The Indianapolis journal., 1898-11-16
TROUBLE At SAN LUIS
CUBANS ATTACKED BY MEMBERS OF
THE NINTH IMMUNEs.
Several of the Former Killed by the
COIored American SOIdfers-Gen.
Woods Investigation.

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Nov. 15-An Incl
dent occurred last night at San Luis, about
twenty-five miles north of Santiago, which
caused q great deal of ill-feeling among the
Cubans and considerable annoyance among
the United States military officials here. All
the cOlOred regiments are encamped in the
neighborhood of San Luis. They were sent
there virtually to get them out of the way
because Of the difficulty experienced in
managing them. The colored officers seem
to have little or no control over their men,
and officers and privatas are often seen
drinking together, with arms around each
others necks. and behaving in other ways
not calculated to inspire respect for the
American troops among the Cubans. 1t
was not expected that the colored soldiers
could do much harm in the San Luis dis
trict which was chosen on that principle.
The trouble began last evening in an at
tempt to arrest two soldiers for abusing a
Cuban workman and stealing his hog. The
outrage was committed the Normas
sugar plantation. Lieutenant Jose Ferrera,
a chief of General Woods gendarmes in that
district, a Spaniard, but Cuban sympa-
thizer, and man whom General Wood
knew to be able and courageous, attempted
TO make the arrests. The soldiers, who be-
longed to the Ninth Immunes, escaped.
soon after n.rty coiored men, wearing the
uniform of tn. United States army, attacked
the house where Lieutenant Ferrera was
and kept up a regular fusillade, killing
Lieutenant Ferrera, Antonio Roman, an old
man, Emilio Bettran, a boy of seventeen,
and a baby, and wounding several others.
Two soldiers were killed in the affray.
When the news reached Santiago General
Wood was at dinner. He Immediately went
to the signal office, where Chief Signal Off
GER Brady took charge of the key. For
four hours dispatches were sent and re-
ceived The colored officers all denied that
their men were implicated in the affair.
in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.
After an unsatisfactory attempt to get at
the facts of the case over the wires Gen.
Wood adjourned his inquiry until this morn
ing, when he LETT on special train for San
Luis. The American officials here passed
the day with no little anxiety.
AT o'clock General Wood returned, re-
porting that after d long investigation he
had come to the conclusion that all the col
ored regiments were more or less mixed up
in the affair. He has offered $1,000 reward
for the names of the men who did the shoot
ing, and before leaving San Luis he read
the cOlOred officers d severe lecture for
denying last night that their men were i'm
plicated. EyeWltEeSseS of the affair who
arrived here during the course of the day
say that two gendarmes who were wounded
are expected TO Gle. Inc impression among
them is that all the soldiers belonged to the
Ninth Immunes.
Lieutenant Ferrera behaved most pluciSily,
and even when dying ordered his men to de-
fend themselves. He was shot while outside
the house and trying to persuade the crowd
to diSperse. 1t seems that the soldiers had
been drinking in the town and that crowd
OF them was easily got together to make the
attack.
The Independence calls upon General
Wood to relieve General Ewers of his COM
man0. claiming n
competent" The paper says also 1T is
contrary to all justice to send here as an
army of occupation the cut-throats and
murderers who, ever since they came, have
acted worse than the SpaniardS ever did.
These men are so bad that they had to be
sent to a far off town. where their misdeeds
have eliminated in hutchery and slaughter
worse than even Cubans have been accus-
toned to-
AS the night approached the popular feel
ing of indignation here intensified and Gen.
Woods arrival was eagerly awaited.