[Inclosure in No. 121.]
Mr. Williams to
Mr. Rockhill.
United States Consulate-General,
Habana, April 23, 1896. (Received April
29.)
No. 2907.]Sir: With reference to previous despatches
relative to the case of Dr. José Manuel Delgado and his father, and
especially my No. 2877 of April 13, in which I transmitted to the
Department a copy of the statement made before me on the 18th of
March by said José Manuel Delgado, in which he stated that he would
endeavor to obtain the deposition of Venancio Pino, one of his farm
tenants, and the only surviving witness of the outrage committed on
him by orders of General Melguizo by the Spanish troops on the 4th
March last, I have now the honor to transmit herewith a copy and
translation of the deposition made before me on the 21st instant by
said Venancio Pino, who, as certified to in the medical certificate
accompanying the statement transmitted in my said No. 2877, has
suffered the amputation of his right arm in consequence of the
wounds received by him at the same time of the outrage committed on
Dr. Delgado.
I am, etc.,
Ramon O. Williams,
Consul-General.
[Subinclosure in No.
121.—Translation.]
Deposition of Venancio Pino.
United States Consulate-General, Habana, Cuba[, undated.].
On this 21st day of April, 1896, before me, the undersigned,
consul-general of the United States at Habana, personally appeared
Venancio Pino, a native of the Island of Cuba; 70 years of age;
married; farm hand; who, being duly sworn, declared as follows:
That while working on the farm called “Dolores,” alias “Morales,” at
Bainoa, of which he was a colono, or farm tenant, on the 4th March
last, and after the insurgent General Maceo had passed with his
forces at about 11 o’clock, a.m., a Spanish column appeared at 1
p.m., a squad of soldiers under command of a Captain Villanueva, of
the cavalry volunteers of Jaruco, detached itself from the main
force, and entering the residence of Mr. José Manuel Delgado, owner
of the said farm “Dolores,” arrested and conducted the deponent,
together with several other persons, among whom was the said Mr.
Delgado, before the general commanding the Spanish column, General
Cayetano Melguizo.
[Page 586]
This deponent further declares that, once in the presence of General
Melguizo, he witnessed that the latter, after refusing in a harsh
manner to pay any attention to certain papers which Mr. Delgado
exhibited to him, slapped him over the face and head with his open
hand; and the deponent also noticed that Captain Villanueva received
certain orders communicated to him by General Melguizo, and they
(the prisoners) were then taken to the rear guard of the column by
Captain Villanueva and twelve or fourteen men, among whom was a
sergeant named Ricardo del Valle. The deponent saw that upon
reaching a place at some distance from the main body of the troops,
the prisoners, viz, José Manuel Delgado, Juan de Dios Tavio, Yreno
Tavio, two brothers named Guerra, Juan Rodriguez, and the deponent
and his son, Gregorio, were tied together, and he then heard Captain
Villanueva order his soldiers to use their machetes; and the
sergeant, Ricardo del Valle, struck Mr. Delgado, who was tied, with
his machete; then shots and machete cuts followed, the deponent
receiving four bullet wounds, falling unconscious. When he recovered
his senses he managed to crawl to the farm house, where he was
attended to, and since then has been under the care of a daughter at
a farm near by until his arrival in Habana last Saturday, the 18th
April, having been summoned by a military judge to make a
declaration, and availing himself of the occasion to also make this
present statement. As the result of his wounds the deponent has
suffered the amputation of his right arm.
Venancio
(his × mark)
Pino.
As
witness:
Ernesto L.
Tosca.
Before me:
Ramon O. Williams, Consul-General.
A true copy.
Ramon O. Williams, Consul-General.
