The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-02
MYSTERY OF THE RESIGNATION aF
CONSUL GENERAL WILLIAMS
CLEARED UP.
ACTIVITY FOR AMERICANS.
TT OFFENDED THE CAPTAIN GEN
REAL AND CAUSED FRICTION
AT HAVANA.
THE SPECIFIC CASE IN POINT.
Protest Against the Trial of San.
gully by Court Martial Pfeofpi-
tated the Trouble.

NEW YORK, Dec. Ramon o. Will
liams, ex-consul general of the United
States at Havana, arrived at his home
In Brooklyn today from a trip through
England, France and Spain He con-
sented to talk for the first time con-
corning the circumstances of his resig-
nation from Office last year, which
was surrounded by some mystery, and
the reasons for which have not before
been made public. There was talk at
the time that Mr.. Williams and Sec
rotary of State Gresham differed re-
garding the policy of this government
toward American citizens, but Gen.
Williams declined to discuss that point
He said that his resignation was given
because his activity in the cases of
American citizens under arrest made
him persona non grata to the Spanish
government and made his residence in
Havana unpleasant. The particular in
cident in which Mr.. Williams incurred
the dislike Of Spain, he says, was his
insistence that Sanguilly, Aguirre and
Garlic, who were arrested Feb. "a, 1895,
as Insurgents and court martialled,
should be tried in the civil courts un-
der Article Z of the treaty of 1885 Mr.
Williams said
Both the captain general and the in
sular secretary of state were entirely
ignorant of the existence of Article T.
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 to almost
provoke the revocation of my exc
| quatof.
1 was guided in this by a recollec-
ton OF similar cases which had come
under my notice in Cuba. 1 was II
young man employed as clerk In
Havana in 1851 when the Crittenden
men were shot, regardless of the treaty
Of 1875. l was a merchant in Havana
when the VirginiuS men were shot in
1873, an almost similar case. Again
while was there, Zeccanea, an Italian
American citizen who had gone, repre-
senting certain Spanish elements, to
negotiate terms of peace with the In.
SurgentS in the Eastern department
during the last instruction, in 1875,
was arrested by the Spanish forces,
tried by court martial, condemned to
death and shot in the fort at Cabanas,
where Sanguflly and the Competitor.
prisoners are now held, regardless ct
the safeguards Of the treaty of 1895
and the safe conduct given to him by
the Spanish minister at Washington
| The recollection of these cases enabled
me to make quick and earnest defense
of these men and it was this action on
my part that gave offense to the Span
ish authorities at Cuba.
Il 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 believes he is persona
non grata, and, therefore, not welcome.
/ resolved not to continue longer III
the position of consul general to the
island, and signified my desire to re-
sign. The circumstances, however,
were of such a character that [ went
back to Havana, resumed charge of the
office and continued the defense OF
Sanguilly until the case was trans
ferred to the civil courts
"A few weeks before this, the case
of the 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, I was
not able to present my resignation in
due form until February, 1885,
Mr.. Williams said that he returned
to Havana only on the earnest solicita-
ton of President Cleveland himself,
and added that Secretary Gresham's
subsequent Illness and death occurred
too soon to admit of his personally ex-
planning to the secretary his views on
the matter.