Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-26
CAPTURE OF COMPETITOR Graphic Account of the Incident
 by an Eye Witness. THERE WAS TREACHERY IN IT ASpy in the 9 of a Saiboat Tips the Ar-
 S to the Authorities uNAvtSi ATTEMPTS AT ESCAPE Chg srishc Barbarity of the spaniards
 srasted With the Superb Fortitude ::S of the sufferers-An Officer Who
 Had No Use for His Pencil.
j ATTEMPTS AT ESCAPE

Key West, Fla, May 25-The corre- | spondent of the Southern Associated Press has received the following graphic account of the capture of the schooner Competitor by the steamer Mascotte, which arrived here from Havana Satur- day night:
 My informant writes that the Com- petitor reached the coast of Cuba about midday of April 25 and came to anchor about mile from Berracos, a small vil- lage on the west coast of Cuba, between Muriel and Esperanza. A bar prevented a nearer approach to the land. Just be- fore coming to anchor a small fishing boat was seen to hoist sail and start down toward Port Esperanza and, as 1t was afterwards learned, reported the matter to the authorities. The Competi- tor had three small boats, one of which was supplied with sail, and in this boat Antonio Cristo, with seventeen men, was sent on shore to reconnoiter. Everything looked favorable and they loaded the other two boats with the ammunition and provisions and started for the shore. William Levitt and Charles Barnett were detailed to bring them back to the schooner. In the meantime the sailboat had returned and reported that about three miles to the southward were 500 troops and on the northward 200 more, and as there was only one pass into the interior It was necessary to move quicker or they would be cut off. A few moments after the boats with the ammunition and provisions had left the schooner the launch Mansajara hove in sight. Colonel Munson ordered the balance of his men into the boats and loaded her with ann intuition and started for the land. Ben- jamin Gurk and another sailor were de- tailed to return to the Competitor for the rest of the party.
 About the same time that MunSon left the schooner the two small boats were seen to start for the Competitor, towing one behind the other, but before they had gotten very far from the land the Mansa- 1ara opened fire on the Competitor. The first shot fell about one mile wide, but at every discharge they came nearer, until finally they came so close that the water spattered over the schooner. There were on the vessel at this time Alfredo La- berde, captain, William Dade, mate, Orno Milton, special correspondent of the Times-Union, Dr. Elias Bedia and Au- gustin Quesada of Key West and Theo- dora Maza Laberde and the mate tried to hoist the American flag, but the halyards became fastened in the top sail and then they fastened it on the foresail boom.
 Munson, in his haste to get away, left behind several boxes of dynamite, and the firing was so rapid and the shots com- ing so close that Laberde, Quesada and Gildea became alarmed and started to swim ashore. Milton, Bedia and MazA remained on board. Munson and party had by this time reached the shore and were landing and the Mansajara directed her guns on them, killing one of the horses which Cristo and his party had captured. The Mansajara came to an- chor at the bar and dispatched a small boat manned by five sailors to capture the men in the water. Quesada had al- ready disappeared, having undoubtedly been seized by shark. Laberde states that he saw large shark pass by him and towards Quesada. Two sailors row. ed the boat, while the others kept up constant fire, first at Laberde and then at Gildea. They fired forty or fifty shots at Laberde before they overlook him. Gildea, who is an excellent swimmer, was rapidly lessening the distance be- tween himself and the land. Seeing this, the Spanish opened fire on him and final ly overlook him about 100 yards from shore. They then returned to Laberde, who was in the act of sinking for the third time. They took him in the boat, where he lay insensible for some time. Munson, while the Spaniards were cap- turing Laberde and Cildea, had landed. Cristo had secured all the horses he could find and loaded them with ammunition.
 The two Spanish troops on shore had been notified and were on the march to cut them off from the mountain pass. Munson was thereby compelled to aban- don his provisions, 30,000 rounVs of am- munltion and about thirty rifles, and started for the pass. His men carried 150 rifles and 40000 rounds of ammunition. Each man was armed with a rifle, a re- volver and a machete of the finest make. Benjamin Gurk, Mormon from Dantzic, was one of the party. Levitt and Bar nett reached the shore just after Nun son had left, and not knowing the coun- try wandered about until they were cap tured by Captain Pogo. Although Levitt and Barnett were unarmed, Pogo was decorated with red cross in recognition of the brave capture. After taking La berde and Gildea the Spaniards returned to the Competitor and called on Milton, Bedia and Maza to surrender, but fear of treachery compelled them to jump over board before they would approach the side of the schooner. The prisoners were then ted with their arms behind them in a most barbarous manner, so that In few moments all were suffering the great est agony They were then carried to the Mansa jara, which lay about 100 yards off, and placed on the deck, and after sev- eral hours of intense suffering they were landed on the dock at Port Esperanza, where a heavy guard was placed over them, and after a few hours more of agony their arms were loosened.
 On the morning of the 27th, the day after the capture. the Contra Maestro, with several adjutants, came out to them and began tying their feet. telling them at the same time to prepare for death. Dr. Bedia was tied first and commanded to kneel down and hold himself steady, so that the executioner would make a clean cut. The doctor showed great bravery and a nerve of steel, smiling while the machete was being waved over his head. This satisfied the guard and they left. The next day they took La- berde away from the rest of the prison- CTS saying they were going to execute him. They took him on board the schooner Cabello Marine, where they put what is called Spanish windlass around his wrist. A bar of iron was placed be- tween them and turned till the hands were almost severed from the arms. A