The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-26
CAPTURE OF THE COMPETITOR.
A GRAPHIC STORY OF THE FAIL
URE OF THE EXPEDITION.

A Small Fishing Boat Betrayed
Her Arrival 90 the Spaniards at
Port EspeFanza-Augustin Que
sada Caught by n Shark While
Trying TO Swim Ashore.
Key West. Fla. May 25.-The correspon-
! dent OF the Southern Associated Press has
| received the following graphic account of
the schooner Competitor by the steamer
Mascotte, which arrived here from Ha-
vana Saturday night: MY informant
writes that the Competitor reached the
coast of Cuba about midday Of April p,
and came to anchor about a mile from
Berracos, a small village on the west coast
! of Cuba, between Muriel and Esperanza.
| \ bar prevented a nearer approach TO the
| land. Just before coming to anchor, a
| small fishing boat was seen to hoist sail
and start down towards Port Esperanza
and, as it was afterwards learned, report
| ed the matter TO the authorities. The
| Competitor had three small boats, one of
which was supplied with a sail. and ia
| this boat Antonio Cristo, with seventeen
| men, were sent on shore to reconnoitre.
| Everything looked favorable and they
| loaded the other two boats with the am
munition and provisions and started for
the shore. William Levitt and Charles
| to the schooner.
In the meantime the sail boat had re-
| turned and reported that about three miles
| to the southward We're coo troops and on
| the northWard 200 more, and as there was
| only one pass into the interior IL was
necessary TO move quicker or they would
| be cut off. few moments after the boats
| with the ammunition and provisions had
| left the schooner, the launch Mansajera
| hove in sight. Col. Munzon ordered the
| balance of his men INTO the boat and load
| ed her with ammunition and started for
/ the land. Benjamin Gurk and another
sailor were detailed to return to the Com
/ pettOr for tie rest of the party.
| About the same time that Col. Nun
| zon left the schooner the two small boats
| towing one behind the other, but before
/ they had got very far from the land,
| the Mansalera opened fire on the Gem
| peutor. 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 We're on the vessel at
this time Alfredo Laborde, the captain
| William Gildea, mate; Orna Milton, spec
/ ial correspondent of the Times Union; Dr.
| Elias Bedia and Augustn Quesada Of
| Key West and Theodore Mia. Capt
| Laborde and the mate tried to hoist the
| American nag, but the halyardS became
| fastened in the topsail, and then they
| fastened il on the foresan boom.
| Col. AIunzOn, in his haste to get away,
! left behind several boxes of dynamite,
| and the firing was so rapid and the shots
| coming so close that Laborde, .Quesada
| to swim ashore. Milton, Bedia and Maza
| remained on board. Col. MunZon ana
I party had by this time reached the shore
| and were landing, and the MansaJera di-
| rected her guns on them, killing one of
| the horses, which Cristo and his party
| had captured.
''The Mansajera came to an a1ehor at
the bar and dispatched a small boat
| manned by five sailors to capture the men
| in the water. Quesada had already disap-
| peared, having undoubtedly been seized
| by a shark. Capt. Laborde states that he
| saw large shark pass by him and to-
''Two sailors rowed the boat while the
| others kept up a constant IRE, first a La
| borde and then al Gildea. They fired forty
/ or fifty shots a LabOrde before they over
| took him. Gndea, who is an excellent
| swimmer, was rapidly lessening the dis
/ tance between him and the land. Seeing
| this the Spaniards opened fire on him and
| finally overlook him about one hundred
| yards from shore. They then returned to
| Laborde, who was IN the act OF sinking
/ for the third time. They took him in the
| boat, where he lay insensible for some
| time. Col Munzon, while the Spaniards
| We're capturing La'borde and Gildea, had
! landed. Cristo had secured all the horses
| he could find and loaded them with am
'sThe two Spanish troops on shore had
| been notified and were on the march to
| cut them Off from the mountain pass. Col
I Munzon was thereby compelled to aban-
| don his provisions, thirty thousand
| rounds of ammunition and about 80 rifles
! and started for the pass. His men carried
y
| thousand rounds of ammunition, each man
| was armed with rife, a revolver and a
machete of the finest make. BENJAMIN
! Gurk, Mormon from Dantzic, was one
| of the party
Levitt and Barnett reached the shore
| Just after MunzOn had left. and NOT
| knowing the country, wandered about un-
| til they were captured by Capt Poseo
| Although Levitt and Barnett We're unarm-
| ed, POseO was decorated with red cross
| in recognition of the brave capture
After taking Laborde and Gidea, the
| Spaniards returned to the Competitor and
! called on Milton, Bed1a and MaZa to sur
! render but, fearing treachery, compelled
| them to jump overheard before they would
| approach the side of the schooner. The
| prisoners were then tied with their arms
behind them in a most barbarous man
| ner, so that in a few moments all were
suneflnS Ihe greatest agony. Ihey were
| taken to the Mansajera, which lay about
| 100 yards off, and placed on the deck
! and after several hours of intense suf-
| fering, they were landed on the dock at
| Port Esperanza, where q heavy guard
| was placed over them, and, after a few
| hours more OF agony, their arms were
"On the morning of the 9th, 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 brav-
| cry and nerve Of steel, smiling while
the macneLe was Deing waved over his
| head. This satisfied the guard, and they
| left.
"The next day they took Laborde away
| from the rest of the prisoners, saying
| they were going to execute him They
| took him on board the schooner Cabello
| Marino where they put what is called a
| Spanish windlass around his wrist, bar Of
| iron was placed between them and turned
| till the hands were almost severed from
/ the arms. A Spaniard stood by with
| paper and pencil ready to take any state
ment he might make, but Laborde was
made of different stuff and took his pun
| ishment like a man. A month later his
| wrists are sore and hands benumbed"
! Private advices received in this city
! Saturday night by the steamer Mascotte
| report the execution of Manuel Martinez
! Ortega at the Cabanas prison. on the
morning of the 18TH charged with rebel
| ling against the Spanish government. Or
! tega was a youth Of IS years. re was
take out Of his cell on the evening OF
the 14th, and the death sentence read to
| him. He was then placed In a room
| called the chapel, where he remained un-
til O'Clock on the morning of the 18th
when he was led out to his death. He was
/ placed In a kneeling position. with his
hack to his eXecutiOnerg The first vol