The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-09
Five Men Captured ON Hoard the Fill
buster Tried by n Naval Court
Martial at Havana.
ALL PLEADED NOT GUILTY
AND TESTIFIED BRIEFLY IN SUP.
PORT or THEIR PLEAS.
Their Lives Demanded by the Prose-
cutor ON the Ground that They
Had COnspired Against Spain

Copyright. 1896. by the Associated Press)
HAVANA. May s.-The trial by court-mar-
tial of the men captured on board the Amer
lean schooner Competitor. OF Key West.
Fla. by the Spanish gunboat Mensa5era. on
April Is. began in the Court OF Justice at the
navy yard here. shortly before O'Clock this
morning. as a tropical rain shower was fall
ing
The court-martial was composed OF
Captain Emilio Ruiz. president. and Naval
Lieutenants Saturnlno Montoio. Antonio
Martin. Posadilla Antonio. Perez Rendon.
Eduardo Arias. Salgado Diego. camano sup
Tents, Jose Seviiiano and Carlos Canine The
prosecutor was Lieutenant Miguel Suarez
Before beginning their work the members OF
the court assembled in the chapel OF the
navy yard and reverently witnessed the cele-
bration OF mass. going thence directly to the
Court Of Justice. where many other officers
had assembled. A guard of picked marine
infantry soldiers then brought in the pris-
oners.
The first to enter the court room was Al
fredo Laborde. who is classed as the leader
Of the filibustering expedition After him
came DR.. Elias Bedia. a man named John
Milton. said to be native OF Kansas. VIII
Mata. The prosecutor opened the proceed
ings by describing in detail the capture Of
the Competitor. He said that Lieutenant
Butron, in command of the gunboat Mensa-
jera, was notified by some fishermen. on
April Is last, that MISUNDERSTANDING
schooner. apparently a pilot boat, was on
Berracos. The Mensajera was headed for
that part Of the coast. and when within hail
ing distance OF the schooner called on her
to show her colors. The schooner did not
did so. and the men on board OF her jumped
overheard and swan for the shore. Two OF
the latter were seen to go down, and others
may have been drowned In addition, two
more of the so-called filibusters were killed
by the rifle fire Of the crew Of the gunboat
while trying to reach the shore. The ffiibus-
ters who were already on land. continued
the prosecutor, opened fire on the gunboat.
but did not succeed in hitting anybody. The
schooner was then seized.
BUTRON'S TERRITORY.
Lieutenant Commander Butron, Of the
Mensajera. confirmed the statements of the
prosecutor. The lieutenant is about thirty
years OF age, tall. finely built man, of dark
complexion, and has fine, expressive eyes,
Continuing, Lieutenant Butron said he found
on board the captured schooner a number OF
documents, inscribed and CLASSIFIED, orders
from Colonel Munson. an insurgent officer.
recommendations from Estrada, the insur-
gent chief. to Callazo. another insugent lead
er; proclamations signed by I4aborde, lists OF
war material on board, and permit for the
Competitor 10 be used a "lifeboaf" Lieu
tenant Butron also said that the war ma
terial captured consisted OF sixty Reming-
ton rifles, forty carDines, 20 pounds OF dyHa-
mite and 10000 cartridges
on Are % IL Laeosde was the first OF the prs-
was thirty-nine years OF age and that he
came from New Orleans he is a man OF
said that he left Key West with twenty
four passengers who at Cape Sable obliged
him to put in towards the shore and forced
him to take on board arms and ammunition
and explosives, saying that they would
transfer this material to steamer which
.ebards meet sed mem az sea colonei N1s2n:
eventually and ne Q1aborde) remained on
board the Competitor. He did not fire on
the Spanish gun boat. although the men on
shore did so. When the prisoner was ques-
toned regarding an insurgent flag. which
was found board the schooner, he sad
a man named Quesada, who was among
the drowned.
DR.. Elias Bedia was next called on to
testify. He said he was twenty-seven years
of age and a medical student Continuing
Bedia declared that he had repeatedly re-
fused to take part in any expedition TO
the schooner Competitor in order TO say
goodbye TO some friends. But when the
schooner left. these friends refused to allow
him 10 go ashore, and when they landed
on the coast of Cuba, he Bedia) not being
DESTROYS of landing. remained on board the
Competitor until she was captured and he
was made prisoner. He said they did not
hoist the national flag.
Theodore Mata was the next prisoner
brought forward ID testify. He declared he
went on board the Competitor in order to
see the expedition leave and that the men
on board obliged him 10 go with them. He
added that he did not land. and asserted
that not one of the FIVE prisoners In court
fired a shot at the gunboat Continuing.
Mata said that at Key West he was con.
he further claimed that he had fought with
the Spaniards against the insurgents ana
was known 10 General Prafs. it
William Gildea then testified. He declared
he was. like Mata, compelled by the others
on board to accompany the expedition, a.
Though ne had only gone 70 see them a. start art
land. Gildea confirmed the statement that
Quesada was drowned.
THE CORRESPONDENTS STORY
John Milton. the fifth prisoner, was then
called up and ne declared that he also had
been compelled against his viii to accom-
pany the expedition. which he had gone to
see start. He added that he believed La
barde. the commander OF the schooner. was
not aware that he was taking party OF fili-
busters Until IL was 100 idtt Miitoh iufbntr
said that he was going as Newspaper cor
respondent TO the insurgent camp in order
to interview the members Of the insurgent
government He afterwards intended to re-
turn to the United States
The prosecutor classed all the prisoners az
traitors and as assisting in the insurrection.
The schooner was classed as a pirate worth
about $4,000 and having on board an in
surRent flag valued at cent He denied
that Mata could he considered friend Of
Spain. es he was treated on board the
schooner IN the same manner as the other
members of the expedition As tn Labarde,
the prosecutor pointed out that he was the
man who had signed the Drocsamationq
found on board the schooner when she was
captured. Referring 20 Bedia. the prose-
cutor said he was well treated while on
board and was believed 10 have known the
object OF the expedition
The commander OF the Mensajera, Lieuten-
ant Butron. further testified that while pur-
some OF the hiibusters were drowned and
two were captured while In the water. The
men made prisoners In the water were La
barde and Gildea. The other three prisoners
were captured on board the schooner The
pilot Of the Mensa5era and the crew OF that
gunboat declared that at the time the
schooner was captured she was not showing
any flag IN his defense Labarde firmly de-
clared that he had not written or received
the letters and other papers found on board
and that he had not signed the procama-
tions captured on board the schooner.
The prosecutor then read the Denai record
of Labarde. showing him to- have been q
forger, thief and kidnaper. and pfo1uced let.
terS written by him on board the COmpffitOr