Show THE AIR IS I FULL OF RUMOR Regarding Negotiations Between Spaniards Insurgents NO RESULT FROM THEM OBJECT OF GO3IEZ ATTACK TO CREATE A DIVERSION In aiuntaiizas the Insurgents AreA Are-A ain Active in Anticipation of the Coining Gomez Go-mez Twice Repulsed in Attempting Attempt-ing to Capture a Suburban City of Huvana The Insurgents Are Confident Con-fident NEW YORK Jan 16A special to the Herald from Key West Fla says According to privat advices from Havana there was great excitement on the exchange there yesterday Wednesday Wednes-day where much seditious talk was indulged in-dulged in Several colonels and officers i cers of volunteers who were present made speeches against Captain General I Gen-eral Campos and a general protest was expressed against his military inactivity inactiv-ity and over ihumane policy One major ma-jor of the volunteers proposed that Campos be either forced to resign or be lynched and the speech was met by cheers from various Spanish merchants mer-chants The majority of the representatives of Spanish business houses present signed a petition to close the exchange and many favored closing the stores a a protest against Campos permanence in the island A delegation from the volunteer corps officers was named to wait on Campos and insist that Banado be called and given full military command and that Campos either radically change his political policy or else resign the governorship ernrship The Spanish sentiment against him is increasing hourly and trouble is feared Several foreign vessels in the port by the direction of their consignees con-signees lhave just suspended the discharge dis-charge of their cargoes awaiting the outcome of the affair General Marin has been hurriedly called from Mantanzas and is now In consultation with the captain general Campos depends upon the regular forces and upon the fleet to support I him in the event of trouble but at this moment there are few troops in Havana Ha-vana most of the columns being out te I after Gomez and Maceo and unfortunately unfortu-nately all the war Sips are away cruising up and down the coast I A significant editorial appears in the Dlario De Marino the organ of the Reformist Re-formist party saying that the country I and business circles cannot longer I stand the strain I I Rumored Negotiations I HAVANA Jan 15The air is full of rumors regarding negotiations going I Q between the captain general and i the insurgent leaders but the general opinion is that even if they are taking place there will be no result from them I is reported that while Maceo was moving along the northern coast of Pinar del Rio he received considerable consid-erable additions to his supply of arms and ammunition A schooner loaded with arms etc Is said to have awaited the Insurgents at La Mulata and other such consign ments are said to have been received at various parts of the coast This is denied by the Spanish authorities who say the coast Is thoroughly pa troled by the Spanish navy The cause of the heavy artillery firing fir-ing heard jesterday In the direction of Begucal south of this city and about half way between Havana and Bata bano remained a mystery until about noon today I appears that the insurgents in-surgents under Gomez were TWICE REPULSED in attempting to capture the city I is said the principal object of Gomezs attack upon Bejucal and the other places south of this city is to create a diversion under which his lieutenant General Antonio Maceo may retire from the province of Pinar del Rio When last heard from the second insurgent army under Generals Jose Maceo Rabi and others was believed be-lieved to be pushing on through to the Sagua La Grande district of Santa Clara towards the border of Matan zas Efforts are being made to check its progress at or about Colon Further news of the movements of General Gomez received this evening from San Antonio de los Banos to the westward of Salud and in a southwesterly southwest-erly direction from Bejucal where he was repulsed yesterday Moving apparently I ap-parently towards La Ceciba Gomez has burned the railroad station at Be borucal west of San Antonio de los Banos and when last heard from was II MOVING SO RAPIDLY MOVING I that it is not thought likely the troops I under General Linares will be able to I catch him From the direction Gomez Go-mez is taking he may contemplate an attack upon Guanajay I In the province of Matanzas the insurgents in-surgents are again becoming active in anticipation of the coming of the second sec-ond or eastern army of the insurgents under General Rabi and Jose Maceo Small bands are reported to be on the move in the vicinity of Canasi Bar mejo Roque Bolondron and Jovellenos I Bomba which is seriously interfering with the plans of the Spanish commanders comman-ders to collect a considerable force of troops in the district of Colon with the view of trying to bring about a pitched battle with the insurgent force advancing through the province of Santa Clara ClaraTHE THE DISTRESS in the province of Matanzas and other places devastated by the insurgents is very great and the local authorities in various districts have been granted the necessary permission to collect funds by public subscription for the relief of the sufferers In addition all the soldiers sol-diers and all the employes of the different dif-ferent branches of the government have agreed to give one days pay each i month towards the funds being collected collect-ed to relieve the distress referred to I PRICES OF PROVISIONS i I etc are rising vary rapidly here and I the expense of living is fully 50 percent per-cent more than a month ago At the rate things are going though the Spanish authorities are still hopeful of driving the insurgents eastward and westward from Havana the city of Havana will be the most expensive place in the world to live in I this is the case with the insurgent force now in this vicinity it may be judged II that matters will be worse if the SpanIsh Span-ish commanders are unable to check the advance westward of the second Cuban army Business is suffering terribly ter-ribly on all sides and the mercantile community is heartily tired of the in surreotion and everything connected with i Still another report of AN ENCOUNTER with Maximo Gomez at a point near Sebarucal has been received This time it was General Pratt who reports he had another engagement with Gomez and that he has also put the Cuban forces to flight No details of the engagement en-gagement are given nor is anything stated a to the amount of loss inflicted I in-flicted but it is said Gomez is proceeding proceed-ing westward and that he goes to re lieve Maceo and to reinforce him The Spanish authorities claim that they had pressed Gomez hard for two days and that they have succeeded in doing what they sought in driving him back Into the heart of Pinar del Rio province prov-ince They say that the combined forces of Gomez and Maceo are now in a seriously compromised position and they do not fail to disseminate the impression of their conference that they have at last got the insurgents at a disadvantage and will be able to prevent pre-vent their escape from Pinar del Rio |