The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-05-09

rsuyrlEht, Iss& By the Associated Pressl
giyANA, May S-The trial by
o,prtmartiul OF the men captured on
So,rd the American schooner Compeu-
,,,nf Key west, Floridn. by the Span
,s runboat Mensajsra, on April ., be-
r'n IL the court OF Justice at the navy
y,rd here shortly before O'Clock this
morning. Alfredo Laborde was tue
Srst Of the prisoners examined. .
Laborie testified that he was thirty
zine wears Of age and that he came
from New Orleans. He SAID that ne
isS, Kew West with twenty-four pass
"rSsrs, who, at Cape Sable. Obliged him
:" nnt in towards the shore and forced
Mn, 10 take on board arms, ammunl-
,Ion and explosives, saying that they
Srould transfer this material TO a
V,SSmer which would meet them at
sss He did not Ore on the Spanish
Sunboat although the man on shore did
50, -, ,,,o,,,oro5
r.S,rdinE an insurgent flag which was
sSSnd on board the schooner, he said
mai II belonged to one Of his passen-
SsrS A man named QuesadR, who was
among the drowned.
Dr, Eiias Bedla was next called. Be-
ala declared that he had repeatedly re-
Tnsad 10 take part In any expedition TO
Cuha. and that he merely went on
biaryI the schooner Competitor In order
10 ssy Eood-bye to some friends But,
whsn The schooner left, those friends re-
fushd 10 allow him to go ashore and
when they landed in the coast OF Cuba,
hc. Beiia, not being desirous OF land
ing. remained on board the Competl-
tor until she was captured and he was,
made prisoner. He said they DID not
hoist the national tag.
Teodoru Mata was the next prisoner
brought forward. He declared he went
on board the Competitor In order 20
ree the expedition leave and that the
men on board obliged him TO go with
them.
william Glldca then testified. He de-
clared he was like MRtA, compelled by
the others on board 10 accompany the
expedition although he had only gone
To Seee them start, and for this rea-
son. he added he did not land.
John Milton, the NTH prisoner, was
then called up, and he declared that
he also had been compelled ngainst
his will 10 accompany the expedition
WHICH ne Ilh0 EOlAN ~ ~ HN1A =
The prosecutor classed all the pris-
cncrE as traitors and assisting In the
The schooner was clnssed
a. q pirate worth about $4,000, and hHv-
INK on board an insurEent nag valued
at one cent.
As to I.aborde, the prosecutor pointed
out that he was the man who had
signed the proclamation found on board
the schooner when he was captured.
Referring 20 Redia, the prosecutor
said he was well treated while on board
and was believed to have been the OBJ
ject Of the expedition.
The commander Of the McnSajera,
I IdeDt. Rutron, further testified that
while pursuing the Insurgents in boat
With sir men, some Of the filibustererS
were drowned and two were captured
while In the water The men made
prisoners in the water were Laborde
end Gildea. The other three prisoners
were captured on board the schooner.
The pilot Of the Meusajera and the
crew OF that RunbOat declared that at
the time the schooner was captured
she was not showing any Tag.
In his defense, LabOrHe firmly DO
clarcd that be had not written or re-
ceivrd the letters and other papers
found IN puarI ard hs had not riEu"l
the proclamations captured on the
schonnrr
The prosecutor then read the penal re-
cord OF LaboTde. showing him To have
been fOrgsr, thief and kidnlpper. and
produced letters written by him on
board the Competitor 10 persons 1t K ~
West, advising them Of the arrival OF
the expedition In Cuba. In the name Of
the king Of Spain, the prosecutor asked
that the death sentence be imposed on
all the prisoners.
Lieut.. Pardu, for the defense. said that
he did not consider the prisoners should
he treated as being all equally guilty.
For instance, he said. II seemed clear
that Laborde and Bedla were moro
guilty than Milton and Gildea, and that
Milton was only guilty OF excessive zeal
in trying to obtain Information.
Admiral Navarro approved OF the
death sentence being imposed.
The court martial adjourned for the
day at l2 o'clock without having arrived
at n Judgment on the cases.
Word received from the province OF
Santiago de Cuba ID to the erect TINT
General AiunOE has destroyed an In
aurGent camp consisting OF 200 hutS nj
CautO EmbaFcadsrO. II Ii also learned
that Colonel Tejedh In the Santiago
zone attacked the Intrenched camp OF
Jose MAceo, which was held BY numer.
Gus bands. The insurgents wore dis
lodged. lcnYinR ten killed. The troops
pursued them and overlook MaceoH
rear Eunard. killing seven insurgents.
OF the troops, two were Killed and
seven were wounded.