Weekly
THE DALLES, WASCO COUNTY. OREGON. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1896.
VOL. VII.
NUMBER 2.
CUBA IS FOR CUBANS
Eastern Part of the Island
Occupied by Insurgents.
ALL EXCEPT THE CITY OF HAVANA
Spaniards Continue Their Savage War'
fare on Unarmed Men, Women -and"
Children.
Santiago de Cuba, Dec. 4. This city
has been thrown into consternation by a
descent of the Spanish police. The
homes of many peaceab'e citizens were
entered after the town had gone to bed
It is known that at least 25 persons were
arrested and hurried to prison. Nearly
all of Eastern Cuba is in the hands of
- the Cubans, eave the city. ' The Spanish
policy of arresting citizens suspected of
sympathy with the insurgents had long
since spread among all classes. The re
cent arrests are further evidence of Gen
eral Weyler's determination towage war
on citizens in their homes, as well as on
the armed bodies in the field.
No oiie cuii learn any definite reason
for the sudden arrests. There were
three women among the prisoners. All
were locked in the jail Incouamunicados.
Many were sent to Moro castle. Among
ttie captives was a doctor, two lawyers
and four merchants. All rest under the
general accusation of plotting against
Spanish authority.
A special from Guimaro, Camagaey,
gives tho following details of the death
of Major Dana Osgood, the foot-ball
player who commanded a Cuban battery
during the recent siege of the town of
Guimaro. General Garcia ordered Ma
for Osgood to open fire upon the Spanish
forts. Two hours later a large fort,
known as Fort Monfan, located on a hill
700 yards from the town, was abandoned
by its defenders, who took refuge in the
town. .
On the second day of the siege, Major
Osgood, under heavy fire from the Span
iards, was training one of bis pieces on
the forts. . A Mauser ball struck him in
the forehead. He uttered the word
"Well," and, tending forward on his
cannon, hugged it and breathed his last
in behalf of Cuban liberty. The news
of his death deeply impressed President
Cisneros and the commanding officers,
all of whom had great 'regard for the
American officer.
The Spaniards who had an abundant
supply of ammunition, kept up an in
cessant fire against the Cuban entrench
ments. General Garcia, on October 27,
made up bis mind to capture the place
by assault. . The Spaniards had aban
doned all the forts outside of the town
and made themselves strong on the in
side. They had taken commanding po
sitions on the stone buildings and mas
sive stone church in the public square.
At a signal Generals Cebreco and Capote,
at the head of their men, charged the
town from different quarters. The
Spanish garrison took took refuse in the
old church and strongly barricaded it.
General Garcia ordered that the three
guns be brought to bear upon the stone
. structure, and fire was at once opened
it. One of the shots from a 12-pounder
mortally wounded the Spanish officer in
command, Major Marinez, and killed
some of his men.
.. Shortly after a tremendous cry of "Vi
va Cuba libre" came from the Cubans.
The Spaniards bad signaled their un
conditional surrender.
ANOTHER MINE EXPLODED. '
Many Spaniards Blown Up Darin;
Kecent Battle.
Atlanta, Dec. 4. Rev. A. J.Diaz,
the Baptist missionary of Havana, who
was driven from Cuba several months
ago, on account of alleged affiliation with
the insurgents, has reached the city
from Texas, where he has been engaged
in church work. -
"I was told," said he, "that every
thing was at a standstill in Havana,
there being nothing going on in the city
As I understand it, everthing is dead as
a door-nail, but General Maceo seems to
be petting in his work, and from what I
was told by friends in New Orleans, I
suppose he has the means of extermin
ating many of the Spaniards. The press
reports contained a story to the effect
that General Maceo bad enticed Weyler,
with many of his men, on to a point o'f
ground that had been, dynamited for
their especial benefit, and succeeded in
killing and wounding many of them. I
. was told of a second mine that had been
:. fired when the Spanish soldiers were on
it only a day or two ago. General Wey
ler was in Artemisa and knew nothing
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of it until the dynamite had done its
deadly work.
''This mine was between the Rubi
and Cavaiaboa mountains by Maceo's
electric plan. After it was all prepared,
as in the other case, the Spaniards and
Cnbans engaged in battle. The Cubans,
of course, retreated, and, as they did so,
the Spaniards followed, keeping as near
tbem as possible. , When the army w
between the-two mountains, the mines
were touched off. and . in a few minutes
the air was filled with smoke, with
dead and wounded men and horses
flew in every direction. My friends
stated there were 5000 Spanish soldiers
killed and wounded in the explosion of
the mine.
Fighting; In Havana's Suburbs.
Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 6. Sharp
firing bus been heard again today in Ha
vana from the neighborhood of Guanaba-
coa and other suburbs of that section,
and all Havana is excited over the oc
currence. Over 500 refugees have passed into
the city during the past five days from
that section, fearing their lives during
the fights between the soldiers and in
surgents.
Nearly all the Havana volunteers have
gone to the front, but as fast as they re
move the guetrillas in one place, they
encounter tbem in another, making a
succession of running fights all within
five to ten miles of the city. About 100
soldiers have been killed or wounded so
far in these engagements.
Water is Subsiding
Chippewa Falls, Wis., Dec. 4, The
water went down six inches last night,
and the fears of the people were much
allayed by learning that the river was
tailing. The continued cold was also
tending to quiet their fears. Colonel
Jones started down the branch line of
the Milwaukee & St. Paul road today,
going along the banks of the river sev
eral miles on a furthor investigation of
the gorge. He disapproves the use of
dynamite or other explosives as unnec
essary. The worst is undoubtedly over.
Brutal Murderer Hanged.
M'Leansbobo, IH., Dec. 4. Fred
Behme, who killed his wife and baby
boy on Easter Sunday la6t, was banged
today at 12:30 p. m. The crime waB
the most fiendish ever committed in
Southern Illinois. After brain'mg his
wife with an ax, he took his 3-year-old
boy to the barn, put a halter around bis
neck and bung him to a rafter.
i
A Notorious Outlaw Killed.
New Kibe, O. T., Dec. 4. Dynamite
Dick, a notorious territory outlaw, over
whose head hangs a reward of $3000, waB
shot and killed in a light with deputy
sheriffs sixteen miles west of this city
this morning. Dan Cravens, a member
of Dick's band, for whose arrest a re
ward of $300 is out, was badly wounded
and captured.
A Hardware Dealer Fail.
Waco, Tex., Dec. 4. W. F. Dnpree, a
dealer in hardware and agricultural im
plements, with branch stores in several
towns, filed a deed of trust today to J.
C. Birkhead for the benefit of his credi
tors. The liabilities are about $250,000,
pcal banks and creditors being preferred.
The assets are largely in excess of the
liabilities. ' - - .
A General Strike Ordered.
Hamburg, Dec. 4. At a meeting of
the central strike committee today it
hwas decided to declare a general strike.
A pamphlet was issued calling upon all
quay laborers, engineers, bargemen,
lumpers and car men to quit work. A
majority of the quay laborers obeyed
the call. The remainder, will probably
quit at noon.
Launch of New Gunboats.
Bath, Me., Dec. 5. The gunboats
Vicksburg and Newport were launched
from the yards of the Bath iron works
this afternoon before an immense crowd.
The Vicksbnrg .went into the water at
12 :25 o'clock. ' The Newport followed 20
minutes later. The launchmgs were
successf ul in every respect.
MADE A BOLD STAND
Cubans Dislodged After a
Terrible Battle.
HEAVY LOSS OX BOTH SIDES
Great Activity at the Navy-Tard
n Philadelphia Spaniards
Art Uneasy.
Key West, Dec. 5. A most import
ant and terrible battle is reported in a
private letter to have occurred at
Palacios, in the province of Finar del
Rio. It is said that great forces of in
surgents, Btrongly fortified at Torro
Heights, were attacked by a Spanish
column. Fierce fighting, cannonading
and musketry, continued all day, the in
surgents bravely defending their strong
hold. .The troops were unable to cap
ture the fortifications that day, and both
sides sustained a great loss. The next
day, the Spanish columns were rein
forced by Genera Ynclan, who renewed
the attack. . The troops were determined
to take the stronghold, and, simultane
ously advanced on the fortifications.
The insurgents were finally dislodged
from their position, their loss being fully
200. It is said the Spanish troops lost
600.
The steamer Triton, which was ex
pected to leave today, was hurriedly
dispatched yesterday to Bahia Honda.
On this account, many believe the re
ports widely circulated to the effect that
sounds of musketry and artillery were
heard in that vicinity. In official cir
cles, it is claimed that no news of an en
gagement has been received.
Reports from all parts of Pinar del
Rio indicate that great mortality fol
lowed the recent epidenics, which are
spreading throughout that section. Of
all the diseases epidemic in' nature,
cholera seems to be the only one which
has not visited that section.
Colonel Aldea recently had a fight
with the rebel leaders at Perico. The
loss of the insurgents at the present
writing is unknown. Two officers and
thirty-six privates connected with the
Spanish forces were wounded.
The insurgents near Baracoa succeeded
in capturing the piledriver Provenir and
four of her crew. This boat was loaded
with groceries destined for the troops at
Vessel's bay.
The recent report of the attack of the
insurgents upon Gnanabacoa is said to
have been a false alarm. '
Broke Through the Trocha.
Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 5. A
Citi
zen special from Key West says :
A Spanish officer who passed through
on the Olivette tomgbt reports that Gen
eral Maceo, with a band of 600 men, sue
ceeded in breaking through the trocha
and will meet General Gomez in Havana
province. Maceo left General Rio Ri
vera in charge of his forces in Pinar del
Rio province. Maceo goes to get the as
sistance of Gomez to help the insurgent
army in Pinar del Rio.
From passengers on the Olivette, de
tails ot tne success! ni ram ot the insur
gents on Guanabaco. across the bay
from Havana, were received. The raid
took place on Tuesday night, and the
Spanish outposts near Havana and Mar
ino nave -Deen attacked nightly since.
The greatest excitement' still exists in
Havana, and in the suburbs of the city.
In Tuesday's raid, the insurgents cap
tured a large number of pack males and
a dozen horses, and a large quantitv of
munitions of war. About 45 houses
were burned. The commander has been
severely reprimanded for his feeble
resistance. Hundreds ot families are
leaving Guanabaca for Havana.
WEYLER SUEKOUSDED.
Maceo Sa-m Has the Spaniard Where Be
Wants Him.
Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 6. A Citizen
special from Key West says :
The' steamer Whitney brought Hava
na news this morning in relation to Ma
ceo and Weyler. Passengers state that
Weyler himself is now encamped 10
miles from Artemisa, and his army is
scattered along the trocha, and t .trough
the Pinar del Rio district. When Ma
ceo retreated from Weyler in his first
campaign, his plan was to surprise Wey
ler at the first opportunity, and now Ma
ceo has bis army on either side of Wey
ler and they are having daily skirmishes.
Weyler is completely surrounded, and
if he shall attempt to move he will be
compelled to go to Artemisa. Small
bands have crossed the trocha into Ha
vana, district, and are attacking the out
posts and villages of that province.
Insurgents numbering 7000 are en
camped in Havana province, 20 miles
from Havana, and will go to Maceo's as-
8istance when needed. '
Spies in Havana are keeping the in
surgents posted as to the movements of
the Spanish troops. ' A mevement is on
foot to capture Weyler if he shall at
tempt to go to Havana by rail. Fire
men and volunteers in Havana . are toe
ing ssnt to Weyler's relief. Heretofore,
these troops were used in the defense of
the city.
Since Tuesday's raid on Guanabacoa,
the city has been attacked almost every
night, and Thursday night, 250 Cuban
cavalry rode for two hours throughout
the city. The damage done amounts to
37 houses burned and a large quantity of
supplies and ammunition seized. A
large number of mules loaded and ready
to leave the city were also taken.
OREGON IN THE CABINET.
Our Delegation Trying
to Agree on a
Man.
Washington, Dec. 5. Senator Mc
Brido and Representative Hermann ar
rived from Canton today. Representa
tive Ellis has been here a day or two.
Senator Mitchell will be here Monday
morning. It is possible Oregon may be
considered for a cabinet position, and
when the delegation meets an .effort will
be made to agree upon a man. The on
ly trouble seems to be that whoever is
presented will meet with opposition at
home. California is torn up by faction
al fights, and will not get a cabinet
place. The chances are against the Pa
cific coast getting representation because
of the lack of harmony in the Repub
lican states. McKinley spoke very kind
y of Oregon when the delegation visited
him at Canton. He said he remembered
that Oregon, in two national conven
tionB, was tor mm when be had no op
portunity of being nominated, and had
always been loyal to him.
CHAPMAN WILL SCBKENDEK.
Case Will Be Taken Before the Supreme
Court Immediately.
Washington, Dec. 5. District Attor
ney Birnev was informed today by Mr,
Wilson, of counsel for Elverton Chap
man, convicted of refusing to answer
certain inquiries ' by the senate sugar
trust - investigation oommittee, that
Chapman will surrender himself to the
custody of the marshal of the District
of Columbia early next week Tuesday
Mr. Birney thinks, but not later than
Wednesday in any event, he was in
formed. Immediately after the surren
der of Mr. Chapman he will apply to
one of the justices of the United States
supreme court for his discharge through
habeas corpus proceedings. Mr. Chap-
man will submit that the statute under
which he was convicted is unconstitn
tioual, and in that wav his counsel
hopes to have the supreme court pass
upon the question. His case is a test
one, on which prosecution of the other
witnesses will depend.
MOKE CABINET TALK.
Dlngley,
Bliss and Payne Said.
Slated for Positions.
to Be
Washington, Dec. 5. The arrival of
many prominent Republicans in the
citv, many ot whom have recently been
at Canton, has caused - an nnusua
amount of cabinet talk, some of which
assumed quite definite character today
One senator, who is high in the coun
cils of his party, stated that three posi
tions seemed to be well settled, and that
Dingley of Maine, now chairman of the
ways and means committee, seemed to
be slated for the secretary of the treas
urr. Mr. Dingley, it was said, has the
matter underconsideration. The other
two men who are considered quite sure
of cabinet places were Cornelius N
Bliss, of New York, for secretary of the
navy, and Henry C. Payne, of Wiscon
sin, for postmatt-general of secretary of
the interior.
The Bennington's Mission.
Sax Francisco, Dec. 6. The United
States steamer Bennington is preparing
to Bail for Salvador. Her mission is one
of survey of the coast near the month of
the Choletuca riyer, with the yiew of
the construction near there of a sea pier
and docks by a San Francisco commer
cial company. The Bennigton's officers
expect to spend the next four months in
the ceaseless roll that is found near the
coast by all Bhlpping going to Central
American ports, where the breakers will
not permit of an anchorage near shore.
Changes In the Navy. -
Washington, Dec. 5. Captain Chas.
D. Evans has been relieved of the com
mand of the battle-ship Indiana and or
dered to Washington as a member of the
fighthouse board. Captain H. C. Tay
lor has been detached from the naval
war college and ordered to command the
Indiana. Commander J. McGowan has
been ordered to command the naval
training station at Newport in place of
Commander F. W. Dickins, who is or
dered to Washington as assistant to the
chief of the navigation bureau.
HIS" LAST MESSAGE
The President Expresses His
Ideas of Our Needs.
MUCH SPACE IS GIVEN TO CUBA
He Thinks Spain Can Settle the Tronble
Honorably to Herself by Granting
' Autonomy to Cuba.
We give below a portion of that part
of the president's message relating to
Cuba.
demand for intervention.
The inevitable entanglements of the
United States with the rebellion in
Cuba, the large American property in
terests affected, and considerations of
philanthropy and humanity in general,
have led to a vehement demand in vari
ous Quarters for some sort of positive
intervention on the part of the United
States. It was at first proposed that
belligerent rights should be accorded the
insurgents, a proposition no longer
weighed because its untimely an imprac
tical operation would be clearly perilous
and injurious to our interests. It has
since been and is now sometimes con
tended that the independence of the . in
surgents should be recognized. But,
imperfect and restricted as the Spanish
government of the island may be, no
other exists there, unless the will of the
military officer in temporary command
of a particular district can be dignified
as a Bpecies ot government. It is now
also suggested that the United States
should buy the island a suggestion
possibly worthy of consideration if there
were any evidence of a desire or willing-
ness on the part of Spain to entertain
such a proposal. It is urged, finally,
that, all other methods failing, the ex
isting internecine strife in Cuba should
be terminated by our intervention, even
at the cost of a war between the United
States and Spain a war which its ad
vocates confidently prophecy could nei
ther be large in its proportions nor
doubtful in its issue.
a character to maintain.
The correctness of this forecast need
be neither affirmed nor denied. The
United States has, nevertheless, a char
acter to maintain as a nation, which
plainly dictates that right and not might
should be the role of its conduct.
Farther, though, the United States is
not a nation to which peace is a neces
sity, it is, in truth, the most pacific of
powers, and desires nothing so much as
to live in amity with all the world. Its
own ample and diversified domain satis
fies all possible longings for territory,
precludes all claims of conquest and
prevents any casting of covetous eyes
upon neighboring regions, however at
tractive. -
That our conduct towards Spain and
her dominions has . constituted no ex
ception to this national disposition is
made manifest by the course of our gov
ernment, not only thus far during the
present insurrection, but during the
ten years that followed the rising of
Yara in 18G8. No other great power, it
may safely be said, under circumstances
of similar perplexity, would have mani
fested the same restraint and the same
patient endurance.
respect fob SPAIN.
It may also be said that this persist
ent attitude of the United States towarde
Spain in connection with Cuba unques
tionably evinces no slight respect and
regard for Spain on the part of the
American people. They, in truth, do
not forget her connection with the dis
covery of the Western hemisphere, nor
do they underestimate the great quali
ties of the Spanish people, nor fail to
fully recognize their splendid patriotism
and their chivalrous devotion to the
national honor. They view with won
der and admiration the cheerful resolu
tions with which vast bodies of men are
sent across thousands of miles of ocean
and an enormous debt accumulated that
the costly possession of the Gem of the
Antilles may still bold its place in the
Spanish crown.
And yet neither the government nor
tbe people of the United States have
shut their eyes to the course of events in
Cuba nor have failed to realize the ex
tent of conceded grievances which have
led to tbe present revolt from the au
thority of Spain, grievances recognized
by the queen regent and by the cortes,
voiced by the most patriotic and en-
ightened of Spanish statesmen without
regard to party, and demonstrated by
reforms proposed by tbe executive and
approved by tbe legislative branch of
the Spanish government. It is in the
assumed temper . and disposition of the
Spanish government to remedy these
grievances, fortified by indications of
influential public opinion in Spain, that
this government has hoped to discover
the most promising and effective means
of composing tbe present strife with
honor and advantage to Spain and with
the acbievinent of all the ostensible ob
jects of the insurrection.
AUTONOMY FOR CUBA.
It would seem that if Spain should of
fer to Cuba genuine autonomy a meas
ure of home rule, which, while preserv
ing the sovereignty to Spain, would
satisfy all rational requirements of her
Spanish subjects there should be no
just reason why .the pacification of the
island might not be effected on that
basis. Such a result would appear to be
in the true interest of all concerned. It
would stop at once the conflict which is
now consuming the resources of the
isiand and making it' worthless for
whichever party may ultimately pre
vail. It would keep intact the posses
sions of Spain without touching her
honor, which will be consulted rather
than impugned by the adequate redress
of admitted grievances. It wpuld put
the property of the island and the for
tunes of its inhabitants within tbelr own
control, without severing tbe natural
and ancient ties which bind them to the
mother country, and would yet enable
them to test their capacity for self-government
nnder the most favorable con
ditions.
It has been objected on tho one Bide
that Spain would not promise autonomy
until her Inenrgent subjects lay down
their arms; on the other side, that
promised autonomy, however liberal, is
insufficient, becanse without assurance
of the promise being fulfilled. But the
reasonableness of the requirement by
Spain of unconditional surrender on the
part of tbe insurgent Cubans before their
autonomy is conceded, is not altogether
apparent. It ignores important features
of the situation : . The stability two
years' duration has given to the insur
rection the feasibility of its indeflnite
prolongation in the nature of things as
shown by past experience; the utter
and imminent ruin of the island unless
the present strife is speedily composed
and, above all, the rank abnees which
all parties in Spain, all branches of her
government, and all her leading public
men concede to exist and profess a de
Bire to remove.
Facing such circumstances, to with
hold tbe proffer of needed reforms until
the parties dem'auding them put them
selves at the mercy of Spain h? throw
ing down their arms, has the 'appear
ance of neglecting the gravest of the
perils and inviting suspicion as to tbe
sincerity of any professed willingness to
grant reforms. Tbe objection on behalf
of the insurgents that the promised re
forms cannot be relied upon must, of
course, be considered, though we have
no right to assume and no reason for as
suming that anything Spain undertakes
to do for the relief of Cuba will' not be
done according to both the spirit and the
letter of the undertaking.
A WAY OUT OF IT. I
Nevertheless, realizing that suspicions'
on the part of the weaker of the two
combatants are always natural and not
always unjustifiable, being sincerely de
sirous in the interest of both as well as
on our own account that the Cuban
problem should be solved with the least
possible delay, it was intimated by this
government to the government of Spain
some months ago that if a satisfactory
measure of home rule were tendered tbe
Cuban insurgents, and would be accept
ed by tbem upon guaranty of its execu
tion, the United States would endeavor
to find a way not objectionable to Spain
of furnishing such guaranty.
While no definite response to this inti
mation has yet been received from the
Spanish government. It is believed to
be not altogether unwelcome, while as
already suggested, no reason is perceived
why it should not be approved by the in
surgents. Neither party cau fail to see
the importance of early action, and
both must realize that to prolong the
preeent state of things for even a short
period will add enormously to the time
and labor and expenditure necessary to
bring about the industrial recuperation
of the island. It is, therefore, fervently :
hoped on all grounds that earnest efforts
for healing tbe breach between Spain
and the insurgent Cubans upon the lines
above indicated may be at once inaugu
rated and puebed to an immediate suc
cessful Issue. The friendly offices of tbe
United States, either in the manner
above lined or in any other way consist
ent with our constitution and laws, will
always be at the disposal of either party.
Whatever policy may arise, our policy
and our interest would constrain ns to
object to tbe acquisition of the island or
to any interference with its control by
any other power.
Iallea-Moru stage
Leaves the Umatilla house 8 a. r
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. .
Douglas Allen, Prop.