The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-11
wEYLER'S DEADLY WORK.
a CATHOLIC PRIEST TELLS OF THE
DESOLATION IN CUBA.

A CATHOLIC PRIEST TELLS OF THB
DESOLATION IN CUBA.
n, 900 Deaths According TO Onctai Reports
In Pinnr del rio In Lees Than n Year-Tho
People Starving aud Dying in the Streets
Ranncity and Brutality OF tho Bpaninrds.
WASHINGTON, July 1O.-Tho following 40
count Of tho state of affairs in the province Of
Plnar dol Rio in Cuba was written by a Catho-
lie priest in that province and sent to Washing
ton for tho information Of the Government. 1t
is entitled: True and impartial data on the
condition of the 'Reconcentrados' at Artemisa
and Guanajay, Pinar del Rio province" threads:
According to the report of tho civil Govern
ment Of the Pinar del Rio province from Jan. 8
to Dec, 3, 1896, II, 900 known deaths occurred
there. Tho inhabitants before tho war num-
berod 100000.
I'm Artemisa, a town of 5000 inhabitants,
Of whom 5000 resided in the town, while tho
rest livod in the rural districts, tho normal
yearly mortality was 100 persons. During
1895 only 14O deaths occurred, according to the
Civil Register of that town.
LAS Mangas and Cayajabos, towns noar Ar
temisn, had, tho former 5000 inhabitants, and
tho latter 1900. These towns having been do
| stroyed, their inhabitants took refuge in Ar
temisa, as did also o largo number of people
from Candelaria and Quicbrahacha, who, with
IOSO LuhL CdhhO lIoh a. u "a "a
these towns, formed o total Of $1,000 persons in
| the town of Artemisa- OF these $1,000 have
disappeared; some Of them through exile, 9TH
ers by death, while others Joined the rebels.
There now remain only about 10000, of
whom 1000 arc absolutely deprived Of means
of subsistence, o large number Of them dying
daily from want. Some of them arc sick, all
are starving, without medicines or food. They
seem like animated skeletons, having for resi-
dence tho streets and. p~ortlcos, living shut up
in trenches, having no work or means Of earn-
ing q living. The few able-bodied mon who re-
main arc compelled to work on tho fortt1ca-
tons without remuneration.
The sight OF these unhappy victims Of mis-
fortune 30 great Is really awful and imposing.
Tho greater number are women and children,
who have lost their fathers, husbands, or broth
ers. The men have been either assassinated,
some as suspects and others to satisfy, personal
animosities, or driven into exilo. These I'M
fortunate people are forbidden even to 90 out to
the country TO dig UP roots for food. doubtless
fe@" u tn! q sn seed % mast be- S sStsr%ina Is&9#SR RiE',
the Cuban natives. Those who have means
or have abandoned their possessions and Joined
the patriots.
the poor, but besides halng very small, nine-
tenths of it remains in the hands OF the authori-
Hopeless indeed is tho situation Of these un.
fortunate forty aes ones SSnssi ,. sleeping eng, on tb The sgaS 2 ,T chad
on the rag" ss1s sas' ' fhey have sSver but sa' Very S0 fittis r 'sias
to qusnch their thirst, SO the creator number Of
them become Ill and die where they lie; In
Girls Is, II, and Is years old, conquered by
their horrible misery, fall victims Of the brutal
appetites Of their oppressors; A very few OF these
unfortunate girls are sustained bypublic chart
~, which very often conoeals its gifts. fearing to
THE situation is growing worse every mo
ment Of deaths registered: January, 1897, ITO
S 5sat No Fee a1 y ss;,d 1% ;i; N. MSaT Tla, 1 S;,,s April I,
June June, I Y4S, w viz; aad any 1SF ep rhs nls' e aGsthiasn dur Of
Fin June, 1896, was published the first edict
Of rcconcentration; then the countrymen
brought to the towns the fowls, DC, which they
gould save from the rapacity, Of the troops.
OF Pinar del Rio,;and they were allowed TO go
back to their Plantations, provided they bad al;
a few days afterward tho spanish columns
passing by burned and destroyed ali they came
s aSe0 same Sef as Y t aiG Sad T been 'e ]espta ire IN fso sn' the
insursents, compelling these poor people. whose
e eMGailsnssa h tow1 1seh Many Sss.y0s q iih 70 I'd lsiG men 70 were eas
carried along with tho young as prisoners Of
G Gsd e Sf b Su Gsss IN and e p msne others others o %fin If t nsSe
ment; but few have ever resained their free
ION account Of this second concentration
the town Of Las Canas, a railroad station in
the Artemisa district, three miles from tho
itants, now has 5000, without a doctor, an
apothsGary shop, or any Other authority than
within the military lines. and not even from
the nearest places or by railroad are they al.
as contraband OF war, and he who is found
carrying medicines into the town is regarded as
aiding the rebellion and court martialled as
AT Gua5najay Pinar del Rio ,PrSyinceE the
situation Is understandable: To al the; osiami,
many OF the inhabitants, moro than 200
, already, are taken from their homes and foully
{ Through Pinar del:Rio province there were
many who were very, well off. and arc now
ing. while their cattle are brought into the towns
D by the troops. Although they are able to prove
|, pound Of meat to feed a sick mother or a starv.
"Tho Artemisa district was known rs Cuba's
garden. ON account Of It's beautiful coffee, plan,
, tations, on some OF. which there were charm
: ing dT ;S sm, Besides otSsr these Hs;,p plantations sss,ot there Hf
Of them have been entirely destroyed. and the
. mas niticent mahogany and cedar wood and
!. to the towns and sold by the chiefs OF the col
. umns or guerrillas. or by the military command
: which arc gathered by tho troops and keep the
l money for their own benefit.
The edicts are issued merely for their effect
5 abroad, since tho orders are never carried out,
as has been the case with those in regard tt
h ihs A tSsre 9 Sse su, any sSn,. Il II eu DiS6iy ts% e 81 eli
5 and where they have boon established 1t hai
t been for the benefit Of some prominent man o.
a tended to, by the 'reconccntrados, who have beer
: compelled to do the work without remuneration
The above narrative Is u faithful and exac
: sketch of Pinar del Rio province, and tho fur
l thcr 10 tho west the panorama. tho more dis
!. tressing and appalling. 4
all this, but we arc ready to prove, not oni!
9 that it Is perfectly true, but also that II on,
: sketch should be compared TO tho reality, I
would appear TO be simply pale. Let tho cor
respondents.of the foreign newspapers como AM
see 1t with their own eyes"