The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-01
Sympathy for the Twenty Who
Were Going to Fight for
Freedom.
NEUTRALITY LAWS SUPREME
There Are Many FilibuSters, How
ever, Who Are Anxious to Go
to the Islands.

twenty Cubans arrested at Penns, N. j.,
yesterday were arraigned before Acting
United States Commissioner MacAlister
to-day, and each man pleaded not guilty.
The charge against the men was violation
OF the neutrality law.
After the pleas had been entered counsel
for the defendants moved that the men be
discharged on technical grounds, but this
was not granted. After hearing consider
able evidence the only point brought out
was that Ralph de Soto had directed the
operations of the party. AS De Soto had
left the party before the capture was made
and was not accused evidence against him
could not be heard. The Government
finished its case at o'clock and recess
was taken for an hour.
When the hearing was resumed at
o'clock, argument was made by the attor-
neys for both sides. This lasted for two
hours, and at its conclusion Commissioner
MacAlister held the accused in $500 bail
each for court, and the authorities were
kept busy till 10 o'clock tonight making
out bail bonds for the prisoners. Many
prominent Cubans from Philadelphia and
elsewhere were present. There was no
trouble in securing bonds.
DR.. ]. A. Draper, one of the most prom
inent physicians in Delaware, and who is
a personal friend of ambassador Bayard
and United States Senator Gray, went on
four of the bonds. General J. Parke
Pstles, president of the National Morocco
Manufacturers Association, also went on
six bonds. Ralph de Soto, who had charge
of concentrating the expedition here, went
security for the remaining>ten.
It was suggested that De Soto be held
under bonds, he having admitted that he
was of the party, but his lawyer held him
self responsible for his clients appearance
should he be wanted.
The Cubans are pleased with the treat
ment accorded them by the Government
officers, and express themselves as much
touched because of the sympathy shown
by the people of Wilmington. The case
will probably come up before Judge Wales
in the United States court on September 10.
The majority of the prisoners are men of
wealth and prominence. 1t was stated by
a prominent Cuban to-day that Parro
Belancom, one of the most active of the
filibusters, lives in New York and is a
graduated physician of the University of
Pennsylvania. He is famous in Cuba as
one of the best doctors in Matanzas. At
the beginning of the revolution he was ex-
PEELED from Cuba and ordered to reside
under surveillance in Spain. After short
stay in the mother country he fed to Paris
and escaped thence to the United States.
His family is very rich and well connected.
Pablo Menocal halls from New York and
is nephew of Chief Engineer Menocal of
the United States navy, the protector of the
Nicaragua canal. He came to this country
at the outbreak of the conflict.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Aug. 31.-The
first intimation the United States Govern
ment had of the contemplated Wilmington
filibustering expedition to Cuba came to
the State Depal tment here in telegram
from the Spanish Consul at Philadelphia.
1t was at once transmitted to the Secretary
of the Treasury by Acting Secretary of
State Adee as follows:
Spanish Consul at Philadelphia is
about to make complaint under oath at
Wilmington, on knowledge and belief,
that an armed expedition left that port at
midnight last night on the tug Taurus to
be transferred to steamer for hostile pur-
ton of the neutrality statutes of the United
States. Spanish Consul asks that, steps
be taken to hold any steamer with sus-
picious assemblage on board and detain
the Taurus until opportunity can be af-
forded to institute judicial proceedings
to-day"
A telegram dated Wilmington, Del,
yesterday from George L.. Townsend, Col
lector of Customs at that port, who had
been telegraphed to keep lookout, re-
ported the capture of the Taurus "bound
for Cuba with arms, twenty men and
twenty-seven cases of ammunition"
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Aug. 31.-The
filibustering expedition plans are pro-
crossing very slowly here. Orville Shelby,
leader of the movement, has been absent
from the city for several days, and hence
the matter has been quiet. His father,
General J. O.. Shelby, late Confederate, and
now United States Marshal, has notified
the party that if they persist, he will land
them in jail, and this has also stopped
progress.
The leaders are very reticent, and are
only willing to say that the outlook is
bright, and that the movement has only
been slightly retarded by the declarations
of the United States authorities that they
propose to interfere. Petitions will be put
in circulation calling on Congress to
recognize the Cuban revolutionists as
belligerents, and it is expected that Kansas
City will be able to send a monster Cuban
petition to Congress when it convenes.