The evening times., 1898-05-11
nArznzAs EASY TO CAPTURE.
senor DominEue. Says the Fortiaca-
tf0ns Are Weak


From the Savannah News.)
The forty-six Cuban refugees who ar
rived at quarantine Friday from Matan-
zas on the Norwegian steamship Orange.
came up to the city yesterday morning
on the steamer Clifton. The entire par
ty Is at the De Soto. Some Of them
| will leave today or tomorrow for New
York and Philadelphia. where they have
friends and relatives About half OF
them will remain in Savannah.
The party is composed of business men
of Matanzas and members Of their fami-
Hes with a few servants. Some Of the
party are well provided with means and
all are intelligent and highly respectable
people. The gentlemen of the party. for
the most part. speak English. and severai
are naturalized American citizens. Con-
sidering their recent experiences. and
their hurried departure from their homes,
they seem to be enjoying life with con-
siderable equanimity.
Mr.. Emilio Dominguex Is the only
member OF the party who has seen SER
vice with the insurgents. To a Morning
News reporter he gave a very interesting
account OF his experiences. After spend
ing four months in a Spanish prison, and
narrowly escaping death. he was glad to
once more place his feet on American
soil. He is a naturalixed American citi-
zen and this Is all that accounts for his
being in the land Of the living today.
Mr.. Dominguez Is civil engineer by
profession, being a graduate Of one Of
the French academies. He speaks Eng
iish with slight difficulty.
II was engaged In the conspiracy with
Jose Marti." said Mr.. Dominguez. "about
two years previous to the present revo-
luton. This conspiracy failed. / came
to the United States and remained here
until March, 1895, when left this coun-
try with an expedition under Gen. Calixto
Garcia We landed near Barracoa. After
the organization Of the republican gov
ernment 1 was appointed administrator
Of the hacienda or district of Camaguey.
L collected the taxes and contributions for
the insurgent government. l later held
the same position In the province of Ha-
vana. state we call 1t. and was after
wards transferred to Matanzas In the
same capacity. My health failed me and
1 requested permission from Gen. Malta
Rodriguez. in command of that district,
to come to the United States. Gen. Rod
rfgueZ instructed me to come to him
within twelve days to receive instructions
to be conveyed by me to Mr.. Palma.
president of the junta in this country.
Before the end of this time l went to col
lect taxes from an ice factory In the
suburbs of Matanzas. On leaving the
factory about o'clock at night 1 was
taken prisoner by a body of men and
taken to MatanZas."
DO you mean to say that you collected
taxes in and around Matanzas for the
insurgent government MIR. Dominguez
was asked.
Certainly" he replied. That is the
81 Ct,l,, ss taf,x
ed How else would We get the means
to purchase arms. provisions. and medi-
cine? / collected taxes in Havana before
going to Matanzas. The whole Cuban
population is in sympathy with the revO-
luton. and there are thousands of Gu
bans in Havana and other cities of the
island"
After being made prisoner" said Mr..
Dominguez. Il was taken before the chief
Of police. | would probably have been
killed outright. but Gen. Weyler was in
Matanzas that night. and the authorities
wished to impress MIN with the idea that
they had made an important capture. I
was well-known in Matanzas, my family
being prominent there. ! was put in irons
for two days. The second day was de-
prived of food and water in order to
force me to give information of the move
ments of the insurgents. When they
] was sent. handcuffed. to the governor
of Fort San Severino, and was put in
small dungeon where l remained incom-
municado three days. Being an American
citizen. Consul Brice at Matanzas exert
ed himself in my behalf. Consul Gen.
Lee demanded that / be given trial
before the civil and not the military tri-
bunal. and his demand was acceded to.
I did not reveal my American citizenship
when arrested. as it would have meant
my immediate death. The Spanards
show no mercy to American citizens
whom they capture in the ranks of the
insurgents. l remained in prison four
months. After Gen. BIanco's arrival to
succeed Gen. Weyler. l was released I'M
der his policy Of clemency. This was on
November 29. / have since remained in
MatanZas."
Mr.. Dominguez said he did not think
his life would be worth much If he re-
mained in MatanZas after the lombard
ment commenced. There being no steam
ers from Matanzas for ports of this coun-
try he went 10 Havana. but was una
BILE TO secure passage there. Luckily the
Norwegian steamship Orange put III
there Saturday. April %. and he man.
aged to secure passage on her for him,
self and family. Mr. Domnguez will
leave today for Philadelphia. where he
the noted yellow fever expert.
Mr.. Dominguez was asked about the
Notifications al Matanzas. "The fortili-
cations are very weak he replied .'The
principal fort is San Severino. and 1t is
as old the foundation of the town.
The guns are ancient and weak. The
warships can knock the fort TO pieces in
no time.
The Spaniards have about l5OO troops
including volunteers. encamped back of
Matanzas Mr.. Dominguez said. The Gu
ban leader. Gen. Betancourt. is within
three miles of the city, waiting to make
n junction with the Americans. Matan-
zas has 1000 TO $1,000 population. The
sufferings of the reconcentrados have no,
been exaggerated Mr. Dominguez said
Fully co. 900 have perished in the province
of Matanzas alone. and those who remain |
are likely to die soon, unless help is af-
fOrded them
Mr.. E. NJ. Belledo who speaks English
fuently. said the conditions in the island
are very bad Prices of food are advanc- |
ing rapidly, and the poor people are in 1. |
terrible condition. The Cubans living in
the cities. who have heretofore been ex-
empt from the worst horrors of the |
war. fear that there will be a general |
massacre by the Spaniards when the |
Americans begin their attack on the ISL |
and.
There are thousands of people on the |
island who would come to America il they |
had the opportunity said Mr.. Belledo.
II. myself, know personally sixty families |
which are anxious to get away. If there
were 200 ships In Havana harbOr ready |
to sail for American ports they would not |