The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-02
CONDITIONS In
STARVING CUBA
Soldier Tells Tale of Shame and
Degradation.
ARMY RATION Who'll ESOME
Streets in Havana Much Improved
Young Girls Seek Living by Sell
ing Their Honor Horrible Way
in Which Bodies Are Buried.

Ozark, April disqualification F. Nor
ton honorably discharged from the First
infantry, regulars, has just arrived here
from the camps in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. He
Is well connected, and of more than average
intelligence. The account he gives of actual
conditions there may be considered realistic
from conservative standpoint.
The coast country for six miles in that
section out to the foothills of the mount
aims, is low, as a rule, with here and there
a ridge running out to the waters edge.
The rehabilitation of the country has pro-
crossed to marked degree and new farm
houses, new fields and new signs of indus
trial life are visible on every hand. Cane
is being harvested and the curling black
smoke from furnaces on a number of PLAN
tations is noticed there and on the road
to Havana.
The Age Herald correspondent asked him
few questions about the army ration to
which he replied emphatically that it Is
good and wholesome. The meats issued are
all fresh, either brought there or shipped
to the island before saughtering. The
men enjoy camp life under tropical skies
and are contented.
He was asked If the stories published here
concerning severe restitution among the
poorer classes and the resort to questiona-
BILE methods by young females to secure
bread for themselves and those near and
dear to them, were true
He told a horrible story of their misery
and shame. Ragged. half naked and starv-
ing young women and girls go about the
country begging for something to eat and
obtaining 1t at the sacrifice of their honor,
this life apparently having robbed many
of them of all sense of shame and proprie-
ty. The men, older women and children in
many instances, have but scanty clothing,
and that ragged and torn until the skele-
ton of what was once vigorous life, is visi-
BILE in places in all its gruesomeness, tell
ing tale of horrible suffering in tones of
eloquence that no pen can picture.
Hundreds and thousands of these poor
wretches are dying of hunger and exposure
even under the paternal government of
Christian America, and their bodies are
being tumbled into great pits without the
ceremony of a Christian burial, or the de-
cency even of a pagan interment. These
hapless wretches are huddled together like
so many cattle in places called poor houses
and large pits are dug not far distant where
when one of the inmates dies the body Is
carted out and pitched Unfortunately into
the heap and a little dirt thrown over it to
KEEP the vultures away
This process is continued until the pit is
full when it Is covered over and a new
one dug
He stopped some days In Havana where
he made thorough investigation of condi-
tons to note the changes made since the
last time he saw 1t three months ago. The
impression made was astonishing and he
wondered whether or not Aladdin had not
been charming the Queen of the Antilles
with his little lamp. All the main streets
are thoroughly cleansed after the sanitary
regulations of Boston, New York, and
the old government buildings have been
renovated and made habtable.
1t looked quite natural to see an Ameri-
can air about the streets and the manner
In which business affairs are being con-
Quoted under General Brookes administra-
ton.
When the new police system was inau-
gurated by General Brooke he refused to
allow Spanish representation on the force
and this embittere them more than ever
against both Cubans and Americans.
This has resulted in almost nightly assas-
sination of Cuban police in the outer dis
tricts. and one night last week resulted in
the killing of eighteen Cuban policemen,
instead of eight as reported by the accounts
sent out to American papers.