The herald., 1896-12-02
consul. GENERAL WILLIAMS
Consents to Talk on Affairs in
Cuba
He WAS PERSONA NON GRATA
And SeIirespect Compelled Him to Re.
sign Office
The Havana Government Disliked His
Activity in the Protection Of Amer
can Citizens Under Arrest

NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-Ramon Q. WILL
liams, ex-consul-general Of the United
States at Havana, arrived at his home
in Brooklyn today from q trip to Eng
land. France and Spain. He consented
to talk for the first time concerning the
circumstances of his resignation from
office last year, which was surrounded
by such mystery, and the surroundings
of which have not been made public be-
fore.
There was talk at the time that Mr..
Williams and Secretary Of State Gres-
ham differed regarding the policy Of this
government toward American citizens,
but Gen. Williams declined to discuss
that point. He said that his resigna ton
was given because his activity In the
cases of American citizens under ar
rest made him persona non grata to the
Spanish government and made his res
idence In Havana unpleasant. The par
ticular episode in which Mr. Williams
incurred the dislike Of Spain, he says,
was his insistence that Sanguilly.
Aguirre and GARLIC, who were arrested
February IA. 1894. as insurgents and
courtmartialed, should be tried In the
civil courts under article Of the treaty
Of 1875. Mr.. Williams said
Both the captain-general and the in
sular secretary Of state were entirely
ignorant Of the existence Of article Z.
The captain general became offended
because I demanded the transfer from
military to civil jurisdiction, and the
case was reported in such a manner to
the Madrid government as almost to
provoke the revocation Of my exequa-
tur.
II was guided in this by q recollection
of similar cases which had come under
my notice in Cuba. was young man
employed as clerk in Havana in 1851,
when the Crittenden men were shot re .
gardless Of the treaty Of 1895. I was a
merchant in Havana when the Virgin
ius men were shot in 1878, an almost SIM
liar case. .a.
Again, while was there, Zeccanea,
an Ttalian-American citizen, who hac
gone representing certain Spanish ele-
ments to negotiate terms Of peace with
the insurgents in the eastern depart
metn during the last insurrection in
1878, and who was arrested by the Span
ish forces tried by courtmartial, con-
demned to death and shot in the Fort
Cabanas, where Sanguilly and the Com
petitor prisoners are now held regard
less Of the safeguards Of the treaty of
1895, and the safe conduct given to him
by the Sapnish minister at Washing
ton. The recollection Of these cases en-
abled me to make quick and earnest de-
fense Of those men, and 1t was this ac-
tion on my part that gave offense to the
Spanish government.
II was then In Washington. Acting
on the rule that no man of self-respect
would want to return to or enter any
place where he believed he is persona
non grata and therefore not welcome.
resolved not to continue longer In the
position Of consul-general to the island
and signified my desire to resign. The
circumstances. however. were Of such
q character that went back to Havana.
resumed charge Of the office and con-
tinued the defense of Sanguilly until the
case was transferred to the civil courts.
"A few weeks before this the first
American citizen, Jose Cepro, who had
been arrested and subjected to court
martial, and several other American
citizens had been treated the same way,
and in consequence Of which I was not
able to present my resignation in due
form until February, 1896"
Mr.. Williams said that he returned
to Havana only on the earnest solicita-
ton of President Cleveland and him.
self, and added that Secretary Gres-
hams subsequent illness and death oc-
Cured too soon to admit of his person.
ally explaining to the secretary his views
on the matter.
OUTRAGEOUS WARFARE.
CINCINNATI, Dec. IA special to
the Commercial Tribune from Key West,
Florida, says: Weylers threat that he
would starve Maceo out seems likely to
be carried out, as from all reports from
Mariel, near where Weyler is now, the
work of destruction is being carried ont
fully. The Spanish army sweeps every
thing before it, killing beeves that it
cannot use, burning canefields and small
stores with their provisions and leaving
a wide waste of ruin and desolation IN
its wake.
People vainly implore Weyler to leave
them provisions to keep them alive. but
his brutal officers refuse with oaths ana
insulting words, If not worse. Over 200
refugees have come into Mariel since
Weyler went out this last time, all giv-
ing the same story Of rapine, plunder
and murder Of the Spaniards.
A Spanish guerilla captain named Col
zaso is accused of numbering over one
hundred persons in the valleys south of
Mariel during the latter part of Novem-
ber. In one instance he is accused of
confining a number of women and girls
in church. and after they had been re-
peatedly abused and maltreated by his
men, burned the building with them in il
Many other outrages, all al horrible,
are charged to him and his companions
HAVANA, Dec. 1.-The coasting
steamer Triton has arrived here, hav-
ing on board 400 sick soldiers from Pinar
del Rio.
Captain-General Weyler, after leaving
San Cristobal on Saturday reviewed the
troops in that vicinity and moved with
his column toward the burned town Of