Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-11-18
ADVENTURES OF TWEED.
nis kscspe. Capture IN Cabs, Me Second
Escape aud RscRpiure NJ Vice.

|
o. VIM. NJ. Tweed is thus told by !
Washington authority: Tweed escaped
from New York in schooner, and wa'
landed in small boat from this schoon
or in an obscure spot, known as a hsh
ing town, ton miles south OF Santiago
do QUA. The vessel that brought
Tweed from New York merely put into
the small port for tho purpose OF land
lug Tweed md young man who ac
oompanied him. After the two were
placed on shore tho small boat returned
to the schooner, whose name Is unknown
to the officials, when she headed abont
and stood out to sea again. A Cuban
fisherman witnessed the secret landing
OF these two mon. and at once suspected
them OF being mon coming with aid and
comfort for tho Cuban insurgents. The
suspicious OF tho fisherman was still
further increased by the two mon ap-
preaching him and offering him con.
siderable sum Of money to convey them
over to Santiago de Cuba, where they
wished TO go. He complied with their
request, pOcketed their money, and then
tuned them over to the Spanish au-
thorities as suspicious characters, who
had landed upon the island in such a
secret manner that their presence GER
tainly demanded an explanation. Tweed
and his companion asserted that they
were travelling for their health, but told
no many conflicting stories ~ to still
further accumulate suspicion against
them. Tweed also exhibited passports
made out at Washington for himself
under tho name OF Hecor and Hunt for
his companion, and which appear to
have been obtained ir some time y, before ore
. oitissn Of tiosida, md his passport
confirmed him, and he was very indig
nsnt at his arrest. Notwithstanding his
explanations and his passports, he was
placed in tho custody of tho admiral OF
the Spanish fleet at Santiago dc Cuba,
it being thought that as Tweed was cap
tured while travelling by sea he be-
longed as n matter of right to the naval
authorities.
The American consul at Santiago de
Cuba reported all the facts of the cap
ture of these American citizens to Con-
sui General Hall ut Havana. Hall of
once reported by telegraph to the State
at Washington all of the
facts in the case as they had been sent
to him. The State department at once
examined its records and found that the |
passports referred to were regular, and
had been obtained, as the records
showed, in due form. 1t then occurred
to Secretary Fish, who was familiar with
the many sensational stories that had |
been published in New York concerning
Tweed's escape, that these two men
Secor and Hunt, might be the missing
ones. He ut once sent on photograph
of Tweed to Hall to have Secor, il pos
sible, identified. This Of course occu
pied some time, but Tweed was mean
while kept in custody. Promptly upon
the receipt of Tweed's photograph, Hall
it to Santiago de Cuba, where
Consul Young at once identified Tweed
Hall then telegraphed to Secretary Fish
that the man calling himself Secor was
Tweed, and asked for instructions.
Secretary Fish at once sent back word
to the consul general to present Captain
General Jovellar with full statement Of
the case and request that the Spanish
government deliver him up to the
United States auth rites. Tosthis Jo-
velIar replied that it would give him
much pleasure to grant the request. He
At once issued an order addressed to the
admiral Of the Spanish feet requesting
him to turn Tweed over to the consul
general at Havana, who was to hold him
in custody until United States vessel
could be sent for him. Secretary Fish
tecounted to Robson what he had done,
and the latter directed war vessellying
at Port Royal, s. @, to 60 to Havana
for Tweed.
But meanwhile it appears that Tweed
had strong friends in Cuba, who aided
him in again making his escape. An in
fuential resident of Santiago de Cuba,
not Spaniard or an American, whose
namo is withheld by the State depart
nent, was instrumental in persuading
.he Spanish admiral to release Tweed
Upon his parole to visit Santiago de
Jlba. Ge violated his parole at once
md escaped. Consul Young then found
out which way he had gone, that he had
aiken passage upon the Carmen, Span
sh trading bark, bound for Vigo, Spain.
Hall, at Havana, rep orted the escape to
Jovellar, who was very indignant. He
1t once communicated by cable with the
government at Madrid, and it promptly
by saying that careful
watch would be kept for the Carmen at
Vigo, and that upon her landing there
ner passengers would be arrested aud
ocked up to await the call for them by
he American authorities. This was in
accordance with Jovellar's demand, and
vas regarded here rs satisfactory, as it
made Tweed's capture mere question
# time. The very day that the news
arrived of the arrival of the Carmen at
vigo aud Tweed's arrest, information
vas received at tho Navy department.
hat the United States steamer Franklin
vas at Gibraltar, upon the eve of de
parting upon homeward cruise. In
'tructions were at once cabled to her
officers to proceed to Vigo and take
Tweed Oh board, and bring him along.
The passport which was obtained for
Tweed in the name of Sacor accurately
describes him, and was granted upon
The application of Secor, who wrote that
he was citizen of Florida temporarily
n New York and desired to 60 abroad.