Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1899-05-31
CUBANS REFUSE OUR CASH
ONLY SEVEN SOLDIERS CAME
A Large Amount of Money Waiting to
be Divided-It IS we'll Gaurded-The
Cuban Officers Jeered the Action of
Their Soldiers.

Havana, May 2S.-Only seven soldiers
have appeared at La Punta to receive the
honorarium of SIS allotted by the United
States for the surrender of arms and dis
bandment of the men composing the Cuban
army.
AT three minutes of 10 o'clock in the
morning, the hour set to begin the pay
ment of the troops, Major Francis S. Dodge
of the paymaster's department drove up in
a four-mule team with $4,000 in gold and
$4,000 in silver. Six guards accompanied
him, and details of men from the Eighth
infantry were under arms to preserve or
der among the mobs which it was sup
posed would gather.
Colonel George NJ Randall Of the Eighth
infantry was present as commissioner of
the United States.
General Ruiz Rivera, who was today in
Quoted into the office of civil governor of
Havana, was there to receive the arms,
with representative of General Gomez,
four or five Cuban officers and Is report
ers. Half dozen American clerks, with
the rolls of the Cuban army, sat about a
long table at the headquarters of the
Eighth regiment. A bag of gold was dis
played, but there were no applicants for a
share of it. The inspectors spent the time
in discussing why no Cubans appeared.
General Rivera said that though there
were 43l9 enrolled privates and noncom-
missioned officers in the Fourth corps, few
of them lived in Havana. He explained
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.
The representative of General Gomez,
who has been acting for the latter in the
interviews with Governor General Brooke.
took a gloomy view of the affair. He
said the Americans, in STIMULATING that the
Cubans must give up their arms, had
caused bad impression among the Gu
bans.
A group of Cuban officers, who proved
to be some of General Maya Rodriguez's
staff, had in the meanwhile assembled
They smiled at each other, twisted their
mustaches and grew confident as the
quarter hours passed and no soldiers ap-
peared." Finally they jeered in quiet
way at the whole proceeding.
A False Claimant.
Towards IL o'clock an unarmed colored
man in Cuban uniform, came across the
dusty square, attended by all the Ameri.
can spectators. He was shown to the pay.
L,,% 30 h. 0oa .te,
tant" or camp follower. The American
military men consulted, and it was
| thought he was not entitled to a share Of
the $3 900, and his name not>being On
the rolls he was dismissed.
Major Scott, General Ludlow's adjutant
sent word that man named Harris, q
Cuban American, serving a sentence in the
penitentiary, would be sent under guard
to get his $75, so at least one man was
sure to take the gratuity. About 400 men
had been expected, and possibly many Of
these will come later. But the scheme OF
payment, so far as Havana is concerned
looks like failure. Quite different re.
suits are expected in country districts
where the Cuban military assembly and
the anti-Gomez influence is not so strong
At noon General Rivera left, remarkine
that it was wasting time to stay there
and Major Dodge went to the Hotel
Trocha, informing Governor General
Brooke of the state of affairs.
Four professed privates appeared al
about ll:30 without arms, but as theil
names were not on the rolls they were
not paid.