Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-31
Spanish Butchers Of the Sarsa Family
Are Congratulated.
OFFICERS WILL Be DECORATED
Soldier Who Was Present Gives
Details of the Shooting.
TROUBLE AHEAD FOR BLANCO

Special Dispatch to Ths Evening Star.
PORT TAMPA. Fla, January SO.-Ha-
| vana, January 29.)-Spanish officials are
| not quick of comprehension. 1t might even
| be said that they are dull. Two days re-
| hection, however, has taught them that the
| Arangueren killing is fraught with conse-
| quences of which they never dreamed
| The army Is yet glorying in its triumph
but the authorities have misgivings. They
hoped by comprising Aranguerens death
| to restore their own prestige, and cover up
the folly which caused them to send Ruiz
| to his certain fate. The aim was to make
| 1T appear that Ruiz had been assassinated
in the camp of Arangueren. The official
report of the killing of Arangueren calls
him an assassin. The thirst for vengeance
was to be slaked and popular glory OBJ
| tanned in Spain by the death of the insur-
gent chief.
Facts of Arnngueren's killing.
While Spanish authorities here, by their
| control of the cable, were suppressing
the facts, 1 learned some facts from per-
SC nal observation. They are as near what
really happened as can possibly be learn
ed. My first information came Thursday
| night from the Spanish soldiers who took
part in the killing of Arangueren, and the
woman and child of the Sarsa family. They
had just laid the corpse of Arangueren on
the stretcher at the door of the morgue
and were waiting for the door to be
opened. Few people knew of the incident
then, and the crowd had not gathered. The
affair was fresh in the minds of the SOL
dfers and then they had not been forbid
den to talk. They told how the negro Clau-
dio Morales guided the large body Of troops
to the Tapaste hills beyond Campo Florido;
how the hut Of the pacifco, where Aran-
gueren had gone to visit his sweetheart,
was surrounded; how a child had seen
them come and cried out 1.-The soldiers, the
soldiers; how the volley had been fired at
once, and how further firing had taken
place.
Did you fire under orders?' asked.
Yes. We did not want to fire, but we
were ordered" was the simple reply.
AS to the exact manner of the killing of
Arangueren and his servant, Hernandez,
they were confused. They had not seen the
child fall, either, but knew it could not
have escaped the volley which followed
its giving the alarm. Arangueren's sweet
heart, they thought, was shot while es-
Gaping from the hut and running across
the open space to cover. She died on the
stretcher. while they were carrying her to
Campo Flordo. They did not know how
badly the sister was wounded but as she
subsequently died, 1t can be safely said the
wound was bad one. Whether the moth
er was hurt they did not seem to know but
they were sure the father mother and two
children had been taken prisoners. The
soldiers who told this story were members
of the Reina Battalion.
Proud of their Work.
They to ,,.;. r
the fact that while the Piazarro Cavalry
took part in the movement, the real work
had been done by the Reina Battalion
They did not give credit to the Leatad or
Canaries columns for helping them
gathered from what they said that not
fewer than fifteen hundred troops had been
in the rendezvous
While the soldiers were telling this story
the body of Aranguaren was lying at the
door of the morgue. 1t was just as it had
been brought from the train-the face was
covered, the left foot, on which no shoe
had been put, was exposed and the shank
bare to the knee.
Later in the evening I was able to con-
lrm the account given by the soldiers at
the Hotel Inglaterra. His brother officers
We're congratulating Col. Aranzabe who
had bean in command of the combined COL
umns He was dusty and his uniform was
tern He laughed and jested with his
friends. They were sure he would receive
the cross Of Maria Cristina, one of the
highest OF Spanish military decorations.
1t carries pay equal to brevet rank Lieut.
Col. Benedicto, who was in immediate COM
mand OF the Reina Battalion, 1t was said,
would also come in for decoration and a
pension. Whether Col. Aranzabe wanted
TO take Arangueren alive, and whether Ben
edicto and other officers protested, is not
established.
His Fate No Surprise.
Arrangements fate does not cause surprise
1t was known that the Spanish govern
ment was bound to encompass his death
in revenge for the killing Of Ruiz. Various
plots were formed for that purpose when
Representative King Of Utah was here
early in January. He had arranged to see
Arangueren and other insurgent chiefs at
house twenty miles out Of Havana The
proposed interview was broken up by per-
sons who know the situation. The Spanish
authorities did not know Arangueren's
whereabouts but they knew of Kings ex-
pected visit. Warning was sent to Aran-
gueren and Mr.. King remained quietly in
Havana.
The manner in which Arangueren and
the members of the sarsa family were
killed does not seem to be in accordance
with Gen. Blanco's general order that the
war should be conducted on humane and
civilized principles. That Is one of MANY
unpleasant circumstances he has to face
on his return from the eastern provinces.
The captain general has a bad week ahead.
PEPPER.
COnEOstO's Account