Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-18
CARE OF COMPETITORS CREW
spanish Authorities Give the Prisoners Little
Cause for Complaint.
LAWS DELAY THE SOLE CAUSE FOR WORRY
Correspondent Allowed 10 visit and
Converse with the Americans
Now Confined i'm Cnbunns
Castle Awaiting Trial.

Weyler | made the first visit to the prison
ers OF the schooner Competitor that any
newspaper representative has successfully
undertaken. Numerous have been the at
tempts; equally numerous have been the
failures. The United States consul general
on occasional visits to the prisoners has been
halted at the entrance to the gorge OF the
fort, where the people he wished to see were
conducted under a strong escort of soldiers.
When requested General Weyler to grant
the desired permission he considered a mo-
ment and then smilingly consented.
You have heard the shark story" he
marked. Perhaps the Competitors crew
have been eaten by the big fish" General
Weyler referred to a Cuban story sent out
from jacksonville that prisoners in the Ca
banas fort are thrown to the big sharks
which swarm at the entrance to Havana
har5or My companion said: Perhaps the
sharks scale the ramparts on scaling lad
ders-a very scaly proceeding" General
Weyler laughed as II he enjoyed the joke
hugely.
was very politely received by the captain
governor of Cabanas who, In addition to
General Weylers Instructions. had prepared
for my visit. The huge gorge loomed high
above on either side as | entered, long
double row of olive trees extended through
1t, and sharp turn past strong enfluding
batteries leads low deep archway. There
vaulted arch
WHERE THEY ARE KEPT.
narrow gorge Is formed by the front of
the easements on the one side and an enor-
nous wall of stone perhaps sixty feet high,
on the other side. The floor of the gorge Is
paved with stone and from above the torrid
rays OF II tropical sun beat down with noon
day fervor. In the row OF easements extend
Ing to the left OF the grolned entrance to the
gorge Is the casemate in which General
ttf llNF f- nV,nl
prisoners are in casemates Nos. 40. Al, 40
and 80. which are to the right OF the en-
trance to the gorge.
The casemates are much alike. They are
arched stone chambers, with heavy turfed
earth deeply filled above, and evidently
We're intended as secure storehouses in case
the fort should be besieged. The stone roof
is covered with stucco and the floor is of
hard cement The area is about forty feet
by twenty, and the height of the
center of the arch is perhaps twelve feet.
The competitor men-Captain Laborde, Mate
Gildea DIR. Veria, Edward Barnet and w Il.
Leavitt-and the newspaper correspondent,
Melton, are not confined together They are
separated in the different casemates, which
are shared by them in common with nu-
merous other political prisoners. Captain
Laborde is in No. so. He has for company
better class of prisoners than the others
have. Lawyer Viondi. the counsel Of GEN
eral Sanguily, shares the room with him,
and there are Drs. Casuss, Silva and Ala
can. The last named formerly was pro-
fessor of the University of Havana. Strong
gratings OF iron separate the rooms from
the gorge
ALL LOOK HEALTHY BUT MELTON.
The prisoners were extremely glad to re-
ceive the Worlds commission
Chief Laborde was very neatly attired.
He wore blue sack coat and kept his head
covered with light cloth yachting cap His
beard is long, but was as carefully brushed
as If he had just left his bed chamber in
Key West His complexion is fair and his
color is quite good as might be expected
after his long confinement. II should be
borne in mind that the front of the cells
which are on level with the ground are
open to a strong sunlight part of the day
and the bleaching element of semi-darkness
does not exist. The other prisoners except
Barnett and DIR. Veria were in their shirt
sleeves. Or. Veria wore eyeglasses and
looked neat In his linen clothing. Although
the faces of the group were not fresh
colored would have been the case were
they walking daily in the sunlight the
typical prison pallor not perceptible
except In the case of Melton the correspond
ent The men were not in as good flesh as
when taken prisoners, but their general ply
steal condition is no worse than that of the
average inmate OF a penal institution
Poor Melton appears thin and wan. He
Is tall, slender and delicate, with fair hair
and blue eyes. A thin, yellow beard has
the best of health must have been as fair
as a woman's. Now it is pallid and lines
appear on his brow He clasped and un-
Clasped his long, slender fingers slowly as
he talked, The confinement tells on Melton.
He has a good education and is intelligent
and experienced In life for one so young
lie has been of a rowing disposition. and
has visited many parts of the world. Ac-
customed to liberty and possessed of a
constant desire OF travel the monotony of
tail a.. h1,r ri 10,
HOW THEY ARE TREATED
did not visit the prisoners to discuss
the merits or demerits of their case, the
justice or injustice OF their detention, or
their expectations What the Worlds read
ers will be interested in particularly is to
know how the Competitor prisoners are
cared for by their jailOrs and to ascertain
If there is any foundation for the frequent
reports circulated throughout the United
States that their condition is bad, and that
the Spanish authorities have ill-treated
them. Each one OF the six men were asked
repeated questions on these points, and each
replied freely, all agreeing in their opinions
Perhaps II will best express the views of the
prisoners to quote Nelton's views as re-
CARDS his Imprisonment:
aside from the fact that a prison is
prison." he said, "that confinement is very
irksome-desperately so in my case-and
that the progress OF the legal case against
us is slow, ! don't know that We have any
special grievance. We are treated as we'll,
certainly. and In some respects. better, than
the Spanish prisoners around us. The
officers in charge, Captain Fernandez. the
inspector, and Lieutenants SuareZ and Fer
randez, act toward us like gentlemen They
are kind, and | am sure are well disposed
toward us. The soldiers on guard are good
ratured and not offensive Sometimes they
jest rather broadly, only as soldiers do
however. There are more prisoners to
cell than agreeable, but We get along
peacefully in our common misfortune. |
am not in good health, and confinement tells
injuriously on me. But | do not know that
] suffer any more than ! would in prison
I'm the United States,
DOES NOT RELISH THE FOOD.
THE food is not what | like. The cook
Ing is different from what l am accustomed
TO- and suffer from stomach trouble-dys-
pepsia We get the same food as the other
prisoners. | prefer the food we used to get,
which was the regular army rations of the
Spanish service. That was good enough,
The present food comes from the city prison
on Havana. and is not good. | have not
received a cent from the United States
since my confinement. Prisoners with ready
money can always purchase little delicaces
that are otherwise unobtainable. | hops
the case will be settled soon | would
rather 20 to Ceuta than remain here, doing
nothing but wait. walt wait"
tantain IabDrdo said he had been ill IA