The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-18

go 10 spain, unless new OTOerS are re-
ceived.
REVOLT OF POLICE OF HAVANA.
Havana, November Is, Via Key West
November 1.-THE mutiny of the Or
den publico, which for two days
threatened the peace of this city, re-
suited in the dissolution Of hat body
today, when, after the payment of some
arrears and the promise of a full liqui-
dation, the revolution troops laid
down their arms. Captain General
Blanco then ordered all the foot and
mounted regiments of the order bubli-
co to be disbanded, that organization
ceasing to exist from this date.
The Havana mutiny, which started
yesterday, was precipitated by General
ArOlas, the military governor of the
city, whose fiery temper and brutal
treatment of officers is the source of
daily spreading discontentment. At
midnight on Wednesday General
ArOlas, at the head of the battalion of
regular infantry, having been apprized
of the intention of the troops to join
in the mutiny and demand their pay,
surprised the artillery out posts sta
toned along the VedadO road, includ-
ing the Santa Clara and Reina ChOrro
battery, disarmed them and placed
them under surveillance.
The next morning Thursday the
third company of the orden publico,
numbering about $50 men, drew up be-
fore the captain generals palace, in the
Plaza de Armas, and demanded their
overdue pay. The men were ordered
to retire, but refused. General ArOlas
who arrived on the scene almost sim
~ultaneOusly in an excess of rage, lifted
his baton of office and ~savagely attack
ed some of the onlookers, seriously
hurting a government employe who
curiosity.
By this time the Plaza de Armas
was filled with wildly excited crowds,
who loudly condemned and cursed
General Arolas. They were quoted by
General Solano, Captain General Blan-
co.'s chief of staff.
The mutinous orden publico learned
later that General Arolas had called
over 1000 regulars in the suburbs. Be-
lieving General Arolas meant to dis
arm them, the Orden publicO again left
their quarters, each man with $50
POUNDS of ammunition in his belt, and
lined up in the street opposite the ar
mory, ready to offer resistance if ne
cessary. Shortly after nightfall, Gen
eral ArOlas at the head Of the regulars
and preceded by a band Of music play
ing national airs, arrived before the
Orden publico headquarters where he
halted. Before him stood the mutinOus
third company, grim and sullen.
General ArOlas, mad with rage, or
dered his men to charge, but they re-
fused to do so. He then ordered them
to fire, which they also refused to do.
General Arolas then realized he had
lost his moral influence over the men
and, after calling the officers aside
and comforting with them for a few
minutes he left for the palace, accom-
panied by his staff and eve officers.
About two blocks from the scene of
the mutiny general ArOlas' party came
upon an innocent and u~nsuspecting
member of the orden publicO, who was
unarmed, Mad with fury, General ArOl-
as drew his sword and savagely at
tackled the man, infiicting on him Sc
we're wounds from which he died this
morning.
In the mix up Lieutenant Malta,
General Arolas' aide-de-camp, had his
hand cut, supposedly by General Arol-
as sword as it was the only one drawn
! Towards midnight most Of the regi-
ments Of the orden publicO, both cav
airy and infantry throughout the city
had mutined and turned out fully
armed. General Arolas with the reg
ulars met them at the Calzeada del
Monta, where a repetition Of the earlier
incidents occurred, the troops again
refusing to obey orders to fire when
! commanded to do so. A conference
then took place between the officers
and the mutineers d~isbanded and re-
tired for the night. The night passed
without any further untoward Incl
dent, bringing about today the result
mentioned; namely, the disbandment
of the Orden publicO forces.