July 2, 1957.p. 9.
Special to The New York Times.
HAVANA, July 1—Cuban Army Headquarters here announced the capture of fifteen rebels and the seizure of a large quantity of arms and ammunition after a battle that cost the lives of seven persons.
The fight between Army troops and rebels at Palmarito de Cauto, near Palma Soriano, Oriente Province, came as enemies of the regime of President Fulgencio Batista stepped up a terroristic campaign in the Havana area.During the last twenty-four hours fifteen bombs have been exploded.
Three persons were injured in Havana by the bombs and two in the small town of Guanabacoa, which is practically a suburb of this city.
Camp Columbia, the Army’s headquarters, said that among the war materiel captured after the fight in Oriente province were rifles, machine guns, revolvers and pistols, medicinal supplies and campaign equipment.The list of names of prisoners given out by the Army showed that all were youths from the vicinity of Palma Soriano.
Oriente, Cuba’s easternmost province, contains the Sierra Maestra range, where rebels under Fidel Castro have been active since last December.The chief city is Santiago de Cuba.Palma Soriano is about twenty miles west of Santiago.
The property damage done here by the exploding bombs was heavy.Three bombs damaged business establishments on Oreilly Street.Another bomb exploded in the balcony of the Radiocentro Theatre, injuring a man and wife.Two bombs found in the balcony failed to explode.
A bomb exploded in the Hotel Ricardo in Pinar del Rio, capital of the province of that name, and injured one person.In Manzanillo, in Oriente Province, two bombs were exploded and the lighting system sabotaged for several hours.
Reports from several towns of the outer provinces said small bombs were exploded and bottles of flaming gasoline thrown against business establishments.
The police in Havana said a plant for making up bottles of gasoline was found in San Lazaro Street.The police said they seized there a member of the rebel Twenty-sixth of July Movement headed by Fidel Castro.
Santiago
Mourns a Rebel
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, July 1—About 20,000 Cubans swarmed into the streets of this rebellious city today and paid homage to a slain young revolutionary.
Thus they underscored their hostility to President Batista, for only yesterday they had locked their doors and boycotted a big pro-Government rally.
The mourners defiantly shouted “Long live free Cuba” and “Down with Batista.”
The people of Santiago turned out for the funeral of José Pais, a young leader of Fidel Castro’s supporters.Señor Pais and two other Castro supporters were shot dead last night in a clash with an Army patrol.Two soldiers were killed.
As the mourners massed in Santa Efigenia Cemetery, they spotted a man suspected of being a police informer.Angry youths attacked the man.He was badly beaten before he was pulled free by older men.