Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-20

crate commission headed by Vice President
Capote called. The interview with Senator
Zayas followed. and then commission OF
the Cuban Veterans Association. consist
ing OF Gems. Menocal and Agramonte. ar
rived. The afternoon was consumed by
these hearings. and in the early evening
the party went aboard the cruiser Des
Moines. which had brought them from
Tampa.
Senior O'Farrill, secretary of state. called
at & o'clock. He remained aboard about
thirty minutes After the interview he said
go into details 1t is understood that Sec
rotary Taft carefully questioned Senior
O'Farril, and that the latter explained
fully President Palma's point of View. lay
ing stress the fact that the president
was the more popular of the candidates in
the last presidential election because of his
long service in the Cuban cause. From this.
1t is presumed O'Farrill intended that the
inference should be drawn that there had
been 10 fraud as the liberals charge.
Overt Act in Eastern Cuba.
He was pleased with the fact that rep
resentatives of every faction had visited
him. Mr. Taft said he had not talked as
yet with representatives of commercial in
terests. but that he expected to do so.
The first overt act by revolutionists in
eastern Cuba was committed on Tuesday
afternoon. Fifty armed mounted men I'M
der Capt. Vicente Costa and Lieut.. Fran
cisco Salmon entered the town of Firmeza,
twenty miles east of Santiago de Cuba,
where the Juragua iron mines are. They
presented to the superintendent of mines,
Mr.. Whitaker, a document bearing the al
legged signature of Gen. Hierezuelo. de-
manding the delivery of two cases of dyna-
mite and two blasting batteries. The SUI
perintendent refused to deliver the goods.
The insurgents thereupon seized the eX-
plosive and the batteries. mule and other
inSn md lp1l- MT
promised not to make another raid II the
companys railroad was not used to trans
port govePament troops. The mines are
now without protection from the rural
guards.
Villuendas is Heard.
Special Cabegram to The Star.
HAVANA. September 2O.-At the request
of F'lorenco Villuendas made through
Senator Zayas. Secretary Taft granted
Villuendas interview this morning that
he might have an opportunity to explain
the murder of his brother. Enrique Villuen-
das. at Cienfuegos in September of last
year.
The story told by Villuendas was the
most sensational yet heard by the Secre
tary. as the death of Enrique Villuendas
was decisive blow to the liberals. Tri-
umphant the coming elections had seemed
a foregone conclusion, but his death the
day before changed the whole situation.
The police and the rural guards outraged
the liberals everywhere, and the leaders of
the party ordered the liberals on the morn
ing of September % to withdraw from the
polls. as 1t would be useless for them to
vote. and the present revolution was
sown.
Enrique Villuendas was the closest per-
sonal friend of the liberal presidential cam
didate, General Gomez. On the morning
of September 81, Florencio told Secretary
Taft. an attempt was made to kill him by
Chief of Police Ilanco while Villuendas.
as lawyer, was defending before the court
a political prisoner named Fernandez Next
morning, while Villuendas, with other lead
ers of the liberal party. was engaged in
drafting manifesto al Cienfuegos. Illianco
invaded the room with armed men. under
Commander Caldos, and Viiuendas was
shot and macheted. The other liberals fled
excepting Fernandez. who killed Illianco.
but was himself badly wounded
Fell Into a Trap.
The governments story was that Ilianco
fell into trap, and was murdered by the
liberals. and that Viluendas was killed
by the police in self-defense. The effect
of the murder of Villuendas was that the
liberals, many of whom were shot in vari-
Gus localities, and General Gomez. in fear
"a" his life. hastily came from Santa Clara
to Havana. -,.* 90
Florencio asserted that he charged the
murderers of his brother before the COURTS
but that nothing was done. On the con-
trary. the policeman who had killed him
was rewarded by the government He also
denounced his brothers murderers before
the house of representa- tives but no action
was taken.
The Importance of Nilluendas. report to
Secretary Taft lies in the fact that taken
in connection with the stories of other out
RACES told to the Secretary yesterday by
liberals, it throws light on the situation in
1905 that prepared the way for the present
revolution.
Yesterday Pine Guerra was at Lasman-
gas, Pinar del Rio. with 1000 men, He is
Fastening to Havana province to join Gen.
LoynaZ del Castillo at Santiago de Las We
gas. when their united forces will be from
5000 to 5000 men. The government is
anxious about this concentration of the
rebels.