The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-09
ON TRIAL FOR LIFE
The Men Captured on Board the
Competitor in Court.
AT HAVANA NAVY YARD
The Court Martial Composed of
Spanish officers.
ONE PRISONER AN AMERICAN
State Department at Washington
Watching the Trial and Will Not
Permit any Summary
Proceedinps
Proceedings.

Proceedings.
Havana May S-The trial by court
martial of the men captured on board
the American schooner Competitor, Of
Key West, Fla, by the Spanish gun
boat Mensajera, an April 25th, began
in the court Of justice at the Navy
Yard here shortly before s O'Clock this
morning, as a tropical rain shower was
falling.
The court-martial was composed. of:
Captain Emilio Ruise, president. and
Naval Lieutenants SatuTnino Montoio,
Antonio Martin, Posadilla, Antonio,
Perez Rendon, Eduardo Arias, SaIgado
| Diego, Canine Suplents, Jose Sevillino
and Carlos Canine.
The prosecutor was Lieut.. Miguel
| Suarez. Before beginning their work
| the members of the court assembled
| in the chapel of the Navy Yard and
| reverently witnessed the celebration
| Of mass, going thence directly to the
/ court of justice. where many other
| officers assembled. A guard Of picked
marine infantry soldiers then brought
/ in the prisoners.
| The first to enter the court room was
| Alfredo Ladorde, who is classed as the
| leader of the fiIibustering expedition.
| After Laborde came Drelias Bedia;
man named John Milton, said to be
native Of Kansas; William Gildea.
| said to be British subject, and Theo-
dore Mata.
| The prosecutor opened the proceed
ings by describing in detail the cap
| ture of the Competitor. He said that
4 sx4V.~ d.
boat Mensajera, was notified by some
fishermen, on April 25 last, that sus-
i picious looking schooner, apparently
i pilot boat, was off Berracos. The
/ Mensajera headed for that part of the
coast and when within hailing dis
tance Of the schooner called upon her
| to show her colors. The schooner did
/ not do SO, and men on board of her
| jumped overheard and swan for the
shore. Ten of the latter were seen to
| go down and others may have been
/ drowned. In addition two more of the
so-called flibusterers were killed by
| the rife fire of the crew of the gun
boat, while trying to reach the shore.
/ The flibusterers who were already
| on the land, continued the prosecutor,
1 opened fire on the gun boat; but did
not succeed in hitting anybody. The
schooner was then seized.
Lieut. Commander Butron of the
| Mensajera, confirmed the statements
| of the prosecutor. The Lieutenant is
about 30 years of age, a tall, finely
| built man Of dark complexion and has
! fine, expressive eyes. Continuing
| Lieut. Butron said he found on board
| the captured schooner a number of
documents inscribed and classified,
| orders from Col. Munson, an insur-
| gent officer recommendations from
| Estrada, the insurgent chief, to Cal
! lazc, another insurgent leader, proc
| lamations signed by Laborde, lists Of
| the members of the expedition and of
! the war material on board, and per-
| nit for the Competitor to be used as a
| "Iife boat"
Lieut.. Butron also, said that the war
| material captured consisted of sixty
| Remington rifles, forty carbines, two
| hundred pounds of dynamite and Co.,
900 cartridges.
Fredo Laborde was the first of the
| prisoners to be examined.
Laborde testified that he was IS years
old, and that he came from New Or
leans. He is a man Of regular features
and has blue eyes. He said that he left
Key West with "a passengers who, at
Cape Sable, obliged him 10 put in to-
wards the shore and forced him to
take on arms, etc, saying they would
transfer this material to a steamer
which would meet them at sea.
Col. Munson Laborde added that he
landed on the coast of Cuba eventually,
and ne, Laborde, remained on board
the Competitor He did not fire on
the Spanish gunboat, although the men
| On shore did so.
When the prisoner was questioned
regarding an insurgent flag which was
found on board the schooner, he said it
belonged to one of his passengers,
man named Quesada, who was among
the drowned.
DR. Elias Bedia was next called upon
to testify. He said he was 27 years old,
and a medical student. Continuing, he
declared that he repeatedly refused to
take part in any expedition to Cuba,
and that he merely went on board the
schooner Competitor in order to say
good bye to some friends. But when
the schooner left, he was refused to be
allowed to go ashore, but being desirous
of landing, he remained on board the
Competitor until she was captured and
he was made prisoner. He said they
did not hoist the national flag.
Teodoro Mata was the next prisoner
brought forward to testify. He said
he went on board to see the expedition
and the men on board obliged him to
90 with them. He added that he did
not land, and asserted that not one of
the prisoners in court fired at the gun
boat He said at Key West he was con-
sidered a spy of the Spanish govern |
ment. and he further claimed that he |