Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-11
FALSE TALES OF BRICANDACE
Alarming Reports of Robbery Are Put Into
Circulation by Selfish Parties in Cuba.
ALLEGED BANDITS ONLY PETTY THIEVES
Press Censorship Intended TO Conceal
This state of Annirs-Cubnns
Need Farming Tools In
stead of Rations.

HAVANA, July 10.-La Lucha today In an
editorial regarding the stories Of brgan-
dage published in the American and Cuban
press complains of their frequent recurrence
and says
These alarming tales are generally put in
circulation by planters in isolated districts
who want garrisons OF American soldiers and
who fear retaliation from the Cubans for
real or fancied grievances by planters
who want protection from cattle thieves who
believe rural police are needed, by giving
employment to men who would otherwise
menace the community; by mayors of towns
in sympathy with the Cuban soldiers, and
desiring them incorporated in a regular body
by the insurgents themselves who have be-
come accustomed to a nomadic existence and
desire to continue as rurales; by Spaniards
anxious to convince the world that the Gu
bans are unreliable, and by spectators who
desire to appreciate values"
Attempts at Conccalment.
The paper asserts that one reason why
these lawless incidents are magnified is the
mistaken notion of some OF the military
commanders as to the way to make a
province peaceable. 1t alludes. in this con-
nection, to General Wilson's recent order
forbidding the rural guards to give any in
formation to the press, and says IL there
were no attempts at concealment and every
thing were given unreservedly to the papers
there would probably be less sensational
ism.
The same issue that contains this editorial
contains in its telegraphic columns bandit
stories from Puerto Principe and Manzanilo.
Recently the Havana Herald abused its
contemporaries generally for publishing
bandit stories On the following day it de-
voted an entire column to a wild yarn from
Guanajay
AS matter OF fact every paper in Havana
has objected to such publications on the part
OF its rivals. In most of these cases, when
the evidence Is carefully sifted, it turns out
that the alleged brigandage is petty thevery.
but there is no doubt that bandits do exist at
several points, bands of from ten to fifty
men, who have not the pluck to go into
cities and hold up banks and railroad trains.
but prefer to attack isolated stores raid
small villages and swoop down upon distant
plantations.
Two Bold RObbCrs.
At Bojucal two of these men hailed Julio
Angulo, owner of the plantation Santa Rosa,
and ordered him to open the door of the
house. He hesitated or refused and they
fired twice through the window, where
Rodrigues and Antonio Hereno, who es.
capped from Bojucal Jail last month They
bound Angulo. searched the house, found
$50 and, having ordered him to bring an
additional $500 to a spot designated within
an hour, under threat to kill him. they
left with the planters horse, rifle and ma
chete. short time afterward the same
men practically repeated this performance
on the plantation Guijales belonging to
Fermin Diaz. There they obtained 10
centimes. They went next to the adjoining
farm, the property OF jose Gonzales, where
they secured $40 and various articles OF
jewelry, finally disappearing untouched by
the bullets fired from the raided houses
after their departure.
Ell Concentrate publishes an extra from
La Verdan of Cienfuegos. headed police
News which is followed by three blank
| lines and then the sentence, This section
| prohibited by superior order"
Censorship of the Press.
Commenting on the censorship Ell Concen
| trado asks what is going on at Cienfuegos
that it should be deemed necessary to sup.
press facts in this important branch Of the
| administration.
| The mayor of Alquizar has asked Governor
| General Brooke to cease sending ratons tC
that point ana TO eXpend an equal amount II
the purchase Of farming Implements 'ir
order that our people may earn their liveli.
hood instead of being dependent upon aims
whose regular arrival tends to encourage
vagrancy and to destroy self-respect."
Owing to complications OF various sorts IA
the supplementary army lists an unexpected
| amount Of work is necessary. This require:
the continued presence here of Genera
| Gomez, who will not go to San Domingo fol
the present. Today he sent his son to bring
| back the generals wife and daughter
| Yesterday there were 5000 men at Jiguar
awaiting the completion of the rolls.
At p. m. the temperature in Havana was
| S. degrees. The maximum reached during
the day was 30, which was the point reached