Evening star., 1896-09-17
THE LAURADA,s CASE.
Trial of the Captain to Come Up
Saturday.

Tr1Al OF the Captain 10 come Up
Saturday.
SPECIAL Dispatch to The Evening Star.
WILMINGTON. Del. September 17.-It
now seems IS If DR.. Jose Con Gosto, the
Spanish consul at Philadelphia, is deter
mined that Capt Edward Murphy of the
famous alleged nlibuster steamer I2aurada,
now detained here, shall suffer the same
fate that Capt. Wiborg of the Norwegian
Steamer Horsa met In the United States
court in Philadelphia a few months ago.
From the very moment DR.. Con Gosto
learned on hast Thursday that the Laurada
had fallen into the hands of the federal
authorities here up to the present he has
spared no time and expense to accumulate
10 corrau large aggregation of witnesses,
which ne proposes to use against Capt.
Murphy in his attempt to prove that the
captain is guilty Of q violation Of the neu-
trality laws of the United States in taking
an armed or military expedition from the
United States to Cuba for use against the
King Of Spain and the Spanish people on or
about the 5th day of August, 1896 Capt.
Murphy will be tried on this charge in the
United States court In this city on Satur-
| day next. DR.. Con. Gosto is anxious that
the case be transferred to Philadelphia in
order to give him an opportunity to pro-
| duce more witnesses, but it is not likely
| that the transfer will he made.
Witnesses Detained.
! To prevent them from slipping away on
Saturday. DR.. Con Gesto last night ordered
| the arrest of James Rand. first mate Of
| the Laurada: Hans Johanson, second mate.
and Charles Kent, quartermaster. Bail
| for the men was furnished by Alfred Pyle
Of this city, and they were held wit
nesses and instructed to appear in court
on Saturday.
| The arrest of the two mates and quar-
| termaster created great surprise and dis
| appointment in the Cuban colony in this
| city. Local Cubans were at first confident
that Murphy would be acquitted without
| much of a trial, and that they would,
therefore. score another triumph over the
| hated Spanish. But their ardor is damp
ened considerably. and they are now Dy
| no means enthusiastic. The fate of Capt.
| Wiborg stares them in the face. and they
loathe the idea of Murphy by any techni-
| cality falling victim to the same fate
| They realize, too. that President Cleve-
I lands proclamation in regard to filibuster-
| ing expeditions to Cuba Is still in effect,
! and they don't want to jeopardize Capt.
Murphy's liberty by Indulgence in too
| much talk
| Though the federal authorities in this
| city who have the Laurada case in charge
| observe the strictest reticence when ap-
| preached for information concerning the
| status Of the evidence against Captain
Murphy and the steamer. yet it has leaked
| cut. from authoritative sources. that some
I of the evidence already secured il very
1
| will go long way toward the conviction
| Of Captain Murphy on charge of vtolat-
| ing the United States neutrality laws.
Dispositions of the Crew.
! On Saturday last United States District
| Attorney Lewis c. Vandegrift and Collector
| Of Port Townsend went out to the steamer
| and took the dispositions of fourteen men,
! bers of the crew. The Laurada carries a
| crew of twenty. Five Of the crew of the
| vessel on her last trip south were dis
| charged at Port Antonio and one deserted
| leaving fourteen, the number examined on
| Saturday. Six new men were engaged.
| but. as they were not on the Laurada, and
| knew nothing of the vessels movements
| on her trip south Last month, they were
| not required to make aftidavits. The aff-
| davits of these fourteen men. 1t is said.
constitute the burden of the damaging
| evidence against Murphy.
In answer to the questions regarding the
| movements of the Laurada after leaving
| Philadelphia on August >, the men admit
ted that the Laurada stopped at Barnegat
! and took on a cargo Of boxes and party
! Of men. They were unable to give. how
| ever. the nationality of the men the
number Of boxes taken aboard. The men
and boxes, they admitted In their deposi-
ticns. were taken to a point near the Island
! of Narassa in the West indies, and trans
ferred to a ste amer whose name they did
not know because it was obliterated. The
contents Of the boxes and where they were
taken by the steamer they did not know.
Spanish Authorities Pleased.
The Spanish authorities greeted this evi.
dence with much rejoicing. and they are
row weaving a network of testimony which
they claim will prove the nationality of the
men. the contents Of the boxes whithe,
they were bound. where they were packed
and shipped from, and where they were
/ taken. and the name Of the steamer tC
which they were transferred near Navassl
TIE Spanish authorities claim that 1t was
a full-hedged military expedition, formed
} In Philadelphia, and aided by the owners
of the Laurada and taken to Cuba The,
are SO determined to prove this agains
the Laurada and Capt Murphy that It i.
probable. and Is even now intfmated BY
them. that Mr.. J: D. Hart. the owner G
the steamer. and Gratz c. Jordan. VIII,
kolds his power OF attorney to take chars,
of the vessel. will be arrested and brouyh
into the case On a charge of aiding ant
abetting fIibustering expedition.
Was There a Spy on Boards
The question that has bothered the
Cubans here since the Laurada's detention
last week is how the Spanish first Learned
about the Laurada's movements las
month. and they are now inclined to be
, lieve that the man who deserted the vesse
at Port Antonio was Spanish spy.
Capt Murphy's case, on Saturday. will
be handled by L. s. Senator George Gray
II. H. Ward of Wilmington. Horatio S
; Rubens. counsel for the Cuban junta, ant
Attorney F. 8. Lewis of Philadelphia
Senator Gray will play the most activ,
! part. and win renew for Murphy. the bril-
!, liant fight he made for the twenty Cuban:
arrested here last August on a charge O.
flibustering. The Laurada, strange to say
also figured in that case, but Capt. Hughe:
was then in command.
-,.r,