The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-22
DURING HAvANA's BLOCKADE.
Story of the Only Attempt at Riot
ing That Occurred.


ing That Occurred.
Havana Letter in I,eslie's Weekly.
Here Is the story of the only attempt
at rioting that occurred during the
blockade. 1t began, so far as my story
is concerned, in the house of Mrs. Jose
Gonzales. in Monte street; for it was
she who afterward related. for my en-
tertainment the events of that evening.
Mrs. Gonzales, perfect hostess. charm
ing woman, good Samaritan, beloved
by the poor is of England but, being
the wife Of a Spaniard is Spanish at
heart. Her niece. Miss T, a bright,
vivacious English girl, lives with her.
This English girl, before and during the
siege. was the fiancee of General Arolas,
the military governor of Havana Often
when out riding with the general. she
wore the uniform, the coat at least. of
Spanish colonel. The general was
| fond of calling her his aide de camp
! All Havana knew these two. He had
| passed his siXtieth year. she was under
twenty. and when they rode together
! through the Prado the soldiers of Spain
smiled, while cafe loungers exchanged
| sly. significant winks. 1t was the be
| trothal Of spring and winter, and the
| people ChuCkled and wondered az peo-
| pie will.
one evening in June. General ArOlas.
| as usual, was dining with his fianCee
at the house of Gonzales. All was quiet
| in Havana, the quietness of a besieged
| city whose pOpulaCe is awaiting the
! pleasure of the enemy. Suddenly there
| were cries and a great Gathering of
! horses hOofs in the street. Next. there
| was a tremendous uproar in the court
| yard below. Then all was quiet, and
| up the marble steps, his sword Clank-
| ing on the marble pavement, came an
| officer dashinG into the presence Of the
| military governor BoWing low to the
| ladies and apologizing for his intrusion.
! the officer said: Mr. General, the pop
! ulaCe aided by the volunteers, are at
! taCking the office of La LuCha.' In
! stantly COmprehending all that this
| news meant, the general arose, Miss
! r brought him his sword. and then,
| saying calm adiUs. he took the arm
| of the courier and slowly descended the
/ steps. once out of sight of the ladies',
/ he rushed to his coupe. which stood
/ at the door. \ hurried order to the
| COachman, mighty slam of the door,
and the carriage rolled rapidly away
! toward the office Of La BuCha.
1t must be remembered that. under
| spanish rule, newspapers in Havana
! printed only such news as the censor
/ permitted. also. under COmpUlSiOn
! rather than from choice. they often
printed news which was not news. but
| fiction. 1t seems that La Lucha had
that morning printed something that
! enraged the pOpulaCe-somcthing about
England.
When General Arolas came within
sight OF the newspaper office the mob
| gathered there was so vast and so
| tightly packed that his carriage could
make no further headWay A squad of
| cavalry was Immediately behind. 1t
Could have charged the mob, making
| way for the carriage. But the general
springing to the pavement, command
ed the troopers to halt, ordered the
| driver to his seat. and himself mount
| ed to the box where all could see him.
| Making a sign that called for silence
he began addressing tie mob, COM
| manding the volunteers to disperse,
| and warning the excited people tC 60
home. Unfortunayly, he alluded 10
| the cause of the misunderstanding
land and English friendship toward the
| Americans, Instantly the mob burst
again into excitement; again showed n
| disposition to violence and to wreaI
vengeance upon poor La Lucha. At
this moment a hOrseman came clatter-
ing up-no, a horsewOman! 1t was
| Miss t, in her COlOneps coat.
THE EnglishwOman!' came out of
a thousand angry throats.
mo, not an Englishwoman," respond
ed General Arolas, drawing his sword
and saluting the hOrsewoman, but my
bride-to-be. the betrOthed of Il soldier
of SPAIN" What magical effect had
these words upon the mob. out of a
thousand throats came laughter. a
Havanese crowd il not unlike a crowd
in Paris; a flip of the tongue turns
tragedy into comedy, an ugly mob be-
comes an extremely od-humored con-
gregation. Amy way, the populace and
the volunteers laughed and sauptcreC
away. And thus a flip of the tongue
linking spring with winter, aVerted a
riot in the besieged capital of Cuba"