The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-11

scribe the Wretchoo OoooAtaon o. heoos-
Notwithstanding AgAinss Americans.
Spanish soldiers AAssi.s. bu. Loyal.
"No news account can portray the SUI
fering Of the rsoonoeptrados In Cuba The
depth OF sufferinR and starvation Is be-
yond the power Of words to express. 1t
cannot be understood until seen, and
we'll, Il 10 simply one of those things that
one who has seen can never forget and
never wants to see again."
The speaker was Hugh McQuiston,
representative OF q banking house Of Gin
cinnati, who returned recently from Ha-
vana, where he has been since a few days
after the destruction of the battleship
Maine.
81 saw babes, he continued. ION whom
there was absolutely no flesh. Their little
legs and arms were no larger than this
extending his forefnger. "They were just
little living skeletons and looked the more
wretched and miserable In their nakedness
as they sought In feeble way to derive
sustenance from the breasts OF mothers
equally reduced. 1t Is horrible, horrible,
horrible-far beyond the power OF man to
describe, and these poor, starving crea-
lures beg the stranger for centavos wher-
ever ne goes. n Ctnb 10 oii thcy "ohe Va
all they ask, and a visitor In Havana who
starts out with q pocketful and gives one
small coin to each supplicant for aims soon
empties his pockets, were they never SO full
ut the outset.
at visited two or three points in the In
terror, and the suffering there was even
greater than in Havana. At Matanzas IL
Is as great as at the capital. All they have
A. tha,, ali iva from the United
States-all the cattle, flour, corn, hay and
grain of all kinds. Butter, eggs and poul-
try by the shipload all come from this
country.
"Tha feeling In Havana is naturally
very bitter against the Americans-not
among the business classes, who are anx-
ious for q settlement of the present dis
turbed conditions. There is no particular
venom displayed toward individuals, and
was not disturbed or insulted during my
stay in Havana, unless they said some
thing to me In Spanish which did not
understand.
"But the undercurrent of feeling is un-
questionably against the United states,
and some of the more ignorant fancy that
they could land troops on our shores and
devastate our nation. A few evenings ago
an inflammatory circular or handful was
distributed all over Havana which con-
cluded with these words:
"'Death to Americans In Havanal
Drive them into the sea! Kill them! Kill
them! Kill themp
Captain General Blanco endeavored to
trace these circulars to their author but
It was failure. They had no effect, bow
ever, on the Americans in Cuba, who con-
tinued to go about their business the same
as ever.
"Among the Americans the general
opinion-I might say the unanimous opin-
ion-is that the Maino was blown up
through treachery, and the same senti-
ment Is shared by the Cubans, of whom
there are more In Havana than the Span
iards are aware of. They may be to all
external appearances loyal to the govern
mont, but when they meet an American
they talk very freely. They look to our
country for relief and for Intervention
which will end the conflict which has
brought death and suffering to so many.
"Wbile as in Havana there was bat
tie between the troops and the insurgents
a few miles out-so close that we could
hear the firing In the city. After the fight
they came back-the Spanish troops-with
five killed and number of wounded. The
newspapers came out with the statement
that the insurgents had been completely
routed. met Cuban interpreter day
later who told me that the Cubans had not
| lost a man in the fight. So you see 1t Is a
| question which statement to believe, and,
| indeed, 1t Is possible that neither Is strict
| ly correct.
"There are 8, 600 Spanish officers in Ha'
| vana at present who do nothing but smoke
| and lounge about cafes. They are there on
double pay. They receive regular pay II
| they are stationed in Spain and double
pay In the provinces. The poor private sol
diers are to be pitied. They have received
nothing since April last-11 mouths-ant
| they ask for centavos with as much plead
| ing as some of the reconcentrados. Yet
they are loyal to their government. They
believe implicitly in Espanola. Cuba II
yielding S1S, 200, 600 in revenue to Spair
annually, even in her present devastated
condition, with only a fraction OF TIT
island under cultivation. Even should TIT
trouble there be settled 1t would require ,
great deal of time before anything lik'
prosperity could be restored"
To the father and mother Of ALDER
Hennekes, gunner's mate on the Maine
Mr.. McQuiston brought a precious me
L
the number "41" engraved on 1t, which
had been screwed to q steel beam In tn
battleship Immediately above the ham
mock in which the Cincinnati boy la.
when he was hurled to death. The souve
mir was given to Mr.. McQuiston by tn
ships carpenter, George Helms and Chap
lain Chadwick, with the request that 1t b
given to the parents of young Hennekes
who was friend of both officers and wa
sincerely liked by all of the ships crew.
ALFRED Hennekes' body was fully iden
titled when 1t was recovered" said MI
McQuiston, "and Is buried In plainl
marked grave in Colon cemetery-Chrit
TOPPER Columbus cemetery-in Havana.
was present at the memorial services whe
the graves of the sailors were decorated o.
March 4. All of the Americans contribu'
ed for the purchase of flowers, and tn
services were the most impressive OF any
ever atten ded. "--Cincinnati Commercif