Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-16
DEPENDS on THE WAR CLOUD
Fate of the Competitors Prisoners is Not
Yet Certain.
GENERAL WiYLER TALKS ON THE CASE
Madrid Paper Discusses the DcnIor-
ably Weak Features of Spnin's
Useless Navy - Some Vessels
that Are of No value.

&C. pyriglt. 1896. by Press Publishing Company
HAVANA, Cuba, via Tampa, Fla. Oct. II.
--(New York World Catlegram-Specia Tel
cgram)-Although the palace doors are
closed to the Worlds correspondents, the
Spanish interpreter employed by the World
gained admittance to General weyler's head
quarters as an employe of the Spanish gov
eminent and interviewed him on the case
of the Competitors crew and General Julio
Sanguily General" the Interpreter OBJ
served, "it seems that the Havana court of
Justice went too far In sentencing the Com
pettors men to death and Sanguily to life
imprisonment"
WHY" he asked.
Because the Madrid supreme court OF
Justice revoked the sentence"
Nonsense the general exclaimed. THE
verdict of the court is all right. There is
no military court of any nation whatever
but would sentence them to death"
why. then was the decision annulled by
the Madrid court?"
well" replied the captain general, "this
Is not a judicial, but political case. The
prisoners are Americans. and consequently
are subject to our diplomatic relations with
the United States. Under one preteXt or
another their cases are being delayed await
ing future developments. If our affairs
with the United States continue as at pres
ent. they will be released, but II the States
insist poking their nose into our affairs.
then circumstances alter cases, you know
The World interpreter bowed and retired,
fearing for the imprisoned Americans when
the inevitable conflict with the United
States arrives. Will they ever see sunshine
again?
BITTER AGAINST AMERICANS.
A cable dispatch from Madrid quotes from
n letter priptpd nv 10 immortal "a leading
journal of the Spanish capital, signed by
its Havana correspondent, Domingo Blanco,
violently attacking Americans In general,
and Consul General Lee and the attorney
general at Washington in particular. The
latter Is called cruel savage and barbaric,
while General Lee Is charged with protect
ing lncondiarIcs and murderers. Blanco says
the United States consuls at Sagua, Gar
dcnas and MatanZas are noted rebels. He
refers to a letter written by a naturalzcd
American citizen in New York to consul
In Cuba, which was seized by postal clerks.
Offering a percentage on claims paid by no
Spanish government through him. Much inn
pcr;ance Is attached to the publication. as
the Imperial's Havana correspondent Is NJ
spired by General Weyler.
The Madrid Heraldo exposes the deploTablt
state OF Spain's navy. II says the cruise
Carlos is unfinished; that the forty-tor
launches I'm Cuba are useless; that the tor,
pcdo boats Marquis do Yonno and Salicia are
constantly undergoing repairs, and though
contracted to run seventeen miles do not
better five; that the torpedo boat Fill
taxas is totally disabled and must be recon.
structed; that the cruisers Condede, None
ditto and Infanta Isabel are being repaired
that the Alfonso XII never leaves port with.
out being damaged; that the Cardinal Cis
neros had been building for the past seven
years; that the Separate and Cata:uJa are
not done and that the Pellayo is sacked
throughout and the Alfonso ditto.