Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-27
SAILORS WALKED INTO A TRAP.
While Searching for Fresh water,
Mere Surrounded by Insurgents.

While Searching for Fresh Water.
Were Surrounded by Insurgents.
HAVANA, Oct. 26.-Lieutenant Francisco
Galego Of the Spanish navy, commander of
the small guard boat, Dos de Mayo, formerly
a pilot boat which on October IL was cap
tured by the insurgents in Assaradoro bay,
near Santiago de Cuba, the officers and crew
being subsequently released and brought
here prisoners, was tried by court-martial
The evidence furnished Mt the trial shows
that the lieutenant left Santiago de Cuba on
board the Dos de Mayo, with a crew Of
twelve men, under verbal orders from the
commander of the cruiser Reina Mercedes, to
watch the sixty miles of coast between Tur-
quino and Santiago de Cuba. He was in
structed not to communicate with the land
The lieutenant obeyed his orders, but on
October he went into Asseradoro bay to
replenlsh the guard boats supply of water.
He sent boat ashore with corporal of
marines in charge and with four sailors at
the oars. In landing the boats crew was
compelled to go some way inland and among
the trees to reach a fresh water stream.
While filling the casks the sailors were sud
denly surrounded by a strong force of in
surgents, and were borne down by numbers
before they could make any effective resist
of the boat gave the alarm, and Lieutenant
Gallego ordered the remainder of his crew to
quarters manned the rapid firing gun, which
formed the armament of the little guard
boat, and opened fire upon the insurgents.
The fire of the Dos de Mayo, however, had
little or no effect on the enemy az the latter
were well sheltered by the thickness of the
woods ashore. After a while, seeing that no
damage was being done to the insurgents
Lieutenant Gallego ordered the gunners of
the Dos de Mayo to cease firing and some
time later the enemy sent a messenger to
the guard boat, saying that the prisoners
captured would be put to death IL the lieu
tenant did not surrender with the remainder
Of his crew and give up the rapid firing gun
and its ammunition, and all the small arms
and their ammunition. The lieutenant de-
sirous of saving the lives OF the prisoners
asked what guaranty would be given him that
they would not be killed. The messenger
thereupon returned to the shore, and some
time afterward the insurgent leader second
in command OF the force which had captured
the Spanish sailors, went of to the Dos de
Mayo and assured Lieutenant Gallego that
the terms agreed upon would be carried out
by the insurgents. The arrangement to ex-
change the arms and ammunition for the
prisoners was then completed. The lieutenant
handed over nine rifles and nine swords and
1000 rounds of ammunition. The rapid fire
gun, for some reason, was left on board
probably because II was only adapted for
usa on board ship and was a cumbersome
weapon anyhow
The insurgents then returned to the woods
and the Dos de Mayo sailors, who had been
captured, returned to their boat and set sail
for Santiago. In due course of time the
guard boat anchored near the Reina Merce-
des at that port and Lieutenant Gallego very
much crestfallen, reported to the commander
of that warship, and he was promptly placed
under arrest. The crew of the Dos de Mayo
were also kept under guard, and they were
all sent here for trial. The sailors, however
were more needed as witnesses than for any
other purpose. When the lieutenant, during
the course Of his trial, was asked why he
did not arrest the insurgent chief when the
latter was in his power, replied that he had
pledged his word not to arrest or injure the
emissary Of the insurgents and he kept his
word. Asked why he did not pull up anchor
and get out of Asseradoro bay when he saw
that his boats crew was captured, the lieu
tenant said there was not enough wind to
give the Dos de Mayo steerage way, and
that besides the insurgents had brought two
field pieces down TO the shore and placed
them so advantageously that their fire would
most likely have sunk the guard boat in
very short time. In fact, this was the strong
est argument in compelling the lieutenant
to agree TO exchange his arms for the prs-
oners. The captured sailors of the Dos de
Mayo testified in substance to the facts de-
tailed above. Under the circumstances ex-
tenuating circumstances were claimed in
the case against the lieutenant and the prose-
cutting officer only asked the court to sentence
the prisoner to two months arrest.
Movements of Ocean Vessels, Oct 20.
At wn-Arrived-Etruria. from
New York for Liverpool.
New York-Arrved-St. Paul from South
ampton; Umbria. from Liverpool; Mannheim,
from Rotterdam.
At New York--Arriyed-La Bourgogne,
from Havre.