The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-12
STOLEN FROM THE SICK.
A Nurses story of Spanish Cupidity
in Havana.

STOLEN FROM THE SICK.
A Nurses story of Spanish Cupidity
in Havana.
To the Editor of the New York Tribune
AS soon as the American relief committee
here ceased giving food to the poor in Ha-
vana 1 found the distress very grievous
| among Cubans, Spaniards, Americans, En-
| glish and Chinese. l therefore determined
to open small mission on my own account
for giving food to the starving women and
| children. In thirty days gave $730 worth of
food and clothing, and soon found out that
| Spanish and Cuban women and children or
the highest position were suffering from the
| pangs of hunger in their houses and apart
| ments.
This state of things has arisen on account
! Of the long continued war, through the
death of husbands and fathers, through
| the absence of friends who had fled away
from the siege of Cuba, and from the fact
! that no one not even the shops, required
| needlework to be done or professors of Ian
guages. music or painting, so that con-
| siderable number of families 1.-TWO hundred)
were suddenly thrown into poverty.
| On April II 1 announced through the pa
| pers that would help women and children
| of all nationalities with food and clothing
| as long as I could. The food and clothing
! came to an end, and on going to the custom
house for supply was informed by me
| official custodian that the English consul,
who acted as American CONSUL had verbally
given thu his at tne care ia
| his charge should be looted for military
purposes as the soldiers we're suffering for
Vi.
| the goods at 10 o'clock at night, but the Gus
| todian would not give them up unless Gen.
Blanco consented. Therefore, early the next
morning, the order came to him, and he was
| Obliged to comply
| then wrote to General Blanco for some
| of the goods for sick and poor women and
| children who were suffering. / went to the
| palace two days afterward, but General
| Blanco sent me his secretary to say that
| as had fed and clothed and given medicine
| to the American women and children in
Havana, who were the enemies of Spain,
and had not confined myself to Spanish poor
! could have no food or clothing sent to the
noncombatants by the Americans, but all
the food would go for military purposes,
and the children's clothing would be burned
This was done, and had the pain of see
ing the smoke; l may say here that moth
| propriate than the clothing sent from Amer
| lea to the poor here, particularly that which
| came from Portland, Me-, but that did not
| save it from destruction.
by hungry women and children, including
| twenty American children whose mothers
| are native-born Americans and whose faith
ers are dead. Fortunately, 1 had medicine
that is, quinine-from England. which cost
G10O in gold One large pot of this sent to
Los Foses and the other remained with me:
Acient moner 70 sI, the cartsge en- all these
| goods at the custom house, so they deter
| mined to sell some for money. bought one
| thousand pounds of meat, the same of flour,
| the same of meal and coffee, and gave $107
| in gold for 14S tins of condensed milk, in
| all.
AS soon as the goods were stored in my
house l sent an announcement TO the
! "Diaria do Ia Marina" informing the women
and children on my list, about five hundred.
that 1 had now food for them. and would
| distribute it on the 22d. This announcement
was sent on the morning of the 18th, and at
| 3 o'clock the same day detective police
| man, who gave the name of Puri, together
with FIVE other policemen, came and
! demanded the whole of the goods and medi-
| cine in General Blanco's name, as the police
had not been paid for eleven months, and
Fortunately had a woman with me, who
| was witness to one of the most disgrace
| full raids that was ever made. These vulgar
men even entered my bedroom stole from
thence my tea and coffee, bread and butter,
| etc. and even, with their sacrilegious
| hands, raised the Virgin from her pedestal
| to see If had placed anything Of value I'M
| derneath.
Up to this moment I have not received
England or Spain for these charities or for
my services for the year have been here,
| though ! must say the United States offered
| to pay me for nursing the Maine boys,
which declined. The money 1 have spent
| is from my own poor purse, shared with
my sisters, the noncombatants of this I'M
| happy city, and comprises not only my six
months income, but my savings besides
! Now have only a few dollars at Laugh
Woen and cSren Wb" 5ee
ment refuses to allow to embark We will
| buy a little food with it and If we perish
There is no appreciation here of self-sac-
| rifice and nobility Of character, but God
| sees the heart and will succor us in our
| hour of peril.
They have looted the a100 worth of
| quinne and I am weak for the want of
| little.
1t was difficult to maintain my wcmanly
| dignity during this raid, for L have three
| hundred sick little ones on my hands, and
l could not help dropping silent tears on
| their account.
| I visited the prisoners of war yesterday.
| They are all well. Mr. Edwards secretary
| Of the Young Mems Christian Association,
| of Reading, Pa, unlawfully imprisoned as
| a spy, has. gone out of his mind. Poor
| boy, pity him.
SISTER MARY WILBERFORCE.
! Havana, May "a, 1898.
This letter was received in an envelope
marked ~. S. Consulate General at Ha-
! bana," but postmarked Vera Cruz, and
bearing a Mexican postage stamp and reg
istered. The address read, THE New York
| Tribune, from the Doomed City of Ha-
| vana." The letter was headed Statement
| of Mary Wilberforce. twelve years a mem
| Der of the r. B. n. A. of London" 1t was
| evidently sent out Of Havana on one of the
| steamers that have been permitted to pass
| the blockade. and mailed BY a passenger in
| Vera Cruz. The initials given probably re-
| fer to the Royal British Association of
| Nurses.