The evening times., 1898-06-03

New York June 3.-With a tale of ship
wreck at sea and of narrow escapes from
Spanish guerrillas by land, weather worn
and storm tossed, but not a whit un-
daunted, Senior Domingo Mendez Capote,
| vice president of the Cuban republic,
reached this city yesterday and presented
himself at the Cuban headquarters of
the Cuban Junta, In New Street. He was
accompanied by his secretary, Manuel
Despaign, and his adjutant, Major AL
| berto Herrera. The three Cubans were
| swallowed up in the collective embrace
of hundred or more of their compatriots
when they reached the Junta-
Senior Capote, who is an unassuming
young man and apparently not fond of
playing the star part in 4 Cuban demon
stration, escaped to the private room of
T Estrada Palma, where a conference
lasting more than an hour was held.
Then the vice president of Cuba's pro-
visional government went to the office of
Horatio S. Rubens, where he met the
representatives of the New York news
papers.
Senior Capote looks unlike the majority
of Cubans. He is of medium height, has
a dropping brown mustache, dark brown
hair, piercing eyes set close together, a
broad forehead and a small but firm chin.
He speaks little English, and Mr.. Rubens
acted as interpreter. Senor Capote told
of his hairbreadth escapes from drown
ing and from being shot or made pris-
oner by a Spanish lieutenant, who was
not bright enough to discover that he had
next to the highest officer of the rebel
government in his clutches, as If 1t were
all good joke.
Before answering any questions Senior
Capote said that the Cuban people and
the Cuban government are deeply CRATE
ful for the action taken by the United
States.
When asked to state the object of his
mission to this country Senior Capote re-
piled:
MY mission here b not a public one
All public acts relative to the situation
between the United States and the Cuban
government will continue, as heretofore,
to be conducted through Gen. Palma, who
has the confidence of our government.
We all have a high appreciation of what
not concern the public relations between
Cuba and this country, and is of a nature
that cannot be publicly discussed"
In answer to a question Senior Capote
said that he brought no message for
President Mckinley and that he had no
present intention OF going to Washington.
OF the condition of affairs in Cuba Senior
Capote said:
1T is difficult to say just what the
number Of men in our army is at present.
owing to the many accessions it has had
since the Spaniards began evacuating
interior towns. In the eastern depart
ment, which takes in the provinces of
Santiago and Puerto Principe, Calixto
Garcia, who is in command. has about
twelve thousand men under arms. OF
this number perhaps three thousand five
hundred were in the vicinity of the city
of Santiago de Cuba when I left, and
nearly all of the 1900 could be concen-
trated there in a short time. Gen. Garcia
had his headquarters at Bayamo when !
left the island. In Santa Clara province,
under Gomez. there are about five thous-
and men. though 1t is hard to tell how
many are there at any particular time.
as they are constantly moving west. to-
ward Matanzas and Havana.
Taking the entire island, should say
there are about 1900 armed with Maui
ser and Remington rifles. There are
many others armed with machetes, and
others who have recently Joined who have
no arms at all. These camp followers
number nearly 10000 in the entire island" /"