The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1895-12-13
Rev. Mr.. BetteS Going to
Help the Cuban Pa
triOtS.
His Sea Yacht Will Start for
Cuba This Week.
and Crew Armed to
the Teeth.

Rev. Sam Bettes, the wandering
Evangelist of st. Clair county, has
been heard from after silence of
nearly two years He is now at Evans
Vile, Ind, fitting out war vessel to
help the Cuban patriots. Sam tells the
Evansville Courier that he spent IL
years on the high seas and was a
bunco steerer for four years. He re-
formed four years ago and commenced
to preach. All this will surprise his st.
Clair county friends, who know that he
has knocked around this county for
the past 40 years.
The Courier says;
The cry for help sent up by Cuban
patriots in their struggle for freedom
has been heard by Sam Bettes. He has
fitted out a yacht which next week will
go down to Cuba bearing 100 men to
take up the banner of freedom.
The sea-going yacht, "Sam Bettes,"
has been moored for several days at
the foot of Fulton avenue, and many
inquiries were made to no purpose as
to the queer craft. Last night after
dark a gentleman inyited "a reporter
for the Courier to visit the vessel. At
the time appointed the reporter was
at the landing and was quietly taken
on board. The only occupants of the
vessel were Rev. Samuel q. Bettes, the
owner, and his two little children. A
few words suificed to explain that the
boat was soon to put off to Cuba with
men, arms'and ammunition on board.
First the boat was examined. The
"Sam Bettes" is 20 feet from fore to
aft, and Is strong enough for the
roughest sea. 1t has two mast poles,
each 80 feet above deck. The vessel
| Is built of the best material through
out, the paneling in the cabin, the
dining room and two sleeping apart
| ments being of the rarest South
America woods. In appearance the
vessel is something like miniature
| iron clad.
Mr.. Bettes would not say when or
from what place he would start for
Cuba. The reporter inferred that Pa
ducah would be the place of embark rka-
| tion and that the time would be very
soon. The men who will accompany
him are an organized body of 100 and
come principally from Ohio. Several
Evansville young men, Mr.. Bettes said +,
wish to join the party.
Mr.. Bettes will have charge of the
crew of the vessel, but the command
of the soldiers will be taken by West
Point graduate, whose name is with
| held on account of his being an officer
in the United States army. The officer
| will resign his commission before he
goes with the party.
The boat in the next few days will be
supplied with q six-pound army piece
which will be placed on the prov.
Port holes along the side will furnish
places for the rifles. The sides of the
boat are thick, and when stuffed with
cation, will be impervious to small
cannon firing from "a distance. There
plenty of storage room for ammu-
nitiOn.
Mr.. Bettes was asked why he was
undertaking the expedition. He said:
Nothing but the desire | have of
aiding the cause of freedom where
ever battles are being fought in the
name of freedom. rest in the hope
that the Cubans will be recognized as
belhEeIents by our government. Then
we shall be able to publicly go to their
aid AS it now is, we have to run the
gauntlet of our government as we'll as
that of Spain. But Spain is broken
now. Have you read the uprising in
Spain under Don Carlos? Well, that
means something to Cuba. 1t may
end in the freedom of Cuba and the
establishment of a democracy in Spain
Senior Castellor is said to be active
again. Yes, Spain will have her own
revolution TO put her down"