The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-09
A SPANISH GUNBoAT APPEARED

A SPANISH GUNBOAT APPEARED
and began firing. I sent the mate to
raise the American flag but the Span
iards kept shooting at him until he
turned below There was a. quantity
of dynamite on the deck and fearing
an explosion we got into the water to
keep at a safe distance. The gunboat
continued to fire at US though we did
not resist
William Golden, the mate, is an Eng
lishman. Captain Laborde says he has
been naturaIized. Onajillon, another
prisoner, is native of Kansas. He
says he became correspondent for d
Jacksonville paper and this was his
first newspaper work. He had been
waiting some time for a chance to Sc
cure boat for Pinar del Rio he says.
Did you eXpecr to land in Cuba
from the Comp etitor?" L asked.
Il expected to land and transfer" he
answered.
Captain Laborde turned and remark
ed: That is the only thing for which
blame you, for not telling me in ad-
vance,"
Il wonder what became of the three
other members of the crew who were
captured" he continued. They are not
here. L fear they are dead Only two
| the mate"
The owner of the Competitor is JOS
Wells, of Key West
Laborde testified that he was 80
years DID, and that he came from
New Orleans. He said he left Key
West with twenty-four passengers,
who, at Cape Sable, obliged him to
put in toward the shore and forced
him to take on board arms, ammuni-
6XnlnEiUaC a hot-
would transfer this material to a
steamer which would meet them at
sea.
Colonel Munson, Laborde added,
landed
ON THE COAST OF CUBA
eventually and he Gaborde) remained
on board the Competitor. He did not
fire on the Spanish gunboat, although
the men on shore did so. When the
prisoner was questioned regarding an
lnsurgent flag found on the schooner,
he said it belonged to one of his pas
sengers, a man named Quesada, who
was among the drowned.
DR.. Elias Bedia said he was q years
of age, and a medical student Bedia
declared he had repeatedly refused to
| and that he merely went on board the
Competitor to say goodbye to some
friends. But when the schooner left
these friends refused to allow him to
go ashore. When they landed on the
coast of Cuba he remained on board
the Competitor. He said they did not
hoist the national flag.
Teodoro Mata declared he went on
! board the Competitor in order to see
the expedition leave, and that the
men on board obliged him to go along.
He asserted that
NOT ONE OF THE FIVE
prisoners in court fired a shot at the
gunboat. Continuing, Mata said at
Key West he was considered a spy of
the Spanish government, and he fur
Their claimed he had fought with the
Spaniards against the insurgents and
was known to General Prats.
William Gildea testified that he was,
like Mata, compelled by the others on
! board to accompany the expedition,
although he had only gone to see them
start.
John Milton declared he also had
been compelled against his will to
accompany the expedition, which he
had gone to see start. He added that
he believed Laborde, the commander
of the schooner was not aware that
he was taking a party of filibusterers
until it was too late. Milton further
said he was going as a newspaper
correspondent to the insurgent camp
in order to interview the members of
the. insurgent government He after
wards intended to return to the Uni
ted States.
The prosecutor classed all the pris-
oners as traitors, and as assisting in
the instruction. The schooner was
CLASSED: AS A PIRATE
worth about $4,000. and having on