Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-28
GOLD GOEf zBEGGING
Only Seven oubans ,ear to claim Their
Portion o Gratuity.
SPIES OF MILITARY ASSEMBLY ON WATCH
Wagonload Of Money Waits All Day in
Charge of Major Dodge.
INFLUENCE OF OFFICERS All-PoWeRFUL
Several of Rodriguezs Staff Find Amuse-
mant in the Situation.
INFLUENCE OF OFFICERS ALL-PowERFUL
WASHINGTON OFFICIALS ARE DISAPPOINTED
OTer Made in Good Faith VIII Prob
ably lie withdrawn Unless Better
Success is Met with in the
Country Districts.

uiSl hdS mus lt' dpptdESu ~ La l.lluld "
receive the honorarium of SIS allotted by
the United States for the surrender of arms
and disbandment of men composing the
Cuban army.
At three minutes of 10 o'clock this morn
ing, the hour set to begin the payment of
troops, Major Francis S. Dodge of the pay
masters department, drove up in four
mule team with $4,000 in gold and $4,000
in silver. Six guards accompanied him aud
details os men from the Eighth infantry
were under arms to preserve order among
the mobs which 1t was supposed would
gather. Colonel George NJ. Randall of the
Eighth infantry was present as commits
sioner of the United States.
General Rivera. who was today inducted
into the Office of civil governor of Havana.
was there to receive the arms, with a rep
pesentative of General Gomez, four or five
Cuban officers and fifteen reporters. Half
dozen American clerks, with the rolls OF
the army, sat at long table at the head
quarters of the Eighth regiment. bag of
gold was displayed, but there were no ap-
plicants for a share of it.
The spectators spent the time in dis
cussing why no Cubans appeared. General
Rivera said that though there were 4319
enrolled privates and non 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
officers he added, are in Havana.
Sport for Cuban Officers.
The representative of Gomez, who has
been acting with the latter in the inter-
views with Governor General Brooke, took
a gloomy view of the affair. He said the
Americans had made a mistake in speci
flying that the Cubans must give up their
arms, as this had caused bad impression
among the Cubans.
A group of Cuban officers, who proved to
be some of General Mayai Rodriguez staff.
had in the meanwhile assembled. They
smiled at each other, twisted their NOUS
taches and grew confident as the quarter
hours passed and no soldiers appeared.
Finally they jeered in a quiet way at the
whole proceeding.
Toward II o'clock an unarmed colored
man in a Cuban uniform came across the
dusty square attended by all the American
spectators. He was shown to the paymas-
ter, but turned out to be an assistant" or
camp follower. The American military
men consulted together and as 1t was
thought he was not entitled to share of
the SO, OOO 900 and his name not being on
the rolls, he was dismissed.
Four professed privates appeared at about
1880, without arms, but as their names
were not on the rolls, they were not paid.
Seven Cubans were paid SIS each as the
| result of the first days distribution of the
money allotted by the United States for the
payment of the Cuban soldiers. The cabal
of the members of the former military as
sembly to prevent the soldiers from
cepting the gift of the United States and
from giving up their arms is successful, so
far as Havana is concerned. 1t is too early
to predict what will be done in other
cities and interior, but the indications are
that the money will not be asked for to
any great extent. Some arms may possibly
be turned in voluntarily.
The anti Gomez and anti-American peo-
pie are cheerful tonight, thinking that the
Americans are baffled. Governor General
Brooke does not regard today as settling
the question or as especially significant. A
few privates in this city and a number OF
officers have had sufficient influence to in
timidate some who were otherwise willing
to accept the American terms, but different
results are expected in the country dis
trcts.
Two hours elapsed after the application Of
! the four professed privates, whose demands
| were refused, owing to their lack of proof
| of service, before any applicant appeared
who furnished satisfactory evidence that he
had served in the Cuban army Several per-
| sons applied but were refused because they
could not furnish the necessary proof
| Some were musicians and others hospital
| attendants, but all were without the neces-
| sary voucher
| First Man to Qualify.
| 1t seemed, for long time, though none
| would qualify but early ain the aftarnOOn
one man, about 26 years old, arrived and
| gave his name as Hilario Esquivel Perez.
| He claimed that he had been an orderly at
| Gome2s headquarters He had no arms, but
stated that his duty consisted in gathering
forage for horses and hunting for food, etc.
After some delay the necessary papers were
signed and the money was handed over.
Colonel Randall found one man threaten
ing persons who wished to apply and ordered
him off the premises
Within the next two hours six more men
were paid. Not one OF them had receipt
| for arms surrendered, but each proved that
he had been connected with the army in the
capacity OF servant Throughout the aft
| ernoon Colonel Randall and others connected
| with the disbursement OF the fund waited
patiently until, early in the evening the as
sembly spies departed, out OF patience
Colonel Randall believes that when the pay
masters leave the city they will find that the
soldiers in the province will receive the
American bounty which, through false
stories and possibly through the intimidation
OF certain Cuban officers, has been practic-
| ally refused here
The English edition Of La Lucha pub
| fishes an editorial which caused comment
among the army officers, melting the men
not to receive the money, though, strangely,
| ha NJ
ago advised the Cubans to accept the Amer
lean terms. The payment win continue to-
morrow and it is considered likely that
more Cubans will accept The applicants In
most cases so far are little more than boys
and are mainly those whom the Cubans
called "blockaders" and who Joined the
army after the American blockade OF Ha-