El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-07-12
HOT STUFF.
Cubaus Defeat Spaniards i'll the
Suburbs and Take BlOckhOuSeS

raids are not made, either on the west
side of the city or at Guanabacoa, and
a large number of Spanish soldiers
have been killed on outpost duty at
these points.
Al Reeala on Monday an insurgent
force Of 200 dashe d through the main
street,, dispersed two government de-
tachments that sou = hit to stop them.
set fire to several buildings, looted two
hardware stores whore there were
some guns and ammunition, and wound
I'D by going in front of the com man
dant's qua tiers aud firing IL vOlley into
it, Fifteen Spanish soldiers were
surcents were shot. The holiness of
the deed has excited Havana very
much.
AT GuanabacOa force, supposed to
be under Col. ROdr gueZ, raided the
outposts on two roads Sunday and cap
tured ttty-five prisone S. Three cam
| non were spiked on the outer lntre ca
ments and two blockhOuses burned :.
The d. isoners were stripped Of their
uniforms and sent back to the govern
ment camp.
At Mon e Del Marsos. in the western
part of the city, force Of 300 insur-
gents attacke d garrison of about 800
| government troops Saturday al Sun
day. captured the place and burned
non, one IL raid fire gun, and sent
three prisoners back to Havana in a
nude state as is thu custom.
The blockhouse in that section is
very strong. and the Cubans had to re-
sort to a ruse in order to get the garrl-
| sons out. A small force of C.bans,
posted within short distance OF one
OF the forts. began firing on IT, making
many insulting gestures to the Spanish
|
troons for not coming out To ii ght them.
| The Spaniards finally became SO infur-
lated that they lost al caution and,
seeing only small force before them,
| they rush ed out in pursuit leaving but
a small garrison in the blockhouSe.
Hardly had they got out Of sight before
a large Cuban force dasn ed in and cap
tured the blockhouse with hardly
struggle.
As soon as the pursuing party had
returned to the blOckhOuse they were
met by a sudden fire from the Cubans
within, which killed twenty five. Su~-
prsed and bewiIdered, the rest of the
force surrendered without a struggle.
CUBAN STRATEGY.
At the other fort, which is some dis
lance away, the Cubans practiced an
other clever trick to lure the garrison
out. small force of Insurgents were
seen driving some cattle d mile from
the fort. AS this was Il rare tceat to
the Spaniards they could not resist the
temptation, ana u large portion of the
garrison was sent out in pursuit. This
was what the Cubans wait d for, AID
they promptly took advantage of it,
capturing the fort a few minutes after
ward. The pursuing force had gone
after the cattle very insutliciently arm
cd, and, therefore, when they returned
20 cir quarters they were an easy
prey for the Cubans. The story Of this
disaster has been kept out of the pL-
Dcrs, although La Lucha' allUdes 10
il in d scarcely concealed way, u show
ing 1.-THE fool pig headedness' of some
ii The Off .ers in command around the
city.
Many rumo- 5 are prevailing here as
to Weyler's return and of his move
II nts in Santiago de Cuba. Il is re-
ported that another big disaster has
befallen the Spanish troops in that sec
ton, the stat .men5 being made that
Gen. Care Il and Rats had fallen upon
Il Spanish column, utterly defeating it,
the Spaniard5 los 'ng ne irly 300 men
wounded and killed AMI missing, and
tGe insurgents captured 300 prisoners,
four cannon and a large amount of
guns and provisions.
This cannot be substantiated as yet, |
but it i well known through private
couragipg news has be IN received, as
last night and yesterday morning an
extra mum Der of kilograms were re-
ceivei, and the anxiety displayed by
some of the officers shove that they
were not of an encouraging character. |
The report states also that Weyler is |
thoroughly discounted and is so cha
erined over the stare OF affairs in that
section that he will return to Havana
at once. 1t is well known that palace |
officials have wired him regarding the |
movement of Aranguren in this |
province, and a threatened coucentra-
ton of Cuban troops near the capital |
On Monday, Gen. Afang9ren pur-
sued q detach ment of Spanish gueril- |
las within mile OF Havana's thickly |
settled suburbs, the firing being dis
tiuctly head in the city. All these !
matters have created some excitement
here and worry, as is shown by the |
frequent change of the troops, as |
scarcely a night passes but batta ions
are changed from one fort to another on |
emergency orders. Almost every
night.firing is heard at the outposts, I'd |
sometimes it is heavy, lasting from
half an hour to over an hour, and |
showing that the insurgents are grow
ing very bold.
News comes from Trinidad that
seven women who were arrested there |
IaSb week, IL Is c!dlIneu WIN arms In |
their har DIS, were put to the machete |
after being mistreated. The Spanish |
claim that they belonged to band of
amazons there, and they propose to kill |
every ore when captured.
1t is well known that in several pro
vinces there are small bands of anna
IONS, from fifteen to thirty in number,
who are the terror of the Span sh
troops These women fighters have
lost husbands, lovers and friends by the
Spanish guerrillas, and have sworn
vengeance. They band themselves to-
gether, and their track has been mark
ed by bloodshed wherever they have
come across Spanish columns. They
become expert shots. Weyler has is
sued special order concerning them,
offering d reward to his troops for the |
head of every ore, as their work of de-
struction has been so great as to de-
mOralize many of tbs garrisOns in some
of the interior towns.
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