The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1890-07-06
A LETTER FROM DIAZ.
EXPLAINING THE CAUSE OF HIS
ARREST.

1t is Understood Now That he has Been
Reieased--He Writes That he Could
Have Easily Caused Revolution.
Rev. a. J. Diaz, the Baptist Cuban
missionary, has written a letter to DR.. 1.
I. Tichenor, of Atlanta, Ca, in which he
explains the entire story of his recent ar
rest, which was mentioned in THE CHRoN-
ICLE.
1t is dated at HAVANA, June eth, and
is as follows:
Dear Brother-On Wednesday even
ing, 25th Of June, [ went with Rev
Brother Godinez and Brother Henera
and large number of my own congre-
CATION to the city of Guanabacoa. There
was quiet, orderly congregatien, about
four hundred in number, ana some of
the best society in the city. We cele-
brated our meeting where we have been
accustomed to hold service twice a week
since the Goth of November last. Bro.
Henera is the pastor in charge.
Before the close of the meeting we
were interrupted by the police. We
were told that we had violated the law.
and | was sent Immediately to the
mayors office to render an account Of
the proceeding. complied without
any resistance, firmly convinced that I
was in the right. At the Office the Off
cial in charge was questioned bv me as to
the notice of the meeting, and replied
that the notice had been given. Then
the clerk was requested to bring forth
the notice, which he also confessed had
been duly presented, but he failed to
comply; then we returned to the court
house, where We remained until two
o'clock, when the two brothers
Henera and Godinez and myself, were
escorted with full accompaniment Of
officers to the public prison. The people
about one thousand in number followed
us to the prison. Infuriated and ready
to mob the officers in charge, they sur
rounded the prison. | was compelled to
appear on the balcony Of the prison and
| paoify the people. Had | pleased I
could have had a revolution from that
moment. They were determined to have
me released at any price, and | could
have walked out of the prison and been
well protected. AS it were the officers were
at my mercy. Nineteen hours after the i'm
prlsonment the original notice was
found and the registrar showed the date
Of its presentation. They did not wish
to confess the injustice of the mistake
and availeu themselves Of the pretex
that one word bad been omitted The
law requires that the name Of the recto7
or man in charge shall be mentioned
and their plea was that it had beer
omitted, but the notice was signed b,
Mr.. Henera, pastor, mentioning th
same thing. This is the trouble. and tn
violation Of the law, of which we hav
been guilty. A. j. DIAz.
This was the letter. Accompanying
it was a postscript in which was written
'We have given the case, to day to
good lawyer, and l want him to shoy
that we are all right He says this
the end Of the trial, but when this coul
be proved should we ask damages for il
We are three ministers put in jail wit
criminals and bad men, and if the off
cials say at the end of it, j beg you
pardon; we made mistake, should W
} say All right"
) Godinez was sick and is sick still. L
, give you all the information in connet
! ton with this matter, and will send th
newspapers that spoke about us and on
Imprisonment"
DR.. Tichenor believes, says the Atlant
. Journal, that Diaz and his two compal
= ions are now at liberty. The postscril
{ he thinks was written after their releas
and it is reported in a telegram to WasI
ington that their release has been s
cured