The evening times., 1898-12-09
SYSTEM ENTIRELY
LOST In HAVANA
officials Without Interest in
the City's Welfare.
NAIL ROUTES ABANDONED
Dr.. LertRcha EN0nerated From
n n
small Farmers the Northern
Coast of Cubu RchabiIit;.t" Their
Lang-Nc.Icctrd Homes.

Ncw York Dec a-The Herald cgre-
/ -poudenJ in Havana telsaraphs 10 that
! paper ~ follows:
With Spanish evacuation and probably
American occupation more than three
! we lls distant the condition here grows
more chaotic daily Oficials who are
| soon 10 retire permanently can hardly be
| expected TO take intense interest in their
duties. and when il Is remembered that
many now in public office have received
mo pay for months. it is easily understood
/ that they feel like letting affairs run
themselves.
80 il Is that in every department of tn
| civil government except those whore fees
/ are collected in sufficient sums to pay
salaries organization has an but disap-
( p,ared This is particularly true Of tie
custom house and postoflice where the
! officials are polite. apologize, bUt mac
| tive. The courts. Of course. sr:H 2. ind
regular grist. and. De it said 10 the hon
or of Spanish magistrates, few Charge
| Of dishonesty are made In the more inn
partant courts the calendars are crowded
and il is thought best To make no at
| tempt to clear them until American CON
! troll is fully established within the island.
Mail routes are little more than memo
ries. Letters and papers for interior
| points are accommodating at their places
Of reception. Outgoing foreign mail is
fairly regular. for the reason that the
| letters and papers may be thrown rather
f'others. With the incoming mails the
| greatest difficulty IS experienced. The
mail arricTd or the Mascotte Yesterday
noon. Twenty-four hours later it lies un-
distributed in the office.
Indeed for a time il seemed probable
that the Mascotte would have to carry
the letters and papers back to Tampa
The contractor who brought the mail
from ship 10 shore. not having received
any pay for some time. refused yesterday
10 perform the labor Agents of the
Plant line agreed t. bring the mail ashore
in the baggage lighters. This caused a
delay of FIVE hours. and the small force
employed at the postoffice today is un-
able 10 ci"ar the blockade that has come
/ to them.
In tho custom house an association of
merchants employs some independent
clerks, and were ii not for these that es-
adjustment would be utterly unable to
transact the business required of it, Nal
ice does not enter into the condition of af-
fairs existing here. 1t is the natural re-
suit Of the peculiar three-cornered prob
lem presented by Spain, the United States
and the so-calied Cuban Republic.
Dr. Zertucha came into unenviable no.
toliety nj the time Maceo was killed
when it was charged that acting as
Maceos physician, he betrayed him into
ambush, where he died endeaVoring to
cut his way out. Zertucha was said to
have received $50,eO0 for this infamous act
OF treason. Friends of the doctor how
ever. stood steadfastly by him, asserting
he never had any idea of betraying the
insurSent cause Not long ago he re-
quested official inquiry into his con-
duct, which was ordered by Gen. Mayia
Rodriguez.
The report just made by Alexandra
Rodriguez, president of the board of in
quiry completely exonerates Zertucha
The report toIches upon Zertucha's S sery-
ices as surgeon, and his having exposed
himself TO great danger in fifty engage
ments. He was with Maceo when the
latter WAS killed, and made a death GER