The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-24
BACKBONE OF THE
OPPOSITION GONE
lnsurrectiOnists i'm Havana Lose
Spirit With Death of
Their Leader.
GENERAL BANDERA is
SLAIN BY RURAL GUARDS
But Lukewarmness Of Many
Prominent Men Is Still
Threatening Factor.

| nh ANA, aug. 2o.-lt Is fncredS-
ingly evident that the backbone of the
insurrection in the western part Of the
province Of Havana has been broken.
Even had the death of Gen. Bandera
not FASTENED that consummation, the
members Of his band were making for
their homes, as the pursuit of the
! mounted rural guards, day and night,
had sickened them Of any insurrection-
ary career.
Pino Guerrero is far higher class
leader, with a considerably more intel.
| llgent following, and his occupancy of
San Juan de Martinez today quickly
following his capture Of San Luis yes
terday, enables him TO seriously threat.
en- the provincial capital of Pinar del
Rio.
One drawback TO the general situ-
alton Is the fact that while many
prominent men are protesting their
loyalty to the Government, there is an
undeniable lukewarmness and waiting
attitude among the masses. They have
the impression that perhaps a change
In the occupancy of the Presidential
chair might bring more liberty and real
| SELF government 10 Cuba
Gen. Quentin Bandera. the famous
negro leader OF Havana province. who
recently headed an insurgent band and
began operations against the Govern
ment, was killed early this morning in
an encounter with rural guards.
Two Others Slain.
The fight with Bandera g band oc.
| CURED al o'clock this morning, 4
force OF 100 mounted rural guards,
which had for three days been seeking
to surround the insurgent force com
manded by Bandera, finally succeeded
after the veteran commander had
pitched his camp for the night. In
addition to Bandera, two of his fol
lowers were killed, but none was cap
| tured.
The body of the negro Gen Quentin
Bandera, the most daring insurgent in
| Havana province, lies in the norgue at
mulatto comrades, all frightfullv
gashed by the long heavy machetes of
the rural guards who ended their ca
reer. Across the streets, in Neptune
park, great crowd, mostly negro
| friends of Bandera, are watching the
morgue with silent interest
Bore Many Wounds.
The arrival of Bandera g body here
was the first news of the fight in which
he met his death. The conflict occurred
at the Silveira farm, near Punta Brava,
fifteen miles from Havana detach,
ment OF thirty-eight mounted rural
guards, under Capt. Ignncio Delgado
and Lieut. Martinez. were searching
throughout the night for Bandera's
party. AT 9 O'Clock this morning the
guards were breaking through a wire
fence at the edge Of the Silveira farm
when they were suddenly fred upon by
Bandera S followers, twenty in number.
The guards rushed upon the insur-
gents, but with the exception of their
chief and his two leading comrades,
they all succeeded in getting away.
The guards made the chief and his
| two comrades special object of at
tack and all three received several bull
let wounds and were horribly mutilated
by machete cuts. Not one of the
guards were wounded.
The bodies OF Bandera and his two
companions were placed in wagon
and taken to Havana An examination
of Bandera s body showed that his
principal wound was a severe machete
blow on the head, which cut off his left
ear and made an ugly incision IN his
face. He also had bullet wounds in his
arms and breast. The condition of Ban
dera 8 dead companions was even more
shocking. Their faces and heads were
terribly gashed, and they also had
on their arms. The clothes on all these
men showed every evidence of the hard
life they had been living while eluding
pursuers.
1t has heen an open secret among the
rural guards that Bandera would never
live to be tried for treason, his death
being the main object of the Govern
ment forces operating in Havana prov
ince. The smallness of the party ac-
companying Bandera has caused sur
prise here. but 1t is believed that he
had only portion of his band with him.
In any case, however. 1T is believed the
insurrectionary movement in western
Havana has been broken by Bandera s
death
Secretary of State and Justice o Far.
rill, acting Minister of the Interior, re-
signed from the Cabinet today Gen,
Freyre Andrade, Speaker Of the House
and formerly Secretary of the Interior,
is slated for the Interior portfolio tenn
porarily. Gen Andrade is one of the
most vigorous supporters of the Gov"
ernment
The correspondent OF the Associated
Press found him today personally su.
perintending the arming and supplying
of the recruits for the rural guards
A force of rural guards and volun-
teers has left Cienfuegos, province of
Santa Clara. to engage 800 insurgents
who have left Las Lajas under the COM
mand of Col Guzman, Mayor of that
town.
General Manager Livesy of the West
ern railroad this afternoon received a
message from Pino Guerra, forwarded
from San Juan de Martinez, saying:
81 am In possession of your station.
If any more troops are sent over the
Western railroad l will blow zip the
bridge and destroy your property,
Mr.. Livesy did not answer the dis
patch, but Immediately forwarded it
to the police. The officials there had
no news other than the announcement