The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-03-12
Colonel HubbelI Believes There Is
Much Trouble Ahead With
the Porto RIcanS.
INDEPENDENCE is WANTED
Demonstrations on the island When
Our Troops Left Plot 10 Massa-
ere a Regiment Failed

NEW YORK March ii..-t,olUncl WI.
Tam H. ilubbell, commander of tho For.
y-soyenlh regiment, which has jus, ~.
turned from Porto llic0. whom inter.
viewed by the journal ana Advertiser
reporter. said "Ths Porto Hicana want
independence"
Colonel liubbtll declared his holicf
baard upon mA experience aa a soldier
% this government. thni an inanrrocllon
of Tho natives Of Porto Rico h bound %
come sooner or lai"r,
lle said every evidence ~ tn, forth.
coming upfislng was given In Porto Hlcl
especially IN lhu latter part VI tho stay
IT tho regiment there.
A Porto luean Aaulnado would cause
lhln country much annoyance Tho poo.
pln had become demoraiiEnd by the *.
ample nf cuba having observed that
tho SUCCESSFUL issue OF a great rcyolu.
ilon
1T 10 Just lvu months now said Col
liubbsii since wg loft Newport Tor
Porto Rico on tho Manitoba We we're
nonl ." Porto Rico 70 nelp restore order
ana sot The machinery II the some hat
modified ciyll government In operation
Contrary 10 our expectations wo have
had 10 attend Largely 20 military busl.
ucaa during the latter paui VI our STAY.
Tue headquarters Uf the Forty.noycnth
Wrrr 90 tHEuaH a ANAL town IN The
northern part Of tho ialand. containing
about ,I1 people We found Il yr1y
dirty Wo ntsl nci TO work cleaning the
plaro W. made CAguas clean think
wo restored order completely Al icaHf
this Was pa during our stay By tht roH.
duet OF officers and men end by tn char.
acior ~ our orders W. tried 10 impress
tho natives wien Iho worth OF American
Institutions
nut wo found oui tha, ,hrny IL a IA
tent determination among a large class
Of Porto Klcahr 20 gain lndrpcndercr.
T'bofo Is bo longer any usc IN trying lo
rgncoal tho fact
"uur troubles and anpoyanrca n.
arrasrd toward the last The drmonnifa.
,iunH made ~ our departure convinced
glad TO get rih of up. our nrst difncu.
'ira Wcrc caused by our suppression %
sovfct noeioiy known 40 the Black
Hand II waa organized on the same
lines a. tho kakluA In this country \
plot WA formed VI witch wr obtained
ample proof. 20 enter our barracks hy
stealth and put ihr entire portion ~ tho
regiment which Was at Caguaa 10 tho
mafHo'r Fssunaicly We Wcrt placed
on uur quart and the conspiracy was
frustrated
u ruun found out who wIs az the
head NJ thir Organization, and Informed
him that ! should hold him personally
rcsnuna,tlr fur any act uf hostility
tovaNl up whatever q, was. or by whom
comiull,i This had "a beneficial crcct.
although u d.d no, prcven, the fou, muf-
d,r u one OF our men who was docoycd
tu club house, whcrr his head was al. ,
m1a, rvNrtui from his body
"Mr found many or tho native Porto /
RIeans given to ,rouchcry Many who
received us with flowers and loud hur. /
rahs. wvre afterwards discovered ln some
~ tho lsUta agains, u.s.
Our ucu,ncls did rot nccu the caution
of lhrif officers TO refrain from sleeping,
Some 0f the natives wrr' detected iH the
act OF snehking up ON the scntlncls for
the purpor- % stabbiug them In the back
After that whenever W. saw suspicious
looking man. We made him throw ~ .
ila hauds and submit 10 rcRrvh. On
men w. frequently found knives up Their
iicryrH,
'"rhtrc are better clnsr OF Porto r.
.ana Nhu are in favor OF large torcr
remaining on the island, They were
,orry Tor our departure Therc men are
,nAiou. 80 RESUME business and are
waiting for clusyr commercial rc'attVas
slth tho United states 80 that ,ncy may
,c able 10 dispose ~ their sugar and
baryo The taking of the island BY the
he United States has dlsarunRrd III
,id commerce 81 Porto Rico and many
,laniors are almost completely wthou,
money although they have "a, harvest
" large cropa
"'rhr government II adopting the policy
II Withdrawing the soldiers from III"
stand gradually. but 1 look sooner o;
aicr for trouble"