The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-27
A LETTER FROM HAVANA
Funeral of the Beautiful Cuban Woman, q
Victim Of Cruelty.
OVER FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE ATTENDED
Iuhe Sunday Law in Havana Is
Peculin r--Notes of Texans
in the City.

Especial correspondence Ol i ue tOSl.D
Havana, Cuba, August 21.--The Devil
Marriage" has been the sensation of the
week Some of the scenes which j wit
messed in connection with this most horri'
BILE tragedy are worth relating Last weel
/ mentioned in my letter the maltreatment
of beautiful Cuban belle by her lately
welded husband. Thursday, after strug'
Cling against death for several days, Es-
peranza Axcarreta, the victim of the hellish
cruelty, died surrounded by friends and
strangers from all parts of the city. They
say that the deathbed scene was tragical
in the extreme, but be that as it may,
only Witnessed the funeral. which l can
didly admit beggars any description that
could write
Esperanza Axcarreta was among the
many beautiful women of Cuba, a reigning
queen, her extremely magnificent figure
setting off one of the loveliest faces imag-
Unable. Modest, with dark, penetrating and
piercing black eyes, she was woman to
command respect and admiration the world
over OF prominent Cuban family, al
though in modest circumstances through
misfortune, she met Pinau de Villegas and
fell in love with the man. Villegas was a
lieutenant in the Cuban army, good look
ing, and with his bright, snowy uniform
was enough to attract attention from any
good looking woman. The wedding day
was set and, surrounded by the family's
many friends, they were made man and
wife. The honeymoon was passed and
soon the woman learned to her sorrow
that she had married a devil in the shape
of human monster instead of man to
love and respect His devilish cruelty was
made apparent from the first, but the poor
girl feared to say anything to her rela-
tives. Daily his cruelty grew worse, and
when she opposed his treatment he as
sumed more violent methods. He began
by giving her small doses of arsenic, then
larger ones cut her beautiful long hair off
at the roots and locked her in a room Tor
five or six days without mouthful of
food Her brother accidentally came to the
house and found her in a starving condi-
ton. She then related the tales of his
cruel treatment. She was tenderly brought
home, nursed and given every attention
and comfort that money could provide, but
the cruel treatment that she had UNDER
gone had eaten its way into her life blood,
and Thursday she died.
When it was learned that she was dead
large bodies, composed of every class and
description, called upon Generals Ludlow
and Brooke and requested them to see that
justice was done. Friday morning the flu
neral took place. I witnessed the Garcia
funeral here some months ago, but the
crowds on the streets doubled that crowd,
Every house, every poor. little dilapidated
dwelling showed their sympathy by drap-
ing their homes with mourning. 1t looked
like perfect pail over the community, and
long before the funeral passed deep and
loud We're the mutterings. The funeral
reached Belascoaine street and the hearse
he ~ ri
women, until there was not possible con-
ceivable inch where a hand could rest that
there was not one.
Just imagine over 1000 people crowded
around coffin trying to carry it, and all
these thousand threats calling for ven
geance upon the head OF the murderer,
and the picture can be seen. II was one of
the most pathetic scenes / have e,e wit |
messed, and every head was barred in honor |
OF the dead So vast and excited was the |
crowd that it took over half an hour for
the mob TO move one block with the re-
mains, After the cemetery was reached |
The brother attempted suicide by placing
revolver to his heart, but it was wrenched
away before the shot could be fired
When the crowd returned a demonstra.
ton was made at the Vivac, where an at
tempt to lynch Villegas was made, but the
police charged the mob and soon sent them |
hrst funeral since the heroes of the Maine
We're buried in Cuba that women ever at
tended
Inc official reports OF the health bureau
give three deaths from yellow fever since
the LIST to the 18th. 1t appears to be of a
mid form and not at all violent The
marines were all removed to New York
clty yesterday by the Ward line boat leav-
lns mere, as 1t again broke out at the Ma
NINA wharf where they were stationed,
ana they were cent away as 4 precau-
Iionary measure
me Sunday law in Havana Is the most
an using things to Americans possible All
roeery stores, haberdashers dry goods
'iporiums, barber ships, ETC., must close
u ~ a. m. If man of family fails to Sc
.hre the necessary wherewithal for Sum
IA! family dinner he must do without It
~ give MS children or wife some intoxicat-
Hs arihk for their dinner, as the barrooms
ian Keep open as late as they desire. This
: an order OF General Ludlow, who never
moved volunteer soldier the privilege
u walking into barroom in the week
'ay whlle they We're on the island.
me Cubans and Americans have had a
tbnt' Last sunday ten of the employees of
ne quartermaster's corral were returning
rom the country in an ambulance, and,
u orlVlns through crowd of Cuban en-
'.o'es a. the Neuado who were working on
II, construction of the artillery barracks
te,e' they accidentally upset some OF
neir eating utensils around their camp.
ms ansered several OF the Cubans and
ney wanted to whip the Americans right
way, There We're by actual count Just
Dirty OF them in the gang, and the ten
,iherieans' some OF whom were boys. got
D ~, OF tine wagon and settled 1t with them.
, ~. newspaper reports the next day gave
ne Following result of tho scrimmage:
zen Americans and thirty Cubans had a
lant az the Vedado last night and the ten
mhans are In Jail. while the thirty
'e n1s are peing nursed in the hospital.
Old Charley Zant is gene. Whoever had
ny connection around the military posts
ieSas does not remember Charley"
or years he was stationed at Fort sam