The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-21
TAFT STILL PROBING IN CUBA.
HEARS MORE ARGUMENTS ON
THE CAUSE or REVOLT.
Hopes 10 Bring Cuban Parties TogetherI
hut n That Move Fails VIII Have HIS
Own Solution % Crisis % Oner-Ths
Rebels Are COnccntratInS Near Havana
Special caoIs psspateA to TIE sun.

Special Cable Despatch 10 The SUN.
HAVANA. Sept. 2O.-Secretary Taft to-day
saw Vice-President Capote. Gov. Nunezs
Senator Zayas, Florencio Villuendas and
the members OF the City Council. To
morrow he will see some prominent business
and professional men.
He stated tonight that he was hearing
all sides with the view 70 getting the people
together il possible and having them
! reach some agreement. If this should DO
found impossible he would zee what soIu-
ton he could find. He wants to find out
! exactly what the trouble is, with the vieW
to its settlement.
1t il said that Secretary Taft Is considering
the idea of working with the political
parties, az representing the people Of the
island, thus going beneath the issue AZ
between the Government and the rebels.
F%lorencio villuendas saw Secretary Taft
TO tell Of the murder of his brother,
Enrique Villuendas, at Cienfuegos, in Sep
tember Of last year. The story told hy VIII
luendas was the most sensational yet heard
by the Secretary. The death OF Enrique
Villuendas was a decisive blow to the LIB
erals. Triumph at the coming elections
had seemed a foreSOne conclusion, but his
death on the day before changed the whole
situation.
The ! olica and the Rural Guard outra ged
the Liberals every where, Nilluendas said!
and the leaders of the party ordered the
Liberals on the morning Of September % to
withdraw from the polls. a. it would DO
useless for them to vote, and 40 the present
revolution was sOwn.
Enrique Villuendas was the closest per-
sonal friend Of the Liberal Presidential
candidate, Zen. Gomez. On the morning
Of September p. Florencio told Secretary
Taft, an attempt was made to kill hin by the
chief Of police OF Hllanco, while illuendas!
as a lawyer, was defending before the court
a political prisoner named Fernandez.
Next morning while Villuendas, with other
leaders OF the Liberal party. was engaged
in drafting a manifesto OF Cienfuegos
Ilianco invaded the room With armed men
under command, and V~illusndas was shot
and macheted. The other Liberals fed;
except Fernandez, who killed ~Illianco. but
was himself badly wounded.
The Governments story was that Illianco
fell into a trap and was murdered by the
Liberals and that Viluendas was killed
Ivy the police in eclf-defence. h effect
OF the murder Of Villuendas was thai the
Moderates were encouraged to attack the
Liberals, many OF whom were shot in ariou
localities.
Gen. Gomez, in fear for his life, hastily
came from Santa Clara 10 Havana. FlOrencio
asserted that he accused the murderers OF
his brother before the courts. but that
nothing was done. On the contrary the
policeman who had killed him was rewarded
by the Government. He also denounced his
brothers murderers before the House OF
Representatives, but no action was taken.
The importance OF Villuendas's report
to Secretary Taft lies in the fact that taken
in connection with the stories Of other
outrages told to the Secretary yesterday
by Liberals it throws light on the situations
in 1905 that paved the way for the present
revolution.
Yesterday Pine Guerra was at Las Mangass
Pinar del Rio, with 1000 men. He is hasten
ing to Havana province to join Gen. Loynaz
del Castillo at Santiago de las Vegas, when
their united forces will be from 5000 to 1900
men. The Government is nxiou over the
concentration OF the rebels.