The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-13

IN door, and after being well peppered with dust
and dirt, and Senior convenience, chose to open
the door, the meal was
UNFIT EVEN FOR A FASTING STOMACH
One day IL was hafpast one O'Clock before goa
my breakfast. One Sunday was deprived OF knife
and fork. | had the officer called and remon-
strated. He answered grufiy and insutingly, and
stated that prisoners "i1icOnauaicdd0r were not
entitled 10 this luxury. Ipolitely intimated the
uselessness OF this restriction. The onicer said,
at
TO PREVENT YoU FROM COMMITTING SUICIDE"
This appeared so ridiculous to me that found no
reply, and ate my meal with my fingers for fork.
Six days and nights passed in conjectures and
suspense-nights nearly sleepless, for at every
quarter OF an hour the "A,erfG," or "Als well'
would be yelled from sentinel to sentinel through
out the fort, oitentimes the soldier who keep
ing his watch ana ward over your correspondent
volunteering the information,
GALE RT-A-A-Ar
through the gratngs OF my window in prolonged
howl. On the afternoon OF the sixth day the Mill
tary Fiscal, the captain who arrested me, arrived,
telling me that the object OF his visit was
TO TAKE MY DECLARATION.
at first hestated. refusing to declare unless in
the presence of the United States Consul General.
The Military Fiscal said he was ignorant that had
any such right, but that II persisted he would
retire, and the matter would result worse for me,
as he would have TO report to the superior autho-
rtyH formula AGAIN., which implied further delay.
and that my accommodation" would continue;
but If ! answered his written nterrogatores and
nothing serious appeared against me he would
Immediately release me from accommodation,
and would then be
ENABLED TO SEE MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Worn out by my long Imprisonment" incomn,u-
nfca'-and considering that further persistency in
my refusal would only postpone the early c0nClu
sion OF the affair, and as ] was anxious to be re-
leased from this den, fully convinced that was
unjustly imprisoned consented to give my decla.
ration, first stating TO the Fiscal that did so
under protest Then the Fiscal propounded to me
the following questions:-
THE INQUIsITION.
"How long had known Mr.. james j. O'Kely.
correspondent of the NEW YORK HERALD, and
under what circumstances had become acquainted
with bimS"
whether knew the object OF his visit to this
island"
letters to Mr.. OKely since he left the city Of
HAVANA
whether l had communicated with him per
telegraph"
what was the purport of our correspondence"
"H0w long since had seen Mr.. O'KeIy, and
where had seen him tor the last time"
whether had correspondent with him in cipher
or used CODE"
AY, THERE'S THE RUB.
whether instructed him how to pene trate into
the insurgent camps. or If could give any inorma-
ton who assisted him; as, in the character OF a
foreigner and unacqualnted with the country, he
could not have accomplished this undertaking
atone and unassisted."
Did know II Mr.. OKelly had any dispatches,
letters documents for Cespedes or other proml-
nent insurgents, or II had any knowledge of Mr..
OKelly being charged with any private mssionS'
All the questions propounded me were in refer
ence to Mr.. OKellys MISSION and seemed to refer
to my connection with him in his great and unpar
donabe offence OF not believing Spanish reports
but
WISHING TO SEE FOR HIMSELF
the state OF the nsurrect0n and report it to the
outside world.
OF course gave truthful statement Of my con-
nection with Mr.. OKelly-there is nothing what
ever to hide-and stated that my intercourse with
him was only such as one correspondent would
have told another OF the same journal. Perfectly
convinced as was that Mr.. Okeily's mission to
this island had nothing in 1t that would conpro-
mise him in regard to taking any active or even
passive part in the insurrection, his only OBJECT
was to carry out the instructions of Mr. Bennett,
gro see for himself and give an impartial version OF
the affairs or the island, penetrate into insur-
rection and picture the situation as he found it,
My going TO Manzanilo had also to explain. I
went
TO INTERVIEW THE INTERVIEWER,
having the verbal consent OF His Excellency the
Captain General, Sen or Don Candida Pieltain, and
a written permit by Brgadier Don Pedro de Zea,
Chief OF stan After replying to
ALL SORTS CoNUNDRUMs
and interrogatories put to me and made up for my
partial silence OF six days was informed by the
Fiscal that was at liberty to communicate with
my friends and at once sent word to my family.
The same afternoon Consul General Torbert called
and informed me OF all the exertions he had made
to accomplish something towards my benefit, but
that he had been
sNUBBED AND THwARTED BY THE AUTHORITIES
at every turn who as yet had not deiCned to an
swer any OF his communications. / then learned
that my fellow sufferer Mr.. O'Kelly. had arrived
from Santiago de Cuba, and was the occupant OF
the foulest dungeon in the fort not far from me.
In the pill paid to the cdntero for Mr.. O'Kelly's
maintenance there is one item Of
FIFTY CENTS FOR INCENSE.
Mr.. O'Kclly, however, said that the entire stock
OF incense In the churches OF Havana would not
have purified the air OF his dungeon. Brigadier
veasco. The Governor OF the lort called to see me
on the day following my communication gra-
ciously informing me that O'Kelly's incomnauai-
cdciOn was
AN ERROR,
and stating that he had given orders TO allow Mr..
OKeIly to occupy the same casemate with myself,
inquired If we would not rather have our quarters
with some Spanish officers who were under arrest.
l politely declined, thinking that Mr. O'Kelly
would be companionship enough for me, and. as
had been informed that he would leave on the 3Oth
fOr Spain. hoped that the order for his departure
would he the signal for my release.
since was allowed to see my friends and family
my situation became more bearable, and the treat
ment | receive at the hands Of the officers much
kinder; but it is hard 20 be imprisoned without
any cause assigned and cooped up like malefac-
tor. deprived OF the greatest Of all boons-"lib-
erty."