Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-30
WAS A TRAITOR ON BOARD 2 The Cuban FilibuSterS Believe
 There Was. THE HAWKINS EXAMINED Was Pronounced to Be in Good Condition by
 Experts. St5,000. WAS PAID FOR THE STEAMER The Parties Responsible For Her Loss Can Be Punished if They Can be Caught.
 Ten Patriots Were
S15,O0O. WAS PAID FOR THE STEAMEF

New York, Jan. 29.-This afternoon United States Attorney McFarlane ad-
 mitted that under instructions from Washington the authorities here had
 been Investigating the doings of the Gu ban revolutionists in this city for some time. He said that it is the duty of the collector of the port to secure the neces- sary evidence and that all prosecutions
 must be held under title 67 of the United
 States revised statutes.
 s..So. far,2 MT. McFarlane stated, mo warrants have been issued in the case of
 the steamer Hawkins. The section of the
 neutrality law applicable in the case is No. 5286, which reads:
 I" Every person within the territory or Jurisdiction of the United States who begins, or sets on foot or provides for, or prepares means for any military expe- dition or enterprise from thence against any foreign prince or state is deemed guilty of high misdemeanor and sub ject to fine not exceeding 5000 and three years imprisonment '" MT. McFarlane said that it was for vio- lating the section quoted that Captain Hughes and others of the steamer Lau- rada were recently tried at Charleston. Those responsible for the, loss of the Hawkins, MT. McFarlane said, can be
 punished under the casualty act of June 20, 1874, which requires a report to be filed within five days by the owner, agent or master of every wrecked vessel with the collector of customs.
 The Hawkins was purchased through a responsible American firm of high standing. She was bought in Baltimore
 and she was there examined from stem to stern, hull and machinery. She was pronounced staunch, swift and seawor-
 thy. She was examined by an American expert and an engineer of known ability, honesty and experience.
 Even now there Is no thought among the Cuban leaders here that the flaw
 kips was anything but what her exam
 ipers. pronounced her. The cause of her sinking must be looked for somewhere else.
 .2he great fact which points towards a traitor aboard the boat is the exceedingly fine life boats which the Hawkins car ried. It was not expected by whoever gave the vessel it's mortal injury that every avenue of escape would thereby be cut off. If this be correct supposition the results bear out the idea of the traitor.
 After the examination and purchase of the Hawkins at Baltimore the ship was
 coaled in that city. She behaved splen-
 didly on her trip up here and seemed to fulfill every requirement admira bly,. She
 arrived here on the night of January 22
 and then took on her arms and ammuni-
 ton. When the Cubans had boarded her
 and she steamed for Cuba early Sunday
 morning every one was in the best of
 spirits. They thought that they had
 vessel under them that would answer
 any and all calls that could be made
 upon it.
 The Hawkins had on board IF souls all
 told, of which 101 were volunteers, and a
 crew of sixteen. Fifty more were ex-
 pected, but in the hurry of leaving port
 these men were left behind There was
 plenty of room for them on board After
 the examination of the Hawkins in Bal
 timore she was re-examined in New
 York. What was found true at the first
 examination was more than substanti-
 ated at the second, when the Cubans themselves looked the Hawkins over
 The price paid for the ship was shade
 under $15,000 It was perfectly satsfac- tory.
 It was not until Monday night that suspicion of anything wrong aboard the craft arose. Neither the captain nor the
 engineer made the discovery that there
 was water in the engine room. One of
 the volunteers found it out. The men
 were hustled out of their hunks with
 hardly chance to put on their clothes
 The pumps that shortly before seemed
 to be in good working order refused to
 answer their purpose. They were clog
 ged. Resort to buckets was all that was
 left to the patriots.
 The survivors who were landed in Bos-
 ton reached New. York last night. It
 was finally known that the loss in men
 were volunteers and five members of the
 Hawkins crew.
 Among those in authority the supposi-
 tion that the Hawkins was not thor
 oughly worthy Is not entertained Some
 one aboard is held responsible for the