Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1901-04-05
SPANISH WAR CLAIMS
The Commission Will Soon Re Ready
for Business.
RUN INTO MILLIONS.
II i lntimated That Many % IL,
Claimants Have Poor show Of
Getting Anything and Many
Claims Are Worthless.

Washington, April i.-The organiza
tion Of the Spanish war claims commits
sion which will boz effected next week
with Ex-senator Chandler a. president
Is drawing fresh attention % Cubar
claims. The total amount Of damage,
asked now foots up S30.Ol0OOO. and
though ,iX months Is allowed for filing
claims after the commission organizes
It Is not probable that the list will b,
greatly extended. Nearly all the pend.
ing claims have been taken up by law.
ycrs as contingent ones. the usual 10,
stipulated being a3i per cent Of the
amount allowed. one firm. which ha.
large international business has filed
claims for various clients 70 the aggrc.
gate amount OF 100000.
There are a lumber Of claims Of Gu.
han Americans which were taken un by
the state department and pressed ON the
Spanish government for repamtion foi
injuries inflicted or for imprisonment.
I'm two or three cases of this kind the
Spanish government had agreed &c
make compensation for the injuries
Among these is that Of Mrs. Ruiz. the
widow Of Dr.. Ricardo Ruiz. who it wa.
charged was killed in Jail near Havana
In the last days Of President Cleveland
administration. Mrs Ruiz filed a claim
for $4,000 damages aud since the death
Of her husband has been living In Wash.
ington In poverty. Il is part Of the an.
written history of the Spanish. America
war that the Spanish government had
agreed 90 pay this claim. when the ex.
plosion Of the Maine ended all possibil.
ity Of a peaceful settlement Of the
Cuban question.
Among the claimants for property
losses there are few Spaninrds who
may get some compensation because
they managed 90 have their plantations
placed IN American hands or had formed
American partnerhips. There are
also few Cuban planters whose estates
We're 80 heavily mortgagcd that they
were glad 20 les them pass into Ameri.
can ownership. Some subject, Of Euro.
powers also managed 90 acquire Amori.
can citizenship, just as a good many
Cubans acquired IL. one Of this elias,
Of natumhzcd European. has claim
for nearly $1,000. 900 for damages done
20 his plantation.
\ glance no the istof claimant. show,
that about three-four.h, Of them are
Cuban or Spanish names Ono heavy
Claim is made by a Cuban planter. who
Wa, a leading spirit IN the instruction
and whose plantation was for time the
headquarters of Mucgo Hc wa, boo TIA.
ynna all through the Instruction aud
while the Spanish authorities suspected
him of completely in It they never wcr,
able 10 catch him. and his American
citizenship protected him from arrest ou
mere suspicion Another claimant is am
| American citizen who represented o.
number of manufacturing concerns IN
the United States, and who had lived
IN Cuba for BOD or iU years He ask.
about 100000 for damages suffered
through the interruption of hi. business.
7 Several Of the bona dle American
/ claimants may be- embarrassed by their
action In the instruction. A. rule
the genuine American citizens who had
property interests in Cuba, though they
despised the Spanish government, had
no sympathy with the insurgents. Du.
puy de LONE, when he was the Spanish
minister. enlisted this class 10 show that
there was no real instruction and chat
the island was paciticd. They wrot,
letters declaring that everything wa.
moving smoothly aud that there was mo-
interruption Of work on the plantations
one Of the most prominent OF thi.
| elias, m.de frequent visits 90 Washing.
ton Tor personal conferences with con
gre,,men and officials lie would cit,
his own plantation as evidence Of the
perfect protection which was afforded
by the Spanish authorities and In con
trayeuuou Of the stories Of the damage,
which the insurgents were able 90 indict
Notwithstanding these assurances thi,
American planter has put in % heavy
bill for losses TO his property in the Ia.
surrcction. As many Of his letters ar,
sild 20 ho on Gle, it may be awkward
Tor him when tho lawyer come TO pre-.
sent his claim before the commission.