Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-06-17
BETRAYED HER COUNTRY
AN ExEcRATED CUBAN WOMAN WHO
WAS WEYLER's SPY.

Nina Diaz Sacrificed Her Friends Her
Relatives and Her Native Land for
Love OF a Spanish Ofhcer- Some OF Her
Daring Exploits Not a Pleasant story.
Cuban women have run the gamut
OF misery and suffering for their be.
loved island. But here is the story
OF a Cuban woman who sacrificed her
friends, her relatives and her country
for her Spanish lover,
It is not q pleasant story-this OF
Nina Diaz, the beautiful, fascinating,
unscrupulous spy Of the bloody Wey-
ler's regime. Well for the fair name
OF Cuban women that there are no
other stories like it. Through her in
fatuatiOn for d Spanish officer she be-
came the tool Of "the butcher" and
the moral responsibility of many OF
the atrocities committed by the mon
ster general may be laid at the door
OF this traitress to her country.
Nina Diaz is the daughter OF Felix
Diaz, who owned small tobacco plan
tation near Santiago, Cuba. Diaz
earned comfortable income from his
ranch, but when the struggle for indie
pendence began he left his plantation,
and with his two sons joined the army
of General Capote.
Nina and her mother left their home
at the same time, and went to Havana
to live.
Nina was typical Cuban beauty,
dazzling, voluptuous and enticing
When daughter of the tropics
loves, it is with her whole heart and
soul, Nina fell in love with a member
Of Weyler's staff. young lieutenant
of infantry, who had just been as
signed to the Spanish secret service in
Havana.
Weyler wanted some women spies.
1t was his theory that shrewd wom-
an was the best possible spy If she
conducted her campaign on love
basis. To this end he urged the
young officers about him to make use
of their sweethearts to discover the
plans of the insurgents.
The lover of Nina Diaz persuaded
her to join the Spanish secret service,
and throw all the force of her beauty,
cleverness, and magnetism against her
native country.
Nina's beauty and intelligence soon
attracted attention, and she became
popular with Americans and Gu
bans. On steamer days Miss Diaz
made her promenades upon the wharf
or upon the decks Of outgoing vessels.
In this way she met any number Of
people, and secured most valuable in
formation, which, through her lover,
was impaired to Weyler.
Nina Diaz's success was so signal
in Havana that Weyler dec5led to
send her into the provinces to report
the movements of the rebels.
Her first venture was in Santiago,
near her old home. Disguised as o
poor girl, she went about with o small
book begging for contributions for the
sick and wounded of the insurgent
army.
Hundreds of arrests followed. Fam.
lilies were broken up, unhappy moth
ers and children were thrust into pri-
son, trail of misery and suffering
and death marked the path of this
beautiful, cruel spy.
One day Nina was caught by Gu
ban picket in communication with
Spanish officer. The spy and the
Spaniard were captured, and brought
before the chief Of the insurgents.
Nina's cleverness and ang-froid did
not desert her. She informed her
captors that she was the daughter OF
i Felix Diaz, a Cuban insurgent who
was known to be in the neighborhood.
She was on her way to visit her father,
she declared, when the Spaniard had
captured her, and endeavored by
brides and threats to make her reveal
the camp of the insurgents.
The story was not credited at first,
but the insurgents sent for her father
and brothers, and on their arrival she
was released.
At dusk that evening Nina escaped
and reached the Spanish lines. Using
the information she carried them, the
Spaniards next morning attacked the
insurgents, and a fearful slaughter
ensued.
By Cubans the name of Nina Dias
is execrated.
But Weyler declared Of her that she
was the only loyal Cuban on the
island.