Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-03-20
RIOTINC BEGINS
IN HAVANA CITY.
Half a Hundred People are Hurt in
the Melee.
ATTACK UPON THE POLICE.
Trouble Occur. mt Public Nuiato
i-Iseiniorcemcnts OF Police
Cause a Gencrai fusiiadc.

Havana. March ia serious con-
illct between the police and people Of
Havana last nirht resulted In much
shooting and clubbing. From thirty
to ffty people were wounded. some Sc
riously. Among the injured is Police
Captain Estampcs. formerly a Colonel
In the cuban army
Ever since the police Interference
about two weeks ago Mt the dcmonstra-
ton In honor of Gen. Maxine Gomcz
the police have been unpopular with
tho populace, who jccrcd thcm aud de-
clare thcm inefficient Certain ncwapa-
pcfs let no opportunity ESCAPE 60 crlti-
else the force. dcnouncinE the arrests
90 unfair. and charging the police with
"tmmpllng upon the rights ~ FRYE
people" The police are virtually in the
position II men who have TO make the
people fear them In order TO secure
obedience. no they have no record 10
fall back upon for example.
Last nights trouble occurred at
public mulatto BAH Ia San Jose street.
an unsavory quarter. Many Cuban Of
lccrH. colonies ana captains among
them. attended the nffair. 4 policeman
ON duty IN that street. following orders
Ia prevent y crowd collecting In frunt
of the building where the ball was In
progress, asked a group of men to 10
m mr. dirpofHc. His request was un-
needed. and after repeating II he was
attacked by the group, whcrcupon
many men issued from the building and
set upon him, took away his club and
revolver and handled him roughly.
Tie policeman Immediately notified
headquarters. who ordered twenty r.
serves 20 the scene, The crowd had
prepared for thoir arrival. II w said
.Ary opened with "a revolver lire upon
tAo police. which tho latter returned.
the shooting being kept up until the
ammunition was EXHAUSTED. The OPP
ppnvntH of the police acted with deter
minntion In the nifray. Many who were
In the building mounted the roof.
which was low. ana fired upon the poo
lice from that point. They were APP
parcntly wei armed. ana this fact. to-
Eethor with the resolution with which
they fought, seems TO confirm the be-
licf that the attacking party WAS most
~ made up of cuban officers. no ordi-
nary civilians would have lied from the
revolver of the police.
Many women were wounded. A re-
port IN In circulation this evening that
two OF the injured civilians have Sue
cuinbvd 20 their wounds. but this II not
confirmed. II " reported on good nu-
thority that many were wounded who
Withdrew hastily because unwilling Ia
have II known that they were present.
American troops were called 20 the
scene when the trouble was over. and
numerous arrests followed.
Police Captain EHtnmcr. who II we'll
known In Cuban military circles, ~ 10
badly Injured that fears are enter
tnincd that he win not recover.
Shortly before . o'clock. II was re-
ported that another conflict between
the people ana the police had taken
place this evening Ia the outskirts OF
Havana. aud that two policemen and
several civilians all wounded. were
conveyed 10 police headquarters. II II
asserted also that two policemen were
KILLED and that the reserves had been
called out.