The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-03

OF civilization, and the scenes that to az
American are filed with the most suptls
humor. There are scenes nightly IN HaValAss
that are as dramatic as those or the rTeIlcL
revolution. Motley crowds, men and women
black and white, parade the streets, Sn1S
ing and shouting. The words Cuba llDre
are sung over and over again In a noarse
chant, accompanied by the clapping OF hah.s
and a rhythmic dancing motion or the Ise..
These demonstrations are only permlttssu Zee ~
the parts Of the city evacuated by the span
iardS. but the paraders march up 10 the "a.
vidiEg line between Cuban soil ana that
which is stiIl Spanish and parade past tne
soldiers of Spain drawn up in sohd array
with fixed bayonets. and continue tnelI
chanting and shouting. A big negro Win
Cuban flag about his shoulders led one pd-
rade last night. Here is the scene: he waves
q stick of wood as a baton and wears ND
erty cap on his head, Every fey feet fe
whirls about and shouts, Cuba hbre.
Viva, viva responds the crowd.
The leader waves his stick or corUWCou
and shrieks: Viva los EStados Unidos.
The paraders join hands and dance around
shouting, Viva, viva!
"Vfva viyal"
viva Maxine Gomez"
viva, ViVar'
viva Ia bandera Cubana"
viva viVa!'
Then the leader shouts for the Cuban flag:
for the American flag. for the departure OF
the Spanish soldiers, for the confusion OF
Weyler and for half a hundred other Things
that in the noise and CONFUSION cannon p5
understood. But for everything the crowd
responds with yells and shrieks OF viva
Sometimes a clash ensues between the
paraders and the soldiers, and shots fly thick
and fast. and when the smoke has died away
there is blood on the pavement and probably
somebody dead or dying.
RECKLESS SHOOTING.
The soldiers seem to be utterly regardless
Of where they shoot. In the ARRAY at the
Inglaterra, where three people were killed,
and the one near the Hotel Roma, on Christ
mas ever, where one Cuban was killed and
several wounded, the soldiers did not even
raise their rifles to their shoulders a COM
pany running to the scene from the Prado
were firing when more than block away
from the place where the fight was on. They
did not take the trouble to raise their rifles
to their shoulder, but, holding their guns
before them, banged away as fast as they
could pump cartridges into the magazines
are like the ones that took place on sunday
night when the soldiers and party OF Gu
bans who were singing and shouting
clashed, and the CubanS made an attack
with machetes, and three or four mon We're
hacked and cut. These things do not get
into the papers at the time they happen. Tor
the Spanish censor still sits in the palace
with guard of soldiers about EIm, and
whatever reflects on the Spanish soldiers IS
carefully peeled away. In these encounters
there are the vivid contrasts that there sre
in everything else here. a crowd of people
laughing and singing by some trivial incl
dent are turned into mob. The little,
good-natured looking boy soldier loa1ing IN
the colannades Of the building. Tutfing
cigarette is suddenly Transformed into be-
ing whose one thought is de 3r"uction. There
are quietness and peace in the air, and
over ali the white light Of 4 tropical Moon
light night, and only song or the laughter
Of people walking along the still streets ale
heard on the night air, when suddenly
there is heard the crack of a revolver, and
ing of glass by the bullets The novelist
who writes of these times should not forget
that there are things that really happen
that are stranger than fiction.