The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-05-14
THE CUBAN COURT MARSHAL
DETAILS OF THE TRIAL OF THE
CAPTURED CUBAN FILL
BUSTERS.
APPROVED OF THE DEATH SENTENCE
Did Admiral Navarro, Who Presided at
the Court-Report of Fierce Battle
Between the Spaniards and Gen.
Maceo's Forces.

court martial of the men captured on
board the American schooner Competitor
of Key West, Fla, by the gunboat
| Mesarjara began in the court of justice
at the navy yard here shortly before 8
o'clock this morning. a tropc rain
shower was falling The court martial
was composed of Capt. Emilio RUM,
Presidents and Naval Lieutenants Sa-
turino Montojo, Antonio Martin, Posa-
dila Antonio Perez Rendon, Eduardo
Iaz, Salgado Diego, Camano Suplentz,
Jose Sevillano and Carlos Canine.
The prosecutor was Lieut.. Miguel
Suarez.
A guard of picked marine infantry
soldiers then brought in the prisoners.
The first to enter the court was Alfredo
Laborde, who is cassed as the leader
of the filibustering expedition.
After Laborde came DR.. Elias Bedia
man named John Milton, said to be
native of Kansas; William Gilda, said
to be British subject, and Theodore
Mata.
The prosecutor opened the proceedings
by describing in detail the capture of
the Competitor He said that Lieut.
Burton, in command of the gunboat, was
notified by some one April % that a sus-
picious looking schooner, apparently
pilot boat, was off Bocaccios. The gun
boat was headed for that part of the
coast and when within hailing distance
of the schooner called upon her to show
her colors. The schooner did not do
so and men on board her jumped over
board and swan for the shore. Two
of the latter were seen to go down and
others may have been drowned. In ad-
dition two more of the so-called tilibus-
tiers were killed by rifle fire of the gun
boat trying to reach shore.
The filibusters who were already on
land, continued the prosecutor, opened
fire on the gunboat but did not hit any
one. The schooner was then seized.
Lieut.. Butron said he found on the
schooner number of documents in
scribed and classified; orders from Col
NIunson, an insurgent officer, recon-
mendations from Estrada, the insurgent
chief, to Collazo an insurgent leader;
proclamations signed by Laborde, lists
of the expedition and of the war ma
terial on board and permit for the
Competitor to be used as a life boat"
Lieut.. Butron also said that the war
material captured consists of sixty Rem
ington rifles, forty carbines, 200 pounds
of dynamite and 10000 cartridges.
Alfredo Laborde was the first of the
prisoners to be examined.
Laborde testified that he was 80 years
of age and that he came from New Or
leans. He said that he left Key West
with twenty-fOur passengers, who, at
Cape Sabel obliged him to put in towards
, shore and forced him to take on board
arms, ammunition and explosives, saying
, they would transfer this material to a
steamer which would meet them at sea.
Col. Munton, Laborde added, landed on
the coast of Cuba eventually and he
Uaborde) remained on board the Com
, petitor He did not fire on the Spanish
gunbOat, although the men on shore die
! so. When the prisoner was questioned
: regarding an insurgent flag which was
found on board the schooner he said II
belonged to one of his passengers, mar
, named Quesada, who was among tho
drowned.
DR.. Elias Bedia was next called on tC
! testify. He said he was q years of age
q and medical student, Continuing
Bedia declared that he had repeatedly re
fused to take part in any expedition tt
Cuba and that he merely went on boart
: the Competitor to see some friends; bu
when the schooner left, these friends re
= fused to allow him to go ashore, ant
when they landed on the coast of Cubs
= he (Bedia), not being DESTROYS of landing
remained on board the Competitor unit
she was captured and he was made {
Y prisoner. He said they did not hoist thu
national flag.
+ fedora Mata declared he went OF
5 board the Competitor in order to see tn,
I expedition leave, and the men on boart
: obliged him to go with them. He assert
ed that only five passengers shot at tn,
= gunboat.
4 Continuing, Malta said that at Ike.
e West he was considered spy of tn
t Spanish government and he furthe
claimed that he had fought with tn
: Spaniards against the insurgents and wa
/. known to Gen. Pratt.
w. Gilda said he was, like Mata, com
$ PEELED by others on board to accompan.
A the expedition, although he had onl
gone to see them start, and for thi
: reason, he added, he did not land.
: Gilda confirmed the statement, tina
: Quesada was drowned.
John Milton, the fifth prisoner, told
3 similar story of being compelled agains
a his will to accompany the expedition
which he had gone to see start. III
: added that he believed that Laborde, tn
: commander of the schooner, was no
: aware that he was taking party of fiji
busters until it was too late.
/ Milton further said that he was goini
o as newspaper correspondent TO the in
: surgent camp to interview the insurgents
lie afterwards intended to return to tn
United States.
Lie prosecutor claSSeu All Ille pTlSOHeT
as traitors and as assisting in the expedi
:, ton. The schooner was classed as
pirate worth about $4,000 and having OF
u board an insurgent flag, valued at on
/ cent. He denied that Mata could b
e considered a friend of Spain, as he wa
!, treated on board the schooner in tn
o same manner as the other members.
$ AS to Laborde, the prosecutor pointe
e out that he was the man who had signe,
the proclamations found on board tn
schooner. Referring to Bedia, he SAT-
he was well treated while on board an,
J. was believed to know the object of tn
T expedition.
Il The commander of the Spanish gun
= boat, Lieut.. Butron, further testified tina
o while pursuing the insurgents in boa
/ with six men some of the filibusterer
i were drowned and two were capture
e while in the water. The men mad
l. prisoners in the water were Laborde an
/, Gilda. The other three prisoners wer
o captured on board of the schooner. TIL
}. pilot of the gunboat and the crew dc
clared that at the time the schooner wa
captured she was not showing any flags
Tn hic dafapca + n o,da FIRMLY daoIo ~,