Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-18

WAS 10 De surrounded by regular troops
In time we shall know which rumor was
correct. A person who was in the palace in
the evening tcld me he distinctly heard
some of these volunteers respond to the
shouts of me mob without, which was
cheering Weyler. AS the battalion moved
toward the palace heard one man wonder
whether the volunteers would in the end
do with Blanco as they did with Dulce.
Dulce was TIE captain general who during
the ten years war was put on shipboard
by the volunteers and sent out of the coun-
try because his policy against the in
surgents was too gentle.
The afternoon wore off into evening
slowly. 1t was like waiting for the thunder
storm on an oppressive summer day. AT
dusk there was a little of the appearance
of animation. but the people We're ordered
off the streets again. In front of the hotel
staggering officers strolled along in groups
of threes and fourS. One of the reporters
of La Discussion who had helped to
repel the assault in the morning. pointed
out to me dozen officers whom he recog-
nized as having taken part in it. Night
brought the expected gathering of the
rioters They contented themselves with
throwing stones and breaking windows. In
a distant street pistol shot was heard
'Malo, malo-bad, bad" cried a Spaniard
at my side who is large property owner.
1t was probably blank shot, for more
hiring was heard. The crowd was all the
time growing larger, but suddenly it began
to lessen. An orderly rode up to the gen.
eral in command l heard him give the
terse order. Head them off" In a minute
the mounted orden publico and other forces
were on the gallop. The clatter of their
horses hoofs on the stone pavement had
not died away when their places were
taken by another. mounted corps, which
shot cut from neighboring street and
ranged along the park. They were the
guardia civil, who had been held in re-
serve.
The mounted policemen had gone off to
keep the rioters from reaching the palace.
The narrow streets of Havana are bad for
mob 1t cannot move through them in
the large masses which give courage 10
mcbs. The troops got into several of the
thoroughfares before the rioters and head
ed them off. There was need of it. In the
early evening sufficient precautions had not
been taken.
down With Autonomy"
Several hundred persons had crowded in
to the plaza of arms and were crying out,
Long live Weyler!' Down with auton-
omy!' Death to Blanco. Gen. Blanco
and the members of the autonomist cabi-
net who were with him heard these cries.
hese rioters were dispersed and the plaza
cleared with difficulty. Most of them went
10 the Parque Central, where they kept
poth the cavalry and the infantry busy
IN making charges to force them back
IN trent OF the circulo military, or mill
tary club. on the Prado a squad of volun-
teers in uniform collected. Among them
were dozen of their officers. They con-
teEted themselves with crying out long life
10 the army and to Weyler. They expected
sympathetic response from the inmates
put Gen. Parade had forestalled that by
vlsitihs the club earlier in the evening
With sharp rebuke ne had sent all the
onlcers iounging there to their quarters
The rioters made second attemnt IN
reach the palace, though not all of them
We're aware of the movement. Hearing of
1t, In company with friend, I took a cab
and persuaded the cabman to drive us
III the directlcn of the palace. 1t was a
very roundabout drive. indeed. The peo-
PIE In the streets through which We passed
peered tlmorousty cut of their barred
WINDOWS, as though to ask what venture
some persons were abroad. Ultimately We
got within half a dozen blocks Of the pal
ace ana sought to make the rest of our
way On 100. Every approach to the build
lhgs and to the plaza OF arms was choked
with cavalry The infantry were stretched
GiaSondlly across every corner. No con-
siderable body of rioters could penetrate
ttose Dhalanxes Small groups of them
did range at will up to the edges of the
lines. Sometimes they bantered the people
comics of their homes but most of their
talk was directed to the troops 1t was q
good opportunity to stury the constituent
elements Of the mob individually and at
that they were not all Of the idle class
which comes to the front in times of Dub-
TIC disturbance. The utterance Of their
sentiments came with the explosive force
OF cannon balls.
Viva Weyler viva Espana, viva Alfonso
XIII. viva ell Ejercito, viva los volunta-
rios!'
Muera Blanco, muerte a la autonoma,'
Long life to Weyler. to Spain, to young
King Alfonso to the army, to the volun-
teers. Death to the captain general who
is battling desperately to save the crown
for the boy king and to the political policy
on which the salvation of the crown rests.
Blind and passionate loyalty is seldom logi-
cal.
The colloquies between the troops and
the rioters were instructive. This is the
first time Spaniard has turned against a
Spaniard,' said one sober-looking fellow
who had tried to force his way through the
lines. Good neighbors go to your homes"
said one Of the officers commanding
troop of guardia civiles. Gentlemen. /
beg you to leave here" said another TOO
much grammar" retorted one of the
rioters. Guerra a la autonoma-war to
autonomy cried out shrill voice. At
the moment my companion was talking to
a captain. i've heard that cry before"
he remarked grimly. This captain was in
the skrmish in Vuelta Abajo a few weeks
ago when the insurgents charged the Span
1sh troops with this cry on their lips. The
same officer explained that the orders were
to be gentle, not to use force and to per-
suade the rioters to go home. Supported
by guns and bayonets 1t was an effective
plan. Unable to reach the palace the
peace breakers gradually thinned out. Good
night comrade." said one fellow to the
sergeant who had repulsed him. I'm 60
ing on for more company. Long live the
army"
1t was midnight when my companion and
l returned to the hotel. The crowd had
been entirely dispersed. Between 500 and
600 guards were distributed along the ap-
proaches to the parque central and within
it's precincts General Parade and his
aids were in the park giving final instruc-
tons. There is really nothing" he said.
laughing. "Only few Observation-Disclosures
ards-have been raising disturbance"
The general went back to the palace but
he left pair of colonies and three or four
majors to carry out his instructions. The
order publico were put through the mill
tary drill in Camp Autonomy" as the
parque central has been named. 1 asked
one of the army officers how many regular
troops they would have to reinforce those
already in the city. by daybreak, 2.OCO,"
was his reply. After that the whole OF
the army in Cuba If We need it, The
tramp of the squads of troops coming in
was the only sound that broke the silence
between midnight and morning. The