The herald., 1896-01-30
ONLY An |NSURGENT TRICK
To Fool the United States
Authorities
ARMS ON THE HAWKINS
Were Either Transhipped or Never
Even Loaded
Cuban Sympathzers at New York Insist That
the Vessel Was Scuttled by
Traitor
ARMS ON THE HAWKINS
Associated Press Special Wire

ASsOcldIeu FresS special Nlre
CHICAGO, Jan. 26.-A special from
Washington says: There is curious
runor atioat here to the effect that the
true ory has not yet been told as to the
alleged wreck of the steamer Hawkins,
which had just set out to carry a load of
men and ammunition to Cuba. Some peo-
pie ctose to the revolutionists say tho whole
thrr is a "plantn and the Spanish minis.
ter .nd United States authorities have
bee cleverly fooled.
For some reason that cannot be definite
ly raced, there is a belief in the Cuban
colony that the arms supposed to have
been shipped on the Hawkins we're either
transhipped at sea or else we're sent out
secretly on some other vessel and suspicion
intentionally directed against the Hawkins
for the purpose of throwing the Spanish
spies and the United States revenue author
itle off the track. People here are wonder
ing what the steamer was doing in Long
Island sound II it was en- route to Cuba.
Minister de LONE was apparently supplied
with the fullest information in regard to
the movements of the steamer Hawkins,
and acting on his instructions officers of
the navy and revenue marines were in
structed TO look after the steamer and its
intended consort all the way from Hamp-
ton Roads to Tampa. While the stories of
the survivors appear to read straight
enough, the general opinion is that there
has been something crooked about the
whole transaction.
1t is known here now that in a previous
case the Cuban revolutionary committee
supplied the Spanish minister with false
information regarding a tl!ihustering eXpe-
dition. and then while he was busily en-
gagged, with the ssistance of the United
Statas in an1Qa vOripu IN bpaI ii off
uine eXpedi ton slipped out without notice
and made a successful landing in Cuba.
The understanding seems to be that some-
thing of the kind was attempted TO be done
i'll the case of the S Gamer Hawkins, but
just what the wreck had to do with it or
whether 1t was part of the program at all
cannot be ascertained.
TREACHERY Is CHARGED
NEW YoRR, Jan. 20. Gloom pervade ed
the headquarters of the Cuban revolution
ary party today. The leaders. who would
not admit last night any fiilibustering ex-
pediton met with disaster, freely admitted
the reported wrecking of the steamer
Hawkins correct. Thomas E. Palma, the
acknowledged head of the Cuban revoiu-
tionary party. said about 100000 had
been expended fitting out the steamer j.
W. Hawkins, including arms and anmu-
milton. One Cuban made the startling
had been treachery. Said he: I'VE
hired an expert to examine the steamer
J. w. Hawkins before we purchased her
This expert reported the steamer seawor-
thy. Now either the expert did not do his
duty properly and the steamer was MT fit
TO go to sea, or else traitor on board de-
lberately scuttled the ship. The latter
would seem to be the case. Neither Gen
eral Garcia, who was in command of the
expedition, nor his son, second in COM
mand, nor any others at the head of the
movement had any idea hAtever that the
steamer WAS leaking until it was too late
to save her. A searching investigator is
being made. and if there was any plot to
semitic the shipwe will une arth it,"
Is GOMEZ DEAD?
HAVANA, Jan. 29.-There is an insis;ant
rumor here that Maximo Come: has died
The friends of tho insurgents place 10 cre-
dence in lhe runner and there is no contir-
nat of the report. 1t probably oves it5
origin To the fact that the insurgents tried
10 bay a coffin at San Antonio de Tos
h mos and the report that it was intended
for the burial OF the leader has been jump
ed az
An engagement of some Importance has
undoubtedly taken place between Gomezss
forces and the pursuing columns of the
Spaniards at the Plantation of Santa Lu-
cia. The official report makes no state
IhCht VI tho hS'it DeyoHu dpscitiIiS tilut we
insurgents lost twenty-one killed. The
Spanish losses are not stated.
Colonel Vicuna has stationed his forces
in Rabez. which commands the only pass
to the province of Havana and the west
ward. The insurgents are striving to ef-
feet passage to join Gomez and Maceo,
but have no. succeeded in dcDg so.
The German frigate Gneizonau has ar.
rived here.
The insurgent leader, Fernando Espi-
nosa, has died from wounds received at
Rio Grande.
General Marin and Colonel Inclan the
mayor and chief OF staff, bade farewell, to-
day to 800 volunteers, who are departing
to take part in the campaign.
This morning the column commanded
by Colonel Vicuna encountered twenty-five
insurgents upon the plantation of Europe,
in Matanzas. They pursued these, who
proved to be the vangu lrd of a larger
force, and met 500 insurgents. Firing
was continued for half an hour, when the
insurgents retreated, leaving three killed
and eleven wounded, together with their
arms. On the side of the troops Major Pc
rez Roy was seriously wounded.
NO ARRESTS MADE
NEw'YoRK, Jan. 29.-United States Dis.
trict Attorney Mcfarland admitted today
that in accordance with instructions from
Washington, the authorities here had been
for some time investigating the dongs of
the Cuban revolutionists in this district.
80 far,' he said, mo warrants had been
issued in the case of the steamer Hawkins.