The age-herald., 1898-05-29
NEWS VIA THE
 UNDERGROUND How the Cubans Keep in Touch
 with Each Other. JUNTA IN EVERY TOWN
Congressional Excursionists in Havana Enjoyed Visit From Very Enthusiastic if Very Nervous lnsurgent--Some
 Facts About Gomez.

Washington, May 28.-No one but Maxine Somex himself knows the exact strength of the Cuban army. The bulk of the enrolled force is quartered in the provinces of Sam tiago de Cuba and Puerto Principe.' There are scattering detachments under different leaders in Santa Clara Matanzas. Havana. and Pinar del Rio. Each little city has it's own little junta who distributes Gomez,s orders and pronunciamentos throughout the island One of the congressional party who went to Cuba in March last was visited by member of one of these juntas while in an interior city. The interview was ar- ranged by an American who had spent several years in the island. The congress- man was enjoying sesta in his room sf- ter dinner, when the door was opened and the secretary of the little rural junta pep ped in without warning. Knowing the num- Der of the room he had escaped observation in the hotel, slipped up the stone stairway. and entered the apartment without beir 2 seen. The lattces opening on the balcony were closed, and after ascerteining the ab- sence of all eavesdroppers, the door was locked. The windows fronted the nan street, and only the plaiative cries of starving reconcentrados outside reached the ear. Tn the uarkened rOOm the cOhNef- sation was carried on in low tones.
 Much information was gleaned on both sides. The secretary listened with breath less interest to analys of the tua- tion in the United States. He spoke Eng fish very imperfectly, but seemed to nave no difficulty in unders. andng it. Whom told that President McKinley's determina- ton to put a stop to the Spanish atrocities was fixed and unalterable, and that the American people were in a war-like fever over the destruction of he Maine, he shook his head doubtfully. He spoke of hopes blasted in the past, and evidently had little faith in the future The infoima. tion that congress had put S50.MO0o0 into the hands of the president tn prepare for war dazed him. Then his black eyes began to snap, and he his fingers through his hair. He could scarcely believe his ears when told that the Americans took no more stock in autonomy tran did the Cubans. Theirefailure to recognize the independence of the island republic, or to grant the pa triots even belligerent rights, made him feel still Respondent. He feared that 1t foreshadowed a determination to annex the is'ard Assured that the sentiment ln Washington was against annexation, he re- pied: eff true, that is glorious news. II will cheer Gomez. and in case of war secure the hearty cooperation of his troops With this opening, he was asked how many troops Gomez could bring into the field.
 rpits
 As he was about to repy some hing heavy fell with a crash outside the d1or. In an instant he sprang to his feet, quiv- ering w tn apprehension. The congressman opened the door. A music rack had fallen to the floor. It had probably been blown over by the wind, which came from the courtyard in breezy puffs, importing de- licious coolness to the atmosphere. But the secretary was not to be reassured. He was pale and nervous and was confident that some one had been listening at the door. For a minute or more he was mute and motionless. The wind rattled the bars of the lattice ''The balcony. the balcony! he whispered. "Some one is on the bal cony,"
 The congressman threw open the latticed doors while the Cuban shrank behind the curtains of the bed. There was no cause for alarm The street below was dotted with Spenish so diers, bu none of them ad found his way to the balcony. The cries of the poor reconcentrados were more plain tive than ever. One scene photographed itself upon the memory of the representa- tive. A man with two heads Of lettuce was passing the hotel. A starving girl In rags implored him for food. She was white tipped and thin: there was burning fever in her vefns The citizen broke off a leaf or the lettuce and placed 1t in her bony fin- gers. She had hardly raised 1t to her lips before the man was fairly mobbed by fam- ishing creatures. Among them was crip- p'ed boy Crawling along the curb, he clasped his arms around the legs of the man and moaned pitifully. In second he was kicked into the gutter. The citizen fought his way to the corner and disap- peared with his lettuce, while Spanish officers in undress uniforms brandishsd their rlaiacco canes and roared with laugh ter. A moment the sufferers were driven to cover by a spiteful sputter of Spanish profanity.
 fotk nIn tha Cuban assured that there was no founda- ton for his suspicious. He replied that the American visitors were surrounded by Spanish spies. Every movement was watched and those who called upon them were marked men. Even the servants in their rooms were in the employ of the gov ernment '"Theres some truth in this, I reckon" the congressman returned T have made the acquaintance of my spy. He's a good-natured Irishman, who speaks Spanish like a native and drinks wnisky SKY like Kentuclsian. Everybody tells me he's a spy, and gives him the cold shoulder. but I find him very useful and hope to resain his services"
 Proclamation of Gomez
 The delegate from the junta, however, was in no mood for badinage. He resumed his seat with evident trepidation, saying that he had important papers In ms DOCK cts. If found upon him by the Spaniards they might lead to his Imprisonment and death. He then drew from his coat pocket a small printed proclamation or order, signed by Maxine Gomez. It was printed in Spanish, and was not larger than the leaf of a prayer book This proclamation or order was to be placed in the hands of General Betancourt before sundown on the succeeding day. Betancourt was in the mountains near the coast, and the delegate from the junta was charged with the de- livery of the order. Before twenty-four hours a similar document would reach General Bermudez, in Santa Clara; General Rodriguez in Havana, and General Delgado in Pinar del Rio. It was of great import ance. and the representative of the junta seemed burdened with a sense of his re- sponsibility. He tried to translate the document but was utterly unable to make himself understood. One of the congress sional party was United States senator who had some knowledge of the Spanish language. He was sent for, and as he entered the room and was introduced to the Cuban visitor the congressman passed him the order of General Gomez and asked him what he thought of it. Evidently the sena- tor had mt cOrraled enough of tho Spanish