The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-30
A COMPLETE FAILURE
ed. Waiting 10 PAY Cuban Soldiers In

HavanA-Ouiy Scscu hppiy IoH hAS
Money.
Havana, May 27.-Not a soldier has
thus far appeared at La Punta TO re-
ceive the honorarium of SIS allotted by
the United States for the surrender
Of arms and disbandment Of the men
composing the Cuban army
At 9:57 o'clock this morning Major
Francis S. Dodge, of the paymaster's .
department, drove up in a four-mule
team with $4,000 in gold and $1,000 in
silver. Six guards accompanied him
and details Of men from the Eighth in
fantry were under arms to preserve or
der among the mobS it was supposed
would gather. Colonel George NJ Ran
dali, of the Eighth infantry, was pres
ent as commissioner of the United
States.
|, General Ruts Rivera, who was today
inducted into the office Of civil gov
ernor of Havana, was there to receive
the arms, with a representative Of
General Gomez, four or five Cuban Of
f1cerS and fifteen reporters. Half a
dozen American clerks, with the rolls
of the Cuban army, sat at long table
at the headquarters of the Eighth reg
iment. A bag Of gold was displayed,
but there were no applicants for a
share of it,
The spectators spent the time in dis
cussing why no Cubans appeared.
General Rivera said that though there
were 4,219 enrolled privates and nom
commissioned officers in the Fourth
corps, few Of them lived in Havana.
He explained that they were outside
the city and would probably appear
at other places in the province and get
their apportionment. Nearly all the Of
hcers he added, are in Havana
The representative of Gomez, who
has been acting with the latter in the
interviews with Governor General
Brooke, took a gloomy view of the af-
falr. He said the Americans had made
a mistake in stipulating that the Gu
bans must give up their arms, as this
had caused bad impression among
the Cubans
A group of Cuban officers, who prov
ed to be some of General Maya Rod
riguez's staff, had in the meanwhile,
assembled. They smiled at each 9TH
er, twisted their moustaches and grew
cOnhdent as the quarter hours passed
and no soldiers appeared. Finally they
jeered in quiet way at the whole pro-
ceeding.
Towards II o'clock an unarmed COL
Ored man in a Cuban uniform came
across the dusty square, attended by
all the American spectators. He was
shown to the paymaSter, but turned
out ito be an "assistant,'' or camp fol-
lower. The American military men
consulted together, and as it was
thought he was not entitled to a share
of the So, 100000 and his name not being
on the rolls, he was dismissed.
Major Scott, General Ludlow's adju-
tant, sent word that man named Har-
tence in the penitentiary, would be sent
under guard to get his SIS, so at least
one man was sure to take the gratuity
About four hundred men had been ex-
pected and, possibly, many of these will
come later; but the scheme of pay
ment, so far as Havana is concerned,
looks like failure. Quite different re-
suits are expected in the country dis
tricts, where the Cuban military as
sembly and anti-Gomez influence is not
as strong.
AT noon General Rivera left, remark
ing that it was wasting his time to stay
there, and Major Dodge went to the
trocha to inform Governor General
Brooke Of the state of affairs.
Four professed privates appeared at
about 11:3O without arms, but as their
names were not on the rolls, they were
not paid.
the result Of the first days distribu-
tion of the money allotted by the
United States for the payment Of the
Cuban soldiers. The cabal of the mem
bers of the former military assembly
to prevent the soldiers from accept
ing the gift of the United States and
giving up their arms is successful
therefore, so far as Havana is concern
ed. It is too early to predict what will
be done in other cities and in the inte-
rior, but the indications are that the
money will not be asked for to any
great extent.
Sagua la Grande, Province of Santa
Clara, May 27.-The generals Of the Gu
bans in this district met here yester.
day, adopted anti-Gomez resolutions
| agreed to disband their commands and
to cause their arms to be surrendered
to the alcaldes, but to accept no money
for them.