The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-23
COMPETITORS MEN HERE.
THEIR TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES IN
SPANISH PRISONS.

rh>s "a. r~z-... -r..- |
ae"nea to Death Withsut y haearinE'
The Eve mer,bers NJ thu crew Of tho alleged
flibusterinv schooner Competitor. who were
RELEASED Last rbursday after ~pineteen month";
confinement In spnnish prisons IN Cuba. arrived |
in this city yesterdey on the Ward line steamer |
Rrot.n IN health nv their long con. |
anement and rho treatment accorded them nv
their jailers. and clad only in the rags which
they have worn since they were captured over
n year and n bnlf apo. thev made n pitiablo
spectacle as thew walked down the gangplank
Of the stenmer and fell into the arms Of their |
friends, who had been waiting ON the dock for |
hours. Tho Ave are: Cant. Alfredo Laborde Of |
New orlenns. master Of tho American schooner
Competitor and A citizen Of tho United States, |
William Gildea. An Envli,bmsn nv birth. but a |
n,tur,Iized c,,,,on and mat. az tbe Comnetitor, |
Ownn Melton. n Knnsan nevspaper man who
sailed on the Competitor. william Leayitt. cook
OF the Comnetitor and n native of this CITY. and
Cbarles Barnett. atevard of the Conpetitor and
q British subiect. The other two members OF
the Competitor's crow who were captured were
DR.. Il. bedea and Telcado Massa. Msssa was
tried and acquitted on tho charge Of nlibuster.
ing. but was kent in prison AZ a witness against
DR.. Bedoa. The latter In still in Cabana Fortress,
but vice-oonsul Joseph A. Springer, who ar
rived on the Saratoga. says that he will UNI
doubtedly be released soon.
OF the five men who returned yesterday, young
Melton was In far tho worst condition. He went
away on the Competitor n robust man. healthy.
stronR. and Weighing 1s5 pounds. He returned
yesterday male. omaoiated. and holloy.eyed. He
weighed iust 100 pounds when ho landed. and
was 90 weak that he could scarcely talk above n
whisper. His hands trembled Violently. and he
looked "a be notbing hut aki, ana honea. In
with NO olothinp bnt , vhite nannel .b,rt. thc
trousers which he vora vhen be was o~sntnrod,
A thin Jacket. and shoe. md socks uia teeth
vore chattsrin0 with tho cola n. h. .tood on tho
aeck Of the saretoga vvhen sbo hanIsd into her
docl,. Ono of the sr,t man aboard the .,.amar
was A cuban. who on,oklv strinned bimaelf ~
his overcoat and covered tho shiverinv man
with e.
william Ie,vitt. the cook NJ the comnetitor.
va, in almost ,s ba5 condit,on Ths oth.r. NV
that his sufrerinps have affected his mind. He
~ "a pnss,eal wreck ana mao no more clothing
sh.na ,,,ho,oh h. h.. .,od ra.v m,,h ,,nn. h,
40 40 nn y VIZ ..
went away. He Is 80 years old, but looked 90
His hair and hoard wsrs J.rn hrorvn yvhan y:
-aIo anu uoHfu oIo" "hoh h'
Capt. Laborde walked with the aid of a oruteb.
His left leg is useless, rendered SO by two strokes
Of paralysis which he had while in prison. In
the RAT, bis lbrotbsr Eauardo Iabord. h,v,na
released.
owna Melton. tho young Newspaper man.
went 70 onpa on she oompetitor In order TO get
inside tho .asnrssnt lines: ho had C. ,.rse1ea
S.rna,.n ,or : FLA. ' nsH auous inc nm 1nsursen'
campaign for . FLORIDA newspaper HIS protes-
him nothing. and II ANYTHING he was treated
90. th.n ~. at,., n.i.on..s m" S.n".,ea
demanding his immediate release passed the
Senate at the last session. Melton eave a Sun
reporter yesterday tho following account of his
experiences:
II was captured in ono Of the small boats,
spanish sunboath had US. I wa, with two others.
and we almost got away. but some soldiers
beaded us on In a roweoat and we were taken
diero. whose treatment Of us Was brutal beyond
S SssscP BEING We 70 lc %s5s ono sO .na Of w tbs r FSg'' b,s sSs
our arms through the loop and then. by tighten.
ing the moose, draw our elbows together behind
stoutest cry out with pain. Some who couldn't
keep their feet while the soldiers hauled on the
knees in tho small Of their backs. with each
tightening of the rope they would, yell at ual
HOW 90 you ike that, you damned Yankees y
or I Guess you Yankees II stay home next
time
"When the soldiers were through playing
with us our wrists were tied tightly together
and we were thrown into q prison and kept
there in solitary confinement for six days. Our
cells were dark. and jus. once q day was any.
ask me to talk Of those SIX days. It's like an
awful dream now. 1 must not bring up that
could not sec the American Consul, Mr.. Will
liams, and for Q time we thought We had been
| foronftan. hut vn aftarvard ~ Iaurnad that NJ,
Williams had made repeated efforts to soc us,
but had not been allowei to.
AFTER six days, we were taken out of the
dark cells, and three OF us were placed in a cell
8 feet by II feet. where we were left for three
We had no exercise At all and our suffering.
brutes. The treatment accorded us was bad,
although 1t improved somewhat after the Con.
sul had made repeated protests. We got the
portage they called food. twice q day then, and
fres air.
THE first any OF us knew about the court
martial which sentenced us to death was when
an oficer came 10 ma in nriaon and handed ma n