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Meanwhile the course of events in Cuba was being very keenly watched in the United States, and was steadily increasing the already dangerous tension which had been gradually growing between that country and Spain; and this was further increased by the occurrence of the Rius incident.
The Spanish authorities who may or may not have had good reason suspected Rius of being a dangerous person, and arrested him; whereupon the United States Consul, ever watchful of the rights of American citizens, promptly demanded that the man should be immediately brought to trial, and released if no offence could be proved against him.
And great marvel seized on all who witnessed this miracle, and their mouths were opened to the praise of Christ and to the veneration of Saint Patrick. Of the Death of Rius. And Rius, being renewed outwardly in his body and inwardly in his spirit, brought with him his three brothers, and came with very many to be purified at the healing font.
The people took very little notice of the great man's arrival, and made no demonstration whatever. His arrival in the city seemed to be of very small importance to any but his own personal friends. You will be glad to hear that Gen. Rius Rivera, the insurgent leader, has been released from the Cabana fortress by a royal decree. He has sailed for Cadiz, Spain, where he will remain in exile.
The machinery of diplomacy is sometimes apt to move a trifle slowly, and ere it had moved far enough to bring about the satisfaction of the Consul's demands it was stated that Rius had died suddenly in prison.
This news, which proved to be true, was a very heavy blow to the revolutionaries, who regarded Antonio as far and away their most capable and energetic leader; and soon afterward they sustained a further very serious loss, in the person of Rius Rivera, who had arrived in Pinar del Rio to take the place of Maceo, but who, in the month of March, 1897, was wounded in a skirmish near San Cristobal, being afterwards captured and deported.
Rius, it may be mentioned, was a Cuban, who, like many other natives of the same island, had resided in the United States, and had deemed it good policy to secure naturalisation papers as an American, after which he had returned to Cuba.
This was met by another firm refusal. The Cubans are feeling very proud of his bravery and firmness. You will remember General Sanguilly promised, if he were freed, never to fight against Spain, but Rivera prefers imprisonment or exile to giving a pledge which he could never keep. Rius Rivera was the general who took Maceo's command after that leader had been killed.
And Dichu had a brother named Rius, far advanced in years and in unbelief, the tabernacle of whose body, for very age, was bending unto the grave; and this man heavily grieved for the death of the magician and for the conversion of his brother.
This put General Fitzhugh Lee upon his mettle: he very strongly suspected that there was more in this man's death than met the eye, and he insisted upon having the body medically examined, with the result that Rius was found to have been killed by a blow on the back of the head; while, scratched by a nail on the back of a chair in his cell, was found a statement to the effect that he was certain the prison authorities were fully determined to murder him.
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