The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-28
CONDITIONS GROWING WORSE.
Cubans Seemingly Determined to Gre
nte Serious Trouble.

HAVANA, Dec q, Night-The Spanish
troops to-day still further contracted their
lines and withdrew to the extremity of the
peninsula on which he city of Havana is
built They now occupy scarcely two
square miles. The United States troops
have moved from the suburbs into the city
proper and Tonight are patrolling Central
Park and the Prado.
The Eighth and Tenth regular infantry
regiments have been placed at the disposal
of Major General Ludlow, military governor
of the city after Jan. /, and already six
companies have been quartered in buildings
within the limits of Havana proper and are
doing police as well as military duty. Senior
Fernandez de Cartri had informed General
Ludlow that the Havana constabulary were
afraid to try to keep order unless they could
rely on the support of the American troops
and General Ludlow Immediately issued in
structions to the American patrols when
making arrests for misdemeanors to turn
the offenders over to the ordinary civil au-
thorities.
The whole population is in a state Of un-
rest-the Spanish residents fearful, the
Cubans eager to do something to show they
have gained their freedom. Bands of
Cubans freely enter the residences of Span
Cuban flags and to shout "Viva Cuba
Libre!' and terrify them with their
machetes A dozen such cases were report
ed to the American authorities to-day In
all such instances American guards We're
promptly sent to the houses invaded, but
the Cubans were invariably gone when the
patrol arrived nor was there any such thing
as catching the offenders.
No attention whatever is paid to the order
against the dschaTging of firecrackers, and
pistols are fired in the streets continuously.
Three persons have been killed and twenty
nine wounded, among the latter three wom-
en- and two children. The shooting has been
for the most part, indiscriminate.
AS General Ludlow was standing on the
balcony of the hotel at dusk to-day watch
ing the scene in the plaza, man waved a
Cuban flag. Another cried out, IAN insult;
an insult" whereat the man who was way
ing the flag fired on the objector
A Spanish company that was retiring from
Fort Principe was deliberately fired on from
a private residence. Lieutenant BIount, an
American officer, who was escorting the
Spaniards, broke into the house but the oc-
cupants fled to adjoining roofs.
While Brigadicr General Clous and Capt.
Hart were returning from the palace to-day
after an interview with Captain General
Castellanos, they met a mob of Cubans,
carrying flags and shouting. A minute or
two later the crowd would have encountered
a detachment of Spanish troops. The situa-
tion called for prompt action and Captain
Hart leaped from the carriage, faced the
mob and ordered everybody to go home
Immediately
Major General Brooke has. this evening,
formally taken command OF the United
Stutes forces in Cuba, and has issued the
necessary orders.
A crowd OF negroes entered Spanish cafe
on the Gale Villegas. corner of Bomba
street, late this evening and ordered drinks.
They refused to pay for these and in the dis
pute which followed the proprietor of the
cafe and his assistant were stabbed. Ser
geant Adams with fifteen men of Company
NJ, Of the Tenth Regulars, hurried to stop
the row. On entering the cafe, however.
they found no one in the room, but a minute
or two later they were fired on from a room
in the rear of the cafe one bullet cutting
the coat of Sergeant Adams. The Amer
leans then broke into the rear apartment.
firing as they entered, and chased the
negroes out of the building and down the
street, arrestins four. Sergeant Adams SAYS
that none of the negroes was hit by his men.
but, according TO other reports, one was
killed and six were wounded.
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