The morning times., 1896-06-06
THEIR Trial 1 TRIVESTY
Competitors Men We're Allowed
to Have No Witnesses.
OUR CONSUL NOT PREsEN !
Senate Removes the Iniunc ton of
Secrecy on the Testimony Regard
ing the Case Recently Given by DR..
DlaZ and Mr.. La wrence-Men Were
Given No Chance of Defense.

The Senate Committee on Foreign Re
lations yesterday afternoon removed the
Injunction OF secrecy from the testimony
IL relation to affairs OF Messrs Frederick
W. Lawrence and Rov. A J. DiaZ, re-
gardng the arrest OF Americans IN Cuba.
Lawrence, referring TO the arrest Of
Alfred Lahorde ana Milton, who were on
the Competitor, said that So far as the
testimony OF the men who captured them,
before the cuurt-martial went, it showed
that neither OF the men had arms upon
theirperscns. They were ia ken to Hava n.i,
tried by general cOurt-martial, against the
energetic protest OF the United States
Consul General and condemned to death,
their sentences being delayed by the Ma
drld government at the request Of SeCre-
tary Olney.
From an American point OF view these
prisoners were not assisted by counsel;
hut from Spanish point Of view they had
counsel This counsel consisted of a lieu
tenant IN The navy, wLo asked no ques-
tions, and who examined no wit
nesSeS.
NO TESTIMONY TAKEN.
No witnesses were produced but Capt.
Butron and the other officers Of the Men
saierra This lieutenant asked for elem
ency for Laburde on account Of the indus
trious place his name had borne in the
Spanish navy, and for Milton, because
he was not there for the purpose of fight
ing. but merely in his business as a news
paper correspondent.
When asked If any evidence was given at
the trial TO show how far the Competitor
was from the shore when captured, Mr.
Lawrence said there was no evidence given
whatever on any subject. The men were
| tried about a week after their arrest and
| when Consul General Williams was told
| by the Judge advocate that the investiga-
| ton was TO be a summary trial. Mr. Will
| Jams refused to lend any official recognition
| to ii, protested against 1t and left.
OUR CONSUL y OF PRESENT
No officer of the United States consular
| service was present at the trial Neither
| the prosecutor nor the counsel for the de-
| fense asked a single question of anybody
| Not particle of testimony was offered
| except that of the Spanish officers An
| interpreter was present, but he did not
make his presence known to the prisoners
| until they Were asked if they had anythinl
| to say in their own defense
Counsel for the Americans did not tel
| ttCm what the statements Of the SpaniSl
| officials contained: he die not so far as
! Wituess-Who was at the trial throughout
| heard: say one word to the men he was SUP
| posed to be defending. Witness had ever
reason TO believe that the counsel could no
spcaE English and the whole trial was con
| Quoted in Spanish.
ALL DONE IN SPANISH.
The men were even asked if they had
| anything TO say in the Spanish language
| WiiliaE Gildea, the last of the five mer
| triei together, replied to the interpreter
''All have got to say is. l do not under
| stand one word that has been said foI
me or against me, and at any rate / ap-
peal to both the British and American
| counselS.''
The court made its finding within fif
teen minutes after Gildea made his state
| meHt. Before the trial Gildea made {
statement that he was a poor sailor ano
went on board the Competitor thinking
she was bound for Sable Keys, fishing
that Ihe knew nothing of the nature o
the business until after it started. Laborde
claimed that his ship had been hired I,
do fishing, but that he was held up b,
a revolver and ordered to go to Cuba.
| Witness also saw Dygert, who was i'm
prisoned at Guines with twenty-five other:
in room not larger than 16 by Is feet
The food given him was eXetrable, ant
all the time lie was confined he was no
permitted change of clothes. Dyger
was not released until one month afte
Marquis Palmerola told Lawrence tina
| the government knew he was innocent