The herald., 1897-12-03
made by them to get news from General


Pando's force and to find out the truth
or falsity of the startling news.
No details of the killing of the Spanish
commander have been received beyond
the statement that he was shot in bat
tie with a force of insurgents while on
the march from Sangua La Grande on
the northern coast of Santa Clara to
Trinidad on the southern coast of the
same province, where he was to take
ship and go to Manzanillo in the eastern
province of Santiago de Cuba.
Officials at the palace declare that the
story must be thoroughly confirmed be-
fore they will believe it. They say the
last reports from General Pando were
that ne would be on his way to Man
zanillo by this time.
General Pando's plan was to march
right through the heart of territory
which General Gomez force is declared
to have controlled.
Communication with the forces in the
field has not been regular, and until
further direct news from General Pan
dos army is received, the Havana au-
thorities will be in a state of the great
est anxiety.
simultaneously with the report of
General Pando's death, comes news OF
a battle with insurgents near Matanzas.
in which the Spanish forces were routed
and driven from the field. This engage
ment was bitterly fought and it is as
serted that the losses of the Spanish
We're very heavy.
A letter received by local paper from
a correspondent in the East gives news
Of big fighting last week near Bayamo
between the rebel Chief Rabi and Cen
eral Linares. General Rabi had only
500 men when General Linares had two
columns. No details of the fight are to
hand, but the Spanish loss is said to
have been heavy, one column being
nearly destroyed.
A force of 10000 Spanish troops
with artillery have forced the rebels un-
der Generals Pedro Diaz, Rodriguez and
Juan Ducassi into the hills of Pinar del
Rio They must remain there or come
out and light; the latter Spanish COM
manders think they are not likely to do.
Small bands are still moving about with
great caution.
SPANISH OPINION.
NEW YORK, Dec. "A dispatch to
the Herald from Madrid says: An ap-
preciable change in public opinion re-
garding the governments autonomy
measure has taken place within the last
couple of days. The opposition of the
Conservative jingoes and Carlist par
ties is still as energetic as ever. Romero
Robledo said that the day the DEGREES
were signed was the most fatal date IN
the history of Spain. But the class
most affected by the reforms, namely
the trading and manufacturing class OF
Catalina, has faced the situation and
has. in many cases, withdrawn its OBJ
jections and in a large measure is sup
porting the government. The govern
ment has received vast number of tele-
grams from commercial bodies all over
the country, as well as in Cuba, promis-
ing support in carrying out the reforms
THE TOBACCO TRADE
HAVANA, Dec. "A delegation from
the City of Pinar del Rio, consisting OF
the mayor Of that place and 200 mer-
chants, planters and agriculturists OF al
parties, called on Senor Canalejas, thS
special commissioner of Spain, today
and represented to him the necessity fol
the expectation of leaf tobacco, of which
thew added, there were 10000 bales ir
warehouses. The delegation required
the commissioner to use his influence
with CAPTAIN General Blanco to bring
about such expectation. Senor Canale
jas promised that he would make propel
representations to the government OF
the subject.
In the engagement which took place
yesterday in the province of Pinar de
Rio between the insurgents, under Gen
Ducassi, and the Spanish troops, under
Gen. Bernal, the former, according to
the official Spanish report, lost over 1O(
men killed. Several Of the Spaniards
were wounded by explosive bombs
thrown by the insurgents.