The times., 1898-05-11
DiabOIical Plots and 0utrages
of fie Volunteers.
VERETABLE REIGN OF TERROR
Those Declining to Enlist, However
Valid the Excuse, Are MerctIcssly
SInin-American Sympathixers I'm
prisoRed That They May BE
Slaughtered when Forts Are Bonn
MeyIers WeyIer.

Havana Ha1bor. on the DANISH Schoon-
er Rohl, bound for Progresso, Mex. May
]. via Galveston. May, 10.-We are just
leaving this wretched city amid the
shouts, cries and howlings OF Il eowardly
rabid Spanish crowd that hisses and in
suits us as the tow-boat Susie slowly
tows US out of reach of the MORO Castle
guns. The Rohi IS the LAST reign 'ses-
sci TO leave Havana. and 2aJ-odd Cuban
and Spanish refugees have boarded her
as their only chance to save their lives
from the death clutches of tr,@ sanguinary
volunteers.
moment ago We all hl1 lon2 dra wu
faces, fearing that Inspector Tel ez might
take some of us ashore and bury us in the
dungeons of the Cuban tortresses as TO-
litical conspirators, or that the rabid anu
bowling crowds along the wharf thronsed
with armed volunteers might fire on US
or, further still. that one uf those deadly
torpedoes placed across the Morro en-
trance might accidentally go off.
We have, however, been more fortu-
nate The crowds have not attacked us:
Inspector Perez has not touched one of
US; the submarine tOrpedoes nave not
TO Castle and mighty elad. 100
All faces are joyful as the Cuban
coast lines disappear in the distance and
the Spanish flag is seen no longer. That
IL VIII soon cease to iloat aver Morro Is
the ardent wish of almost all on beard
II is now p. m. Two hours have gone
by, and we have not yet sighted an
American warship. Where is the fleet I?
was the oft-repeated question in the Ha-
Fana streets this morning before we
sailed The fact that the American war
ships were out of sight was understood
as indicating that they were in the chan
net TO the east in a hot battle with the
Spanish fleet.
El CorreO. anticipating events, gave out
a haring extra in which it inagina lively
explained how the crack ship Pelayo had
sunk three American battleships. The
fake was so absurd that even the most
rabid Spaniards did not believe it. As a
fact, the Spanish fleet was supposed to
be due at Havana by this time, and great
uneasiness is felt by many Spaniards in
Havana who already began 10 fear that
their feet viii not break the blockade, as
was enthusiastically announced by the
Spanish minister of war, and that they
have been caught in q trap. However.
The ignorant classes are more sanguine
than ever that Spain will come out victor
ious, which makes them intolerably
naughty and insulting.
The situation in Havana city is grow
ing intolerable 10 foreigners and private
citizens. While Gen. Blanco and the po-
lice authorities mean well they are over
powered by the volunteers who legally
and practically hold the city. They have
organized numberless cso-called public
safecy committees which, although ap-
parently established to sustain order. are
wholly engaged In forcing all able-bodied
men 10 enlist asvoIun1eers. staying merci-
lessly those who refuse TO serve. under
any pretext. They have already black
listed about 800 Cuban-American sym
pa1hizers (your correspondent being hon
ored with the head of the lisD who will
disappear as soon as the first shot is
fired on Mcrro Castle.
This is only a part of the Weyler dia-
bolical plan TO seize Cubans. Americans
and foreigners; also women and children
not siding with Spain and locking them
up in Cabanas. Morro and other forts
and in the batteries, in case of danger. SO
that when the American feet begins to
lombard Havana they will be the first
ones to succumb.
Gen. Molina has already Initiated the
plan When the first shots were fired on
the batteries at Matanzas. he seized the
well-known families of Senors Schweyer
Ortiz. Lecuona. Echemendia, and others.
with their wives. daughters and little
children, and locked them up in San Sex
erino Fort in the expectation that they
would be killed If the fort was bonn
barded.
Bang There goes a single shot indicat-
ing that the American feet is near and
that the blockade of Cuba Is a fact and
not farce. as the foolish Spanish Ha-
yana papers believe it to be. The ROhl
hOisted her colors and went ahead, but a
second shot made her stop. A few min
utes later up came the Cincinnati within
speaking distance and, after satisfying
herself that we were not Spanish fugi-
tive ship let US proceed. Later in the
night we were again held up and dis
missed after hosting our colors.
After many amusing incidents and petty
troubles. we arrived at Progreso. Mex,
on May ). TO all appearances a handbook
ing crowd Of reconcentrados. Here we
learned of Dewey's victory and incident
ally. TO our great surprise, that Mexicans,
or at least the natives of Yucatan. side
with the Spaniards against the United
States.