The age-herald., 1898-02-23
SPANISH CRUELTY
 AND WANT OF FOOD Filling Cuban Graves With Re-
 concentradoes. INTERVIEW OF BOSTON MAN Who Had Recently Returned From the Land of Tyranny Tells Tale of Horrifying Des- olation-Subject Discussed in Sem
 ate Executive Committee.
INTERVIEW OF BOSTON MAN

Washington, Feb. 22-Cuba usurped the place of Hawaii in the executive proceed ings of the senate today and was under consideration for an hour or more. The proceeding was based upon a document presented by Senator Morgan, of Alabama, as the result of an interview between him. self and MT. Koop, of Boston, Mass. In presenting the document, Senator Morgan said MT. Koop was capitalist who had but recently returned from Cuba, after most exhaustive exploration of the island.
 MT. Morgan laid considerable stress upon the importance of the document, which resulted from a stenographic report of the interview between Senator Morgan and MT. Koop. The document consisted of ques- tions by Senator Morgan and replies by MT. Koop. The latter said he had been in thirty-four provinces, and had spent more or less time in each of them in the prosecution of his inquiries. In no place out side of Havana, he said, was any eff fort made to take care of the reconcen- trados, and he declared that the people were dying in great numbers in all places where they had been collected together by the Spanish authorities, both as a result Of the cruelty of the Spanish troops and for the lack of food. He declared there was no evidence in the provinces of a more liberal treatment of these unfor- tunate people under the administration of Gen. Blanco than there had been under the Weyler regime, and said that the peo- pie in general were in just as deplorable condition now as they had been before the change.
 Not Allowed to Collect Food
 In no case were the reconcentrados al lowed to go outside the military posts to collect food, and while there were some efforts in certain instances to grow crops in the immediate vicinity of the garrisons. these crop areas did not extend more than 500 yards from the forts He added that if the people were allowed to get out they could get enough to eat to keep soul and body together, but that when even small children attempted to go outside the guard lines they were shot down as ruthlessly as if they were enemies in arms. He said he had seen women and children abused by the Spanish soldiery, and that favorite pastime seemed to be to kick the women about as if they were dogs.
 MT. Koop also devoted considerable space at Senator Morgan's suggestion to the scheme of autonomy under the liberal min istry and pronounced 1t a failure from one end of the island to the other. He said that business was at standsiH through out the country, that few crops were grow ing and that de5oaation and ruin stared the traveller in the face wherever he goes. AS the consequence property was much depre- cated in value, and the people were getting discoarraged He said the general innate was that the war had alleady3 fesulted in the loss of 6O0O00 lives and Mir Koop him self did not consider these figures exag- gerated.
 Ess Deplorable Picture
 There was some comment upon the docu- ment by Senators Morgan Gahhnger ana Mason but no official action was taken
 Mir Mason said the statement was no more than he expected to hear, and Sena- tor Gallinger declared that the picture was A deplorable one. He said that two years ago he had advised the United States trr rsatha a r.