Evening star., 1898-11-19
The Story of Their Departure From
Havana.
ESCORTED BY REGULAR TROOPS
instances Showing the Feeling Of
the Spanish Soldiers.
AN INTERES TING SET
copyright, 1898, by Charles NJ. Pepper
rom q Staff Enrrpsurnndent


licos have been deported. 1t is the turn of
the guardia civies next. And after that
the question will be which ones of the reg
ular battaions can be depended on to guard
the other battalions that may be mutterinG
mutiny- These speculations make Havana
day by day interesting. Yet there is not
the wild excitement that people in the
United States think exists. The unrest is
of the kind that stirs the depths, yet which
makes only a ripple on the surface. The
town goes to bed TRANQUILITY at night, after
midnight, for Havana is given to late hours.
1t is up early in the morning to ask whether
anything has happened al the barracks or
among the soldiers not in the barracks
Then its daily routine proceeds. The pos
siblities of an army revolt keep the popula-
ton alert without tteir being too inquisi-
tive.
Departure of the Orden PublicOs.
Thus far the most momentous event of the
week has been the forced departure of the
revolving orden publicos. 1t appears now
that their strike was not so much for back
Fay as for savings of which the officers had
robbed them. In spite of the arrearages
these Spanish soldiers manage to save
something. They have kind of regimental
or battalion savings fund. The time had
come for accounting. Their superiors,
to whom the funds had been intrusted,
had no money to turn over to them. When
their demands became threatening it was
easier to ship them away. So they are now
on the ocean.
The embarkation was not conducted nois-
lily. Early Monday morning the order was
given for the massing. or, as the official
order called it, the defiling, of the different
battalions which constitute the garrison of
Havana. I'm consequence of this order"
as the censored press account put it, an
animated appearance in the streets of the
dl1r rrOD hn rly
apparent. / noticed that the Saragossa
battalion, which was camping along the
Prado. was moving soon after the bugler
had sounded the reveille. Other battalions
were also moving, all in a common direc-
ton. This was past the palace to the Cab
alleria wharf, little beyond
The Madrid government and the Spanish
military commission in Havana have been
profuSe IN their excuses that transports
could not be secured to take the troops
away. When the orden publicos became
dangerous element in the army they found
ship in which to carry them off. Some
say 1t is not back to Spain, but to one of
the African penal settlements l do not
know whether this is the truth or not
Gen. Arolas, as military governor of the
province and as supreme commander of the
garrison of Havana, presided at the "func-
ton of deporting the Orden puplicos He
was assisted by Gen. Solano, chief of staff
other generals and the SaragoSsa, BARGE
Iona and Malacca battalions. The orden
publlcos were marched along the Cabal-
leria wharf and loaded on tugs The battai-
ions were behind them, and one of the
small Spanish gunboats which have been
lying IN the harbor, was lying a little ways
OF with guns mounted and decks cleared
Tor action. The Orden pubicos were taken
Dy the tugs to the transport San Augustin
L ne censored press account says that the
greatest cOrdiality reigned in the act and
that they left the wharf with enthusiastic
'Nivas Espana'-Long live SPAIN. I
was short distance away and did moi
Fear those cheers for Spain. The transport
put out to sea during the afternoon. and
that is the last we shall hear of the or1en
publicos until the end of their voyage IS
reached.
The Return of the Escort.
1t was sight worth witnessing to see the
battalion which had Escorted their de-
parting comrades come marching back
alohs oplspo street They might have
peen a victorious army returning for their
triumph, only there were no color bearers
and no flags were waving in the midst of
the companies. But the music of the cor
nets was the liveliest kind of a march. A
Troop OF cavalry was at the head of the
@ pattah1n G, and a troop brought up the
rear The officers We're well mounted 7
could not help noticing how superior pf1ys-
icaIly these line officers were to their fell
lows OF the general staff who had degen-
Grated into cafe gossipers and porch Ioung
ers- The appearance of the soldiers was fair
Iy good They looked as though they could
enter upon campaign with vigor. They
are getting a little exercise. After tbeir
return from the Caballeria General AroIas
marched some of them out into the sub
urbs TO be ready for the guardia ciyiles If
these should make demonstration Others
We're CHARTERED in the barracks of the de-
ported orden pubicoes
Inc Ofncers were satisfied with the way
the mutiny had been forestalled. These
orden publicos," said a lieutenant of the
Saragossa battalion, behaved very badly,
They have had the pick of the service here
IN Havana, where they could get clean
shlrts and other comforts. Our battalion
what hardship is. The troops here in the
city have had no reason to complain.
What II their pay was behind? NV nav
and that of the men in the battalion is six
the orden publicos did" The lieutenant
spoke for himself and was sincere Whether
he spoke the sentiment of the men in the
ranks no one car say. And while the
rears, few Of them are suffering They have
plundeIed and robbed their troops and their
government. Not many of them see the
end of the war in poverty
The real feeling of the soldiers remains
a mystery TO outsiders, yet there are out
groupings which give signs of it. Half an
hour after the battalion had defiled through
Obispo street two Cuban officers came rid
ing through the street. They were we'll
mounted. One was a captain, the other
lieutenant. They wore the neat linen suits
Whlch the Cubans call uniforms but the
designation of their rank was lacking
tiny miniature of a Cuban flag worn on their
mats caught my eye, and l recognized them
as ofhcers. Spanish sergeant with a
squad OF regulars was doing police duty at
one OF the corners. The soldiers laughed
good humoredly the Cuban officers came
along. The sergeant did more He deliber-
ately saluted them. 1t may have been
meant as a mockery as a mere Jest. but
it did not show much respect for his own
superiors.
Feeling of Spanish Soldiers.
During the tramp back from the Cabal-
leria l had seen one of the privates take
the rations pan he was carrying and dash 1t
to the ground. His comrades approved
whatever cause he had for anger, and the
lieutenant pretended not to notice the
breach of discipline so openly committed
Last evening three privates passed by one
or the hotels where their commanding OFF,
Ger was sitting. They saluted, and then, in
eYeryb2dy.s sight, stuck their tongues In
fht:..:: tteeas. Ihe officer pretended not to
notice, yet he saw, and the privates meant
that he should see. These are trifling Incl
dents, yet with a patient animal like the
Spanish soldier they may mean something.
Ten days ago / heard of no such incidents,
I L~-rN -