The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-10
FATE OF THE FILIBUSTERS.
THE MEN CAPTURED ON THE COM
PETITOR CONDEMNED TO DIE.

A Jacksonville Paper Claims One of
the Prisoners Was Going to Cuba
as Its Correspondent and Not 10
Fight Against the. spanish-The
state Department at Washington
Taking Active Steps to See That
the Prisoners Are Not Executed
UnjustIy.
Madrid, May "a dispatch from Ha-
vaunah says five prisoners captured on
the schooner Competitor. have been SEN
fenced to death. The men sentenced are
Alfredo Laborde, born in New Orleans;
owen Milton of Kansas, William Kinlea,
an Englishman, and Elias Bedia and
Teodoro Della Maza, both Cubans.
Washington, May 9.-The passage of the
death sentence on the men caught on the
flibuster Competitor" it is stated, is
liable to bring about a crisis in the rela-
lions between Spain and the United
states. Ii is understood that this govern
ment viii not allow the executions to take
place without an earnest and vigorous
protest against the summary manner in
which the trial was conducted. Secretary
Olney several days ago sent Instructions
of no uncertain tone to Consul General
the representations made by Mr. Will
Hams to the court martial yesterday.
Every effort is being made to prevent the
execution of sentence until this govern
ment can make a thorough Investigation
on which to base appeals or demands. OF
the five convicted and sentenced, two are
native born American citizens, and the
third, William Kinlea, described as an
Euglishman, is understood to be a natural
lied citizen Of this country The state
department is informed that Owen Milton
is from Kansas, and that Alfredo La
borde was born in New Orleans. In all
cases of arrest of American citizens for
alleged completely in the insurrection the
United States government has insisted
ON civil trials for those who were not
captured in the act Of using arms against
the Spanish forces, practically concedlng,
however, that those bearing and using
arms might be tried by military courts.
This construction complexities tne matter
in the present INSTANCE, as Milton, La
bOrde and kinlea are stated to have been
captured with arms in their hands. Sec
reJary Olney had a long interview with
the President on the SUBJECT TINS morn
ing and on his return to the state de-
partment, sent telegrams TO Madrld ana
il is understood that the friendly Offices
which the state department is eNerun5
in behalf of Milton are limited TO the com
plant that the decision was reached in
summary manner without giving any op
pOrtunity for defense and too nasty 10
examine into all the circums tanceS OF the
case. The effort now being made at Ma
drid and Havana is therefore to be in the
line of securing a delay OF execution IOr
a sufficient time to permit such an IN
Vestigation of the Competitor incident as
is demanded in the interests of humanity.
& IS not thought that any attempt VIII
be made to secure civil trial Tor Mil
ton or any of his associates who may
be found to be bona hde American citi-
zens, the treaty under whlch Such trans
fers of jurisdiction nave hll1erto Deen
made appearing to have no bearing in
the present instance.
The first article of the protocol between
the United States and Spain, signed Jan.
u, 1877, concerning judicial procedure,
provides as follows: mo citizen OF the
United States residing in Spain, her adja-
cent islands, or her ultramarine pos
sessions, charged with acts of sedition,
treason or conspiracy against the in
stitutiOns, the public security, the integ-
rity of the territory, or against the SUI
preme government, or any other crime
whatsoever, shall be subject to trial by
any extraordinary tribunal, but exclusive
~ by the ordinary Jurisdiction, except
in hand"
Under this article many Americans resi-
dent in Cuba have in the past year had
their cases transferred to the civil courts
through the intervention Of Consul Gem
eral Williams, but there does not appear
to be the slightest ground for claiming
Owen Milton to be a resident" of Cuba,
and the article cannot therefore be made
TO apply to him. The same protocol, how
ever, (Which was negotiated by. Caleb
Cashing) further provides that those talk
en- with arms in hand, as excepted In
the article quoted, shall be tried by Or
dinary council of war; shall have coun-
sci to defend them, and the right to COM
pei the attendance of witnesses. This
clause also relates only to residents.
Jacksonville, Fla, May 9.-In reference
to owen Milton, the Kansas boy con-
demned to death by the Spaniards, the
following dispatch was sent to Secretary
Of State Olney this afternoon: Jackson
Nllle, tla., May ., 1896. Hon. Richard Oh
ney, Secretary of State, Washington, d.
O., owen Milton, who was captured bV the
Spanish authorities on board of the Com
petitOr and condemned to DEATH left Key
Vest as newspaper correspondent, hop
ing 10 consumate plans for furnishing re-
liable news to the correspondents of the
florida Times-UniOn at Key West, who in
turn was to transmit such reports by ca
PIE to the Southern Associated Press and
United Press through the medium Of this
paper. He must have had with him at the
(Ime of his capture credentials showing
his connection with the Ttmes-Uni as
us duly authorized representative. Such a
letter was furnished him by me.
l send you this information to assist you
m your efforts in behalf of young Mil
General Manager Florida Times-Union.
Washington, May 9.-Confirmatory ad-
wees nave been received here of the ar
rival of the steamer Bermuda on the coast
Of Honduras, but nothing is said in the
Caplegram as to whether she succeeded in
anding the arms and ammunition, as we'll
as 10 men who We're aboard her when she
ielt Jacksonville two weeks ago. 1t is be-
A5Ned, however, that the object of the
N9lage was accom- DliShed, for she could
C,AerW.se have reached TruXilo or Puerto
Cortez a week earlier than She did
New York, May 9-The steamer Lau-
rada, which was reported as passing in
at quarantine at 1852 o'clock p. m. Sat
urady, was not seen to come up the bay
70 a dock in this city. The Laurada came
from Philadelphia and was reported to
4e IN ballast to Bennett, Walsh & Co.
u was rumored, however, that a flibus-
{erlns expedition was to be taken out in
1eF and the revenue cutter William Il.
CA1ndler, with steam up and her crew
on board was waiting at the bat
yefT at o'clock this morning for
ger captain to come on board. Tt is un-
gatstood that the Chandler has been or
4ered to follow the Laurada and seize