The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-11
| HENRY NEEDS
MORE TROOPS
To Preserve Order in Porto
Rico,
THE NATIVES DISSATISFIED
Are Clamoring for Self-Govern-
ment and Insult Soldiers.
RELATIONS s>OMlaa STRAINED
s7
S.
Volunteers 81 the Inhabitants Daily
ssa's in 8r'"'''
| ISS
| c.S
HEN s HAS BEEN TOO LENlENF
He Himself Says Too Much Rein Has
Been Given-But He Is Now De-
termined to Take Up
the Slack.

Chicago, March 1o.-The Tribune tomor-
row will print the following special corre-
spondence from Porto Rico from Tribune
correspondent:
San Juan de Porto Rico, March 1.-The
real situation in Porto Rico is not UNDER
stood. People of the states generally re-
gard Porto Rico as a sort Of haven of peace.
The war department has just requested of
how many regular troops he could spare
from the island.
II need twice the troops I have" said the
general at his residence in San Juan. Be
cause of the easy victory of our troops here
in the war and the apparent friendliness
of the natives to the American soldiers
when they invaded the island, a notion pre-
walls in the states that there is little ne
cessity for strong force to maintain order
in the island. The idea is erroneous.
Conditions are Alarming
1.-THE conditions here are alarming.
These people have been given every OPP
portunity but they have thrown them aside.
They are clamoring now for local self
government. They are no more Mt for local
self-government than l am to run a loco
motive. More troops are needed in the
island. Ths seeds of discomfort planted by
professional agitators are rapidly growing
and can be kept down only by a strong
military force.
1.-THE i'll feeling between the natives and
the American troops seems to grow stronger
every day. The American officers have to
maintain the greatest vigilance to prevent
their men from wreaking vengeance on the
native police for acts of violence that are
continually committed against the troops"
AT Caguay, small town on the military
road, twenty-five miles from San Juan, q
soldier of the One Hundred and Forty
Seventh New York was murdered last Sat.
urday night, in a manner that illustrates
the treachery of the natives. Private
Mitchell Burke. of Company L, has entered
the Porto Rican Literary club of Caguay
and was sitting at small table reading,
when a native slipped up behind him and
with one stroke of a machete sharpened to
a razor edge severed the soldiers head
from his body and sent 1t rolling across the
floor.
The Murderer Fled
Another soldier happened into the club
afterwards and saw the dismembered
trunk of the dead man still in the chair
with the head lying where 1t had rolled.
Several Porto Ricans were standing quietly
around discussing the matter. No one
would admit having seen the murder COM
mitted. Suspicion finally fixed upon ono
man, but when a provost guard went OUT
to arrest him, he had fed, and although
the entire country around Caguay was
thoroughly searched for the murderer he
has not yet been found.
Only four nights after the killing Of
Burke the bad blood between the natives
and the soldiers asserted itself In a brutal
assault on Private Fitzpatrick. The native
police arrested Fitzpatrick without a war
rant, and when he resisted beat him in
sensible. The soldiers of the four COM
panies of the One Hundred and Forty
seventh stationed at Caguay waited until
night and then started out to ''police the
town." as they called it. Three cafes were
"policed'' in the most thorough manner,
tables being overturned and mirrors
broken, when the officers OF the regiment
arrived and quelled the riot, persuading the
men to return to barracks. The next chap
ter in the Caguay affair was the killing
of Burke. The withdrawal of the regi-
ment to Brooklyn for mastering out pre-
vented more serious encounters between
the volunteers and the natives.
Caguay Troubles Duplicated
The troubles at Caguay have been dupli-
Gated at almost every place on the island.
At Guayama, a soldier was stabbed in the
back by native the same night Private
Burke was killed.
The conditions at Ponce since the clash
between the soldiers and the native police
in which several Porto Ricans were killed,
have been Bordering e0 open battle be-
tween the troops and natives. At San Juan
a few nights ago three sailors from the
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