The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-27


The affair was brought on by the Gu
bans, who fired from a house top on a
company of soldiers asleep In the Hotel
Roma. The soldiers sprang to their
feet and at once returned the fire. A
company of infantry scaled the low
wall on one side of the building and
hunted over the roof TO find the indiv-
iduals who began the firing. They found
a negro badly wounded and carried him
down. other injured men were carried
away by their friends. The volleying
of the Mausers caused great alarm
among the Americans. many fearing
the fighting would become general
throughout the city.
An ARRAY on Christmas night be-
tween the Cubans and troons has been
prophecied by those who ahve watched
events of the last few days. The Amer
leans dlsregarded the warnings they
had received to stay in their homes
during the evening. At midnight many
were on the street. The Cuban element
of the city's population was demonstra-
tive all evening. Fearing trouble. the
guard OF Spanish troops about the
city were do&bled. Toward midnight
the city streets were alive with people
in cabs and on foot, singing and shout
ing. 1t grew quieter after midnight.
when suddenly the crashing OF revol-
vers was heard in the direction of the
pause. Then came a plunging fire Of
Mausers across from the Hotel Roma.
At the corner of Tentiente Rey and
MontZerrat streets is a cluster of one
story buildings. on the fiat roofs i'm the
moonlight. "A party OF Eubans had been
celebrating the advent Of Christmas.
Under the dark corridors of the Hotel
Roma across the street a company OF
Spanish regulars lay stretched out
asleep. Suddenly some one leaned over
the ~arapet of the house on which the
Cubans were celebrating and fired a re-
volver into the ranks OF the sleeping
troopers below. The soldiers sprang
to their feet and the Mansers banged
away as fast as they could pull the
trigger. Bullets riddled the front Of
the building and the soldiers climbed
to the roof and hunted for the enemy.
For a while the guard would permit
no one to wander about the streets until
the first excitement was over. The
Christmas celebration beoan again with
numerous clashes between the troops.
Several times during the night firing
was heard in the city. There Is re-
newed apprehension over the situation.
Ii is feared as the Spaniards go away
there will not be cnouoh left toward
the end of the week before the United
States troops take possession to pre-
serve order. General ludlow has had
tellanos. He said TO Castellanos there
must be order II II took every Ameri-
can soldier at Mariana To restore II.
Captain General Castellanos called up
the civil governor. DE Castro. who
said the disorder had been quelled. The
American troops would hardly have
realized this was Christmas day except
for the unusual privileges given them
by General Lee inshonor of the day. a
sort of general amnesty was proclaim
ed to all meiefactnrs and-the guard
tents were emptied. One commissioned
officer and five privates from each COM
pany were given leaves of absence and
allowed to go into Havana. As a con-
sequence there were more American
soldiers in town than an other day
since the troops BEGAN coming to the
island. Colonel Moulton's police force
IL being put I'm shape as rapidly as
possible. A crowd of 300 Spaniards and
Cutans beseiged Colonel Moulton's
HEADQUARTERS at all times. clamoring
for places on the force. Seven inspec-
tors appointed from the line of the vol
unteers have been ordered on Monday
for duty. Ca~tain Thompson. commits
sary officer End Illinois. Is one of the
new inspectors. The new policemen
will carry rifles. but will be equipped
much like the American police. They
will wear blue uniforms straw hats
and carry "billies." Precincts will be
mapped out In the various parishes and
a telephone service instituted between
the stations and until patrol wagons
can be procured from the United States
army, ambulanccs will convey Havana
marauders to the station house.