The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-16
A STEAMER UNDER SUSPICION.
THE LAURADA's CAPTAIN DENIES
FILIBUsTERING

| Ahchofeu sixteen Mics ON Deln-
ware 90 Avoid Seizure-CoIIectOrs
! of Customs and United states Mar
shRIs Under instructions TO Seize
Her on sight.
Washington, Nov. 15.-The Spanish min
/ lister, Sonor Dupuy de LONE, has called
the attention of the e,department to
/ the rumor that the American steamer
Lurada has violated the neutrality laws
/ of the United States in landing an armed
/ force on Cuban soil, to aid the insurgents
| there. Secretary Olney has transmitted
/ Senior de Lome's protest to the treasury
/ department. and Secretary Carlisle to-day
| telegraphod the collector Of customs TO
/ look out for the Laurada and to seize her
4 wherever found.
| The department Of Justice has also been
| advised of Minister de Lome's communi-
/ cation. and the United States marshals
have been instructed to cooperate with
/ the treasury officials in OBTAINING the YES
/ sci. if found.
The Laurada was formerly the British
! steamer Empress, and was given an
| American registry by a special bill, passed
/ through the last congress. She is said to
| have cleared from New York about oct.
| p for southern ports. IL is alleged that,
/ aEter leaving port, She look on bOufu, at
some point on Long Island sound, Emgn-
| uel Cespedes, Cuban leader and forty
/ five followers, together with large lot
/ of arms and ammunition. The men and
/ ammunition are said to have been landed
| near Baracoa, on the island Of cuba, dur
| ing the night time. and from that point
! the vessel proceeded to Jamaica. She has
/ since returned TO New York. where she
/ left. after being in port a few hours, and
| il is now alleged that she Is anchored six,
/ teen miles off the coast Of Delaware, for
/ the purpose of escaping the penalties inn
| posed for the violation of the neutrality
| laws OF the United States. Capt. Hughes,
! her commander, IS said to have left his
/ ship. and his whereabouts Is unknown.
| Secretary Carlisle is very much Inn
| pressed with the evidence that has been
| submitted to him by the Spanish minis
| ter regarding the Laurado and is using
! every means in his power to find the al
| legged hlibustering vessel, While II can
| not be asserted positively, II Is UNDER
stood that he has instructed Capt Shoe
| maker, chief of the revenue marine SER
/ vice, treasury department, to dispatch
! revenue cutters in search of her. Inc
/ arrest cutter to where the Laurada Is
anchored is the Alexander Hamilton, sta
4 toned at Philadelphia. If reports be
| true that the Laurada Is sixteen miles
/ off the coast of Delaware, the interest
! ing question is presented, II is said, for the
/ first time of attempting to seize an Amer
| lean vessel on the high seas for violation
| of the marine laws within the iurisdic-
tion Of the United States. Secretary
/ Carlisle is said to have no doubt of the
]
! a seizure. should the vessel be found the
l question Of the legality of such seizure,
/ together with the further question as
to whether she was really engaged in
"a flibustering expedition against Cuba
/ in violation of the neutrality laws of the
\ United States will have to be decided by
the courts In this country before the ves-
sci is held liable and her owners and cap
tain punished.
Charleston. S. c., Nov. 15-The steam
ship Laurada Capt Samuel Hughes from
New York to take on a cargo of pyrites
cinders for Philadelphia, arrived In this
/ harbor this afternoon. The vessel should
/ have been in Charleston several days ago
/ by her contract, but she was delayed in
/ Cuba by taking Oh" passengers. Upon her
\ arrival libel proceedings against her for
/ $4,000 We're begun by Messrs Trenholm
+ & Rhett an behalf of John Il. Kerr of
! New York. The allegation is that
/ cargo of freight was spoiled on board the
! Laurada by reason of delays occasioned
/ by the vessel stopping to take on pass
/ engers in Cuban waters. If there are or
/ have been any contraband goods aboard
her there are no signs of It. Capt Hughes
/ said tonight that the stories about the
| Laurada being a filbusterer We're started
/ by Spanish sailors with whom he had had
difficulties.
New York. Nov. l5.-The reported issu-
! ing of a warrant for the arrest Of Capt.
| Hughes Of the American steamer Lau-
/ rada invests her with renewed interest
/ Inquiry at the custom house has develop
! ed her ownership. Her sole owner is VIII
]
! there is, or was, ]. D. Hart
On Nov. 2 the Laurada was entered in
| ward as from Kingston, Montego Bay,
| st. AIMS Bay and Port Maria all ports
/ in the island of Jamaica, b. /. Her cargo
| largely consisted of fruit, the bulk of
Co., cC,' Of TR this city She Brought two s'r pas
! sengers. All of her papers on her last
| trip to this port were regular. The pres
ent agitation hinges solely on her Octo-
that
very hasty departure from this port this
/ week was due to fear of her being ibelled
/ on a complaint made by the Spanish gov
/ ernment. 1t is also said that her owners
surrender her register with a view Of es-
Gaping the penalties to which her captain
/ is liable. When her register was suTren-
! dered a temporary license was given.
custom house official is of the opinion
/ that the Laurada's present papers limit
( her to a coastwise trade between points
/ In the United States. 1t is said that the
warrant for the arrest Of Capt. Hughes is
( very clear and concise, and II charges him
with preparing an armed expedition
against a country with which the United
States IS at peace. 1t is said to be based on
! the sworn evidence OF witnesses Of the en-
barking of Cespedes with his men and their
ammunition; also of their disembarking
near Baracoa, Cuba. Uhe federal warrant
refers 10 his acts Of October 19, 20 and y
as on the latter date the Laurada cleared
from New York for Jamaica, and en- route
disembarked Cespedes and his following.
Apart from her violation Of neutrality
laws OF the UulteQ states IL IS reported
that when the Laurada again calls at a
port of Jamaica severe penalties will be
enforced against the captain and ship for
violating the laws of a British port. The
law prescribes heavy fine for the captain
and a per capita fine on every passenger
not shown on the ships papers when she
reported to the British custom house in
Jamaica.
Jacksonville, Fla, Nov. ia cable
gram to the Tlmes-Union from Key
West Fla. says THE Times-Union cor
respondent is reliably informed that an
expedition consisting Of between 800 and
900 men, well equipped, left CudjOes Keys
on Monday for Cuba. 1t is stated that
besides plenty Of ammunition, rifles, ma
chetee, etc, they carried considerable
dynamite. on Saturday, at midnight,
flash lights we're seen by parties on the
South Beach in the direction OF the
reef, which caused # to be reported in
the city that some vessel in distress was
signalling for assistance. Several pilot
boats left for the direction in which the
lights were seen, but at daylight Sunday
they could see nothing to indicate an ac-
cident TO any vessel 1t is now reported
that the signals were intended for the
men on the keys, and for them to get
ready. The name Of the steamer which
carried the expedition is known to some
of the prominent Cubans. but they re-
fuse to talk on the subject and profess
to be surprised at the report These men