The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-19
WITHOUT GOOD GROUND


sui General Williams protest as
WITHOUT GOOD GROUND
and out of order, was also read and
noted.
Within four hours after the court
martial closed its session, at a. spec
ial meeting in the afternoon, its mem
bers sent to Admiral Navarro a sealed
verdict, which was Immediately APP
proved by the naval chief. The SEN
fences of all five prisoners to death,
in accordance with the verdict, were
signed at once and preparations were
made to have the men shot.
Receiving no satisfactory response
from the admiral nor even an invita-
ton to attend the proceedings, neither
Consul General Williams nor any at
tache of his Office was present at the
court martial, nor was he allowed to
see the prisoners until after the trial
had closed. Naturally he laid the whole
case before the state department at
Washington by wire early and received
instructions as prompt as energetic.
When these arrived he went immedi-
ately to the palace, where
A STORMY INTERVIEW
with Captain General Weyler occurred.
The general told the consul general
that if the men had been convicted,
as the latter supposed, they would most
certainly be shot at sunrise the follow
ing morning, despite any protest the
United States might make.
IF you shoot them said Mr.. Will
liams, my government instructs me
to close its consulate here and demand
my passports, and I shall most GER
teainly hold you and your government
responsible, should these prisoners be
executed before our protest be given
due consideration
When Williams bowed himself out of
the captains presence he drove back
to his office. The excitement that fol-
lowed at the palace was indescribable
The judges of the civil tribunal and
the chairman Of the leading conserva-
tive parties and the managing direc-
tor of the Spanish bank were called
and consultation began. The majority
of these personages advised the author
tiles to suspend the execution pending
higher instructions from Madrid.
General Weyler said: No that if
the men were not executed he would re-
sign. He so telegraphed the Spanish
ministry, it is reported. In the mean
time, it appears, the United States was,
through Minister Taylor, bringing
pressure to bear also at Madrid. Or
ders came from Spain to suspend all
proceedings. and directing the captain
general and admiral to transmit all
documents in the case to Madrid for
consideration there by the supreme mil
itary and naval council and cabinet
General Weyler, it is said, also received
a message telling to him to await
A MORE OPPORTUNE MOMENT
to give up his command, as for diplo-
matte reasons the government could
not afford at this crisis to have him
suddenly resign. Consul General Will
liams had won. The transfer of the
case TO Madrid will give the prisoners
at least month or six weeks respite
Importers of tobacco from Cuba were
inclined to doubt today the authenti-
city of the dispatch from Havana to
the effect that General Weyler had for
hidden the expectation of tobacco from
Cuba. General Weyler, it is under
stood has taken this step because of
the financial assistance rendered to the
cause of the revolution in Colombia by
the Cuban and Spanish cigar-makers
in this country and presumably else
where out Of Cuba.
A member of a wholesale grocery
house that imports more tobacco and
cigars from Cuba than any other firm.
speaking Of this later alleged order by
Cuba, said today:
WILL BE DEMORALZIED
IF the Geographic dispatches concern
ing this matter are correct, the whole
manufacturing tobacco trade in this
country will be demoralized. The price
Of Havana cigars constantly fluctuates
as far as the dealers are concerned, al
though the consumers perhaps do not
know it. There has been a gradual in
! crease in the price of tobacco the last
two or three months, but it is impossi-
BILE to say how much the price of do
mestic cigars is to be increased by
our failure to get tobacco from Cuba.
Some Sumatra leaf is used for making
cigars, but it is not so satisfactory. of
course, as the Havana. The enforce
ment of General Weyler's decree would
greatly interfere with the factories in
Florida. But it is early yet to proph-
esq. I think the manufacturers in this
country have Cuban tobacco on hand
sufficient to last them for a few
months.
The importation of leaf tobacco
from Cuba ran from 100000 pounds
in 1885 to 21,000,000 pounds in 1893. fall
ing to 100000 in 1895 The
VALUE OF TOBACCO
ranged from $4,000 in 1886 to $4,000
600 in 1898 and $1,000, 900 in 1896. The
value of manufactures of tobacco (ci-
gars) imported from Cuba in 1885 was
SO, 100000. and the importations gradu-
ally increased until 1890, when their
value was $S,900,0OO Then the impor-
tations, or values decreased until in
1895 the total value of the manufac-
lures of tobacco cigars imported) was
only $2,040, 000."
CUBAN-AMERICAN FAIR.