Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-27

Admission to the vessel was positively
denied by the captain. The latter. as we'll
as the owners of the vessel. positively re-
fused to talk. of the seizure of the steamer.
A Ffreman's Story.
Collector General Baton at Kingston,
Jamaica has sent the affidavit OF Emil Fred
eriksen, fireman on board the Horsa. who
swore TO the landing of filibusters with arms
affidavit reads:
II joined the vessel in Philadelphia on Sat
urlay. the 9th of November, 1898, to make
a trip from there to Jamaica. After leaving
Philadelphia Sunday morning we coasted
along toward New York and dropped an
cEor about two miles from shore, at place
I don't know the name of, and a steam tow
boat came from the shore alongside the ship.
On the deck of that towboat there were a
lot of boxes and two big rowboats.
There were also on board the towboat a
lot of Teople-about thirty or forty-who all
came on board the Horsa- The steamer
Horsa then steamed out, after taking on
board the BOXES and boats from the tow
boat As far as l could estimate there were
between forty and sixty of these boxes. All
this happened on Sunday. the 10th of No
vember. After we had started the people
who had come on board the Horsa broke
up the boxes and took from them rifles OF
twodi fferent calibers, numbering altogether
about 100. From one box they took out
small gun two wheels.
They also had taken from these boxes sa-
bers, one of which was taken by each of
these men. The other remaining boxes con-
taired cartridges. W hich they also took out
There Were several of these boxes of car
tridgeS, each box containing six smaller
ones. each in turn holding about 900 car
tridseS. After this was done the captain of
the Horsa gave these men canvas to make
bags. These men did some practicing on
h. .-I ,rh he -hnA n.f rj-ht
the 18th of November, we were close on The
Cuban coast say. about ten miles. We had
TO side lights. and the ship was all in dark
ness. as we were not allowed to have any
lights.
On the Cuban Coast.
About o'clock the passengers found us
tthc crew. talking on deck, and told us not
to talk, as, if a man-of-war was near. she
could hear us. We stopped at 10 o'clock
after having made four boats ready to
lower in the water. This was done. and
the passengers got down into the boats
taking with them the rifles, gun and am
munition. One of these boats was found to
be leaking. and the captain of the Horsa
gave order to give one of the Horsa boats,
and the port after-boat was given.
Tile boat that vas given from the ship
was also found to be leaking, and the pas
seESers growled, and the captain of the
Hor5a gave orders to let them have what
ever they wanted, and the starboard boat
was then given them. These boats dropped
astsrn. one at time, as they were finish
ed. being connected with the Horsa by a
tow line. L heard the passengers say we
were fortyfve- miles from Santiago de
Cuba
''At II O'Clock 1 was down below in the
fire room. and my watch mate, at about /
O'Clock. rushed in and SAID: Shut the door,
but steam and go ahead for man-of-war
is coming
I'VE Were going easy for about two min
utes. and an order was given from deck to
stop, as something was wrong with the
boats in tow. In about five minutes the
order was given: Full speed ahead
Man-of-war Coming.
''My watch mate and the second engineer
then told me to shake her up, as the man
of-war was coming. Another fireman came
down to help US in the fire room He also
told Us the man-of-war was coming
l asked this man where the passengers
were, and he told me that the rope which
held the boats had been cut. When I came
on deck about o'clock this morning I
went on the forecastle. 1 saw there one
man. a negro, who came on shore at Port
Antonio. He was washing himself and be-
tween decks where the ammunition had
been lying there was a lamp. By this
hSht L saw there were some boxes still
there containing ammunition, and this man
toid me that the boats We're too small and
could not take them all away
There We're about forty-three OF these
boxes left back. At o'clock 1 was eating
my breakfast the mate was coming to the
iorecastle, and l said we had some of the
boxes belonging to the passengers and
asked him If he had taken them He found
one under ore bunk, and one man took it
and threw it overheard. He asked the
sailors If they had any more and they
said no. After this / was sitting between
decks. ana one of the sailors came toward
me with one box and threw that also over
board. and then followed with another.
which he threw overheard also This even
Ing. about o'clock. in this port, the mate
was coming forward, and he said to one of
Somebody tells me you have one of
those boxes"
1.-THE mate ard sailor went down to the
1crecastle- Tho man said to the mate:
Shall We throw it overheard? And as the
custom house officer came that way, and
they could get no chance to throw it over
beard. I believe it is still on board the
Horsa-
I'VE had fine. pleasant weather all the
way out no heavy blowing, with a fine
breeze the whole voyage. No boat was
washed away from the ship, as not a pam
ful OF water came on deck. The two prin-
cipal men of the passengers, who seemed
to commend the others, spoke English: the
others spoke Spanish.
About two days after we had the pas
sengers on board, l saw the sailors paint
Ing over the name Horsa, so that 1t could
hot be read The funnel was also painted
red during the trip.
Il and the other firemen protested
against going with these passengers, as we
wcre engaged in the fruit trade and the
captain said: You fellows have nothing
he said afterward. only keep your mouths
smut and L Will pay YOU extra