Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-12-14


methods of Spain and joined the insur-
gents, at once becoming one of their
bravest and most adroit fighters against
! Spain.
At the close of the rebellion, when
| Spain promised Cuba home rule, Gen.
| Garcia was persuaded to return to Spain
and accept Il remuneratiye office in Ma
| drld. He remained theLA until 1896,
when he made an excuse to go to Paris,
and at once sailed for New York. where
he met the Cuban junta and arranged to
| return to Cuba as one of the command
erS OF the insurgents. He was placed in
! command of the army of the east, and
such was his reputation as soldier and
such his success that the province of San
| tiagO de Cuba was regarded as the best
| place for the landing of american troops
| even before Admiral Cervera took his
| fleet into the harbor of Santiago and
| made 1t necessary that the point of at
! tack should be there. Gen. Garcia's diff
| ferences with Gen. Shafter over the sur
render of Santiago were not of long
standing. as the two men met in Wash
lngton week ago on most cordial terms.
Took a Severe Cold.
The old soldier took severe cold when
! he came North. and this developed into
| pneumonia. He lived to learn that the
| peace treaty had been signed. The Gu
| bans in Washington regard his death as
| an irreparable loss. He was most friend
| ly to the United States, and believed that
| Cuba would ultimately seek annexation
/ as the best method of securing liberal
/ and stable government on the basis of
| home rule.
| The passing away Of the noted Cuban
| warrior was sudden that his death has
! not yet been fully realized. even by those
! who were constantly III attendance. The
| pathOs of the ending of his remarkable
| career has almost rendered them incapa-
/ bic of approaching the dramatic climax
| to his eyentful life.
Last night the body lay in the corner
room of the suite he occupied. The sim
| plicity of the arrangements would GER
| tainly have met with the approval of the
sturdy general. who was more accus-
toned to the camp, the trail, and the bush
| than to the drawing room. At the head
| of low bier was large cluster of beau
tiful roses tied with wide white satin rib
| bon. The body, which had been dressed
| in a black frock coat instead of a gen
| erals uniform, was partially covered by
| the slken folds of the beautiful flag
which he loved so well-that of the re-
| public of Cuba.
Guarded by American Soldiers.
| At one side stood an artilleryman rest
| ing on his gun with fixed Saber bayonet
! at the door another, and at the beginning
| of the passage still a third, but they were
| soldiers of another land, not his own. The
| detail consisted of nine members of bat
loFS II, SlXCn ODlIoO states artillery,
| with three nOn-commiSSioned officers. I'M
| der command of Lieut.. Copp. Gen. Miles,
| who had known and respected Gen Gar
/ cha. detailed the guard of honor as soon as
| he heard of his death, and later called
| himself to leave his condolences
The news spread rapidly throughout the
! city. President Mckinley sent a letter to
! Gen. Garcia's son, conveying an express
! sion OF Warmest sympathy. Secretary HAY
| sent Il similar letter, while Senators Proc
| tor, Chandler and many others called to
| pay their respects The members of tho
! legation and the committee, dressed in
| deepest mourning, gathered to receive the
! callers in the hall near the room in which
! the corpse lay.
Gen. Garcia's death was feared, but was
unexpected. For forty years he had lived
an existence which Injured his constitution
! to every hardship of the field and camp.
| He had passed through battles and
| plaques, faced bullets and fevers, and
! when he was attacked by cold while
| stopping in New York he laughed at the
| physicians who warned him of the danger
| attending a neglected cough. Neither he
| nor his devoted friends believed it was in
the book of fate that now, at the culmina
| ton of his career and the beginning of the
| fulfllment of his most cherished hopes,
| he could be stricken down. He was on a
| visit to the great republic which had res
| cued his oppressed native land to plead
that it be given a place by the side of the
| great nations in the sisterhOod of repub
| lies.
Unconscious When He Died.
His sword, which for twenty years had
never seen its scabbard, was forever
sheathed He did not believe that after
| having passed through SO many perils it
| was destined that he should die on the
| threshold of his final triumphs. SO he
neglected his cold until under the fostering
| influence of unaccustomed weather it de-
| veloped INTO 81 severe attack of pneumo-
MIA. He declined rapidly, without reaiz-
ing how fast the end approached. Friday
| there was a slight rally, and hope was re-
| Yived. Saturday he grew worse. and for
| twelve hours before his death he struggled
| Violently and pitifully. Gradually his
| lungs refused to perform their functions,
] and the air cells became filled with car
| bonic acid gas. Fortunately NE was I'M
I conscious, but his struggles for breath
| We're very painful to witness.
| Father MCGEE of st. Patrick's church
was called and administered the rite Of
extreme JUNCTION. Finally the struggles
| ceased. He was asphyxiated. In less
| than four days the disease, new to him,
| had conquered.
When he lay on his bier last night there
! was in evidence powerful reminder of
| what he had passed through in his trou-
| blous lifetime, and one which caused
l much comment as making the circum~