The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-28
HORRORS OF THE CUBAN WAR.
A GEORGIAN BRINGS BACK A BUL-
LET FROM HAVANA.

LET FROM HAVANA.
Was AmbuShed in the Suburbs-CU-
han Camps to he Found in the
Outskirts of Havana-The Insur-
gents Ragged But Full of Fight.
Spaniards Badly in Need of Cash.
Women and Children Dying of
Starvation in the Streets of Ha-
vana-PeOpIe Dying Like sheep in
the Hospital.
At least one Georgian known in this
vicinity has been wounded in the Cuban
struggle. and he was neither a flibusterer
nor an insurgent He was simply an on
locker in Venice or Havana, and he saw
good deal while on the ever faithful
isle" One of his mementoes of his visit
TO Cuba is bullet which was taken out
of the biceps of his left arm after a trip
In the suburbs of Havana
Mr.. J. w. Varnedoe is a well-known cit
izen of Liberty county. His home is at
Johnston Station but as he is contrac-
tor by profession, he is away from home
the greater part OF his time. Mr. Varne-
doe built the union passenger station at
Jacksonville, and is now engaged in sewer
work there.
Some time ago, before the breaking out
of hostilitics In Cuba, Mr. Varnedoe, in
company with several other gentlemen in
terested in contracting work, secured a
large contract in Havana for sewer, to
be built a distance of about two miles
through the main portion of the city. The
fpc
the work. and the contractors have since
been holding on, awaiting the cessation Of
hostilities in order to undertake their
work.
About a month ago Mr.. Varnedoe and
his associates, most of them Western
men, decided TO take a trip 10 Havana
and see for themselves what the situation
was
They remained in Havana and vicinity
for some time, but did not find the pros
pect very satisfactory. They took ndVan-
tage of the situation however, to ac-
quaint themselves fully with the condi ion
of affairs They found no difficulty IN Wis
ting the insurgent camps, not far from
Havana, and Mr.. Varnedoes passport is
vised both by insurgents and Spanish Of
ncers. he visited Consul General Lee a
number of times, and was the recipient
of many courtesies from him.
THE situation" said Mrg Varnedoe lis
simply this: Unless the Spaniards can get
ready cash, l do not see how they can
hold out longer than spring. The soldiers
are unpaid and poorly fed and equipped.
The insurgents are equally as bad off.
They are almost naked, have no supplies,
but are well armed and appear
to have plenty of ammunition. They
fight like devils and swear they will never
give up
Mr.. Varnedo's own experiences Illus
trate the condition of affairs in Havana
One night, little over two weeks ago.
he and his friends started on a stroll
through Havana. They had gotten into
the suburbs when they were suddenly sur
rounded by armed men who began firing
upon them. They drew their pistols and
returned the fire, whereupon the Span
iards, whom they supposed the attacking
party to be, fed, after several of them
had fallen. Mr.. Varnedoe was the only
one hurt In the American party, receiv-
ing a bullet in his upper left arm. The
party returned to their lodgings, where the
bullet was extracted from MIR. Varnedoe,s
arm
Mr.. varnedoe did not think his party
was attacked because 1t was of
Americans. Such affairs are of
nightly occurrence in Havana and attract
little or no attention.
Mr. Varnedoe said the restitution in
Havana and the outskirts is simply be-
You'd description.
81 saw fully 100 women and children die
of starvation while l was in Havana" he
said THE newspaper reports have not
told one-hah the story. The sights almost
pass belief. While / was there l went into
a hospital containing about go patients
During the hour that l was there eight or
nine died They were picked up, bed
clothes and all, dumped into boxes and
carted off"
The policy Of the Spanish government
Mr.. Varnedoe said, seems to be to gather
the defenseless Cubans into the towns and
cities and exterminate them by disease
and starvation. The children of the re-
concentrates are fed on a weak mixture
of condensed milk. while a thin soup Cruel
Is furnished to the adults, which merely
allows them TO die slow DEATH If such
is the state of affairs in Havana what
must be the conditions in the interior
provinces away from the eyes of newspa-
per men and inquisitive Americans,