the street. A panic ensued
among h residents, women, child
rem and the aged fleeing pell-mell
through the streets and begging for
protection, while the men either took
sides with the insurgents or joined
.he Spanish forces. The store were
looted, the invaders providing them
selves with food, clothing and cash.
The military commander ordered the
garrison to help the %patrolmen in the
attack upon the insurgents, who were
l~ntrenched in Broadway. The latter
were finally repulsed, the regular
troops losing one killed and twelve
wounded, among the latter a lieuten-
ant and a chaplain. The insurgents
eft four killed and took away about
twenty wounded. The general belief
Is that some of the inhabitants helped
he insurgents to enter the town.
Gomez and WcyIer May Meet.
According 10 insurgent proclama-
ions, General Gomez is due in Matan-
:as about the time General Weyler will
arrive there. The chances are there
Will be some heavy fighting. There is
! possibility, too, that Weyler's and
iomeZs forces may come face to face.
The insurgents not only stopped all
rattle on the railway line in
ina Santa Clara during the last week,
cut attacked several own garrisoned
cy Spanish troops. July p a large ban
.nAered Encrusyada and carried off
whatever they wanted. They raided
md burned stores and when they re-
bred drove away with them a large herd
II cattle. The Spanish commander Of
The town, Simon Guenec, shut himself
up in a church with his soldiers. The
men in the fort fired indiscriminately
without exposing themselves. Thirty
Tx hours after the insurgents had left
The town. a column Of troops started in
pursuit. Encrucyada has a population
II about 5000 and IL situated on the rail-
Dad line.
h insurgents entered Esperanza, n
abroad town of about 1900 persons.
There they met with some resistance
md there was considerable fighting in
he streets. According to official ac-
counts the insurgents left twenty killed
when they finally retired. The com
nander of the town was seriously
wounded. He admits that the insur-
cents raided several stores. B~olandron,
mother small own about eight leagues
rom Matanzas, was also raided.
Bold Raids by Insurgents.
In Havana province, Sunday, lnsur-
gents attacked Santiago de las Vegas,
live leagues from the capital. A band
was playing in the park at the time
md o of the citizens were out prom
snading. A panic vas threatened, but
The Spanish officers kept their heads
md oOk prompt steps to repel the In
WrgentS. There was brisk firing In the
streets for a time, but eventually the in
5urgents were forced TO retreat. Sew
.ral on both sides were Killed. The in
surgents remained close enough all
night to keep up a fire on the fort.
Four hundred insurgents under ZEN
rial Castillo We're not able to enter the
,own, but kept up d heavy fire on the
forts all night. He also used dynamite
With great effect, throwing bombs into
the town and destroying several pub
VIC buildings. Three bombs We're fired
from dynamite guns which were landed
Ivy a recent expedition. The Spaniards
aid not venture out of the town. The
authorities determined, on the following
morning, to be revenged on someone and
arrested the family Of Morales y Botel-
las, because the daughter of the house
VAS the fiancee Of Castillo's late chief of
staff. Mr.. and Mrs. Morales, their
daughter and two other children were
taken outside the town, ordered to kneel
Town and were fired upon by a squad
pf Spanish soldiers. Morales, his wife
and one child We're killed at the first
golley.
Advices from Pinar del Rio state that
the insurgents are becoming active in
the province. In consequence of recent
:aids, General Weyler has ordered hat
military lines around Havana be tight
tned and that all cultivation and prop
frties about the lines be at once de-
ltrOyed.