The Portland daily press., 1898-06-18
RESCUED BY THE INSURGENTS.


Cienfuegos-Confined in a Fort While a
Battle Goes On-Helped by tho Cubans-
Rescued at Sea by an American Vessel,
Mr.. John Purchase. whose thrill ing
experience at Cienfuegos, Cuba, was re-
ferred to in yesterdays PRESS, returned
to the city from Scarboro, where he has
been on visit, and was seen by a
PRESS reporter yesterday morning.
Mr.. Purchase, who is bright, active,
naturalized American, shipp ed in Balti
more February 21st on the Jennie L. But
Ter of Bath, Capt. Butler, for Cienfuegos
This was prior to the breaking out of the
war. The vessel arrived out about March
18th. Mr.. Purchase, who was second
mate Of the Butler, and had shipped for
the voyage to that port, left the vessel
and went ashore, intending to go to 81 a.
vana. He took up his quarters in board
ing house in that city, with his baggage,
and the 22d of March left the house for
the railroad station, intending to go to
Havana. On the way to the station he
was met by six Spanish soldiers, who
halted him and asked if he had pass
port He said no, but claimed to be an
Englishman, resident of Liverpool, but
he forgot that he had in the inside pocket
of his vest his naturalization papers
They searched him and found them and
1no1 sod fhof no rxyQc or A onvsa
They then placed him in a wagon, hand
cuffed him, and carried him to O garrison
blockhouse about fifteen miles from Glen
fuegos, and there he was confined for
four weeks. During that time he was
sparsely fed on bread and water, but he
doesn't think the Spanish troops Jared
much better.
One night in April, Mr.. Purchase
thinks it was the Goth, just after the war
was declared, large force of Cubans.
about 300 in number, under Gen. Ell Paso,
OR name that sounded like that-the
bounced upon the garrison, which COD
sisted Of about 400 Spaniards. MIR. Pur-
chase said he laid down on the stone floor
on his stomach while the battle ragged.
There were no windows in the block
house, or fort, and the men fired through
long Sits In the walls. Finally the Gu
bans storlned the block house and car
ried it, and the Spaniards broke and ran
for Cieufuegos, leaving about forty Of
their number dead and wounded. while
the Cuban loss was small. After taking
the fort the Cubans seized all the arms
and ammunition, and, in rummaging
about found Mr.. Purchase. The contrast
between his treatment by the Spaniards
and Cubans was marked. The Spaniards
had constantly reviled and kicked him,
and the Cubans treated him with every
courtesy. They put him on horseback
and took him to a spot about 26 miles
form Cardenas. He told the Cubans he
would like to go to Havana. but the in
surgents told him that he couldn't as the
war was then on between Spain and the
United States-the first intimatfon that
he had of the fact-and that Havana was
blockaded. They then took hi m over to
their headquarters, about forty miles
from Cardenas, where he stayed some
four days. About the first of June the
insurgents told him that if he could
manage boat they would rig one for
him, and on June I'd he left the island in
a boat about twenty feet long, provided
by the insurgents with sail, bag of
hard tack and four gallon keg Of water.
They gave him also 81 In United States
money. 1t was two O'Clock in the morn.
ing when he started, and the wind was
blowing stiff breeze from the southwest,
ana he was soon out of sight of Cuba.
He steered due west, and when he had
been out two days and was 81 miles. west
of Key West, he was spoken by the
schooner John R. Burger, Capt. Wiley,
of Philadelphia, which took him aboard
with his boat. He was taken to Pensa-
cola, where he sold his boat aud went to
Charleston. There he shipped on the
Clara Goodwin for Bath, where he arrived
last Monday, and then came straight to
Portland.
Mr.. Purchase has relatives III this city,
sister having married Officer Cousins
of the police force, and other relatives in
ScarbOro