Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-04-20
TWO AMERICAN SAILORS
0utrages Committed Upon Them by the
Spanish Authorities.
The Papers I'm the Case Sent to Con.
gress Today by the
President.

In response to a resolution of the Senate
the President today transmitted TO that
body the papers and correspondence in the
cases o. the American citizens and sailors.
AugIst Bolton of Brooklyn and Gustav
Richelieu of Boston, who We're early in
1876, arrested and imprisoned at Santiago
de Cuba for sixty-two days 1t appears
that these sailors. who had sailed from
Fort au Prince. Hayti, in small craft on a
turtie-fishing venture OF the coast. were
driven from their course, were disabled by
a storm and finally put into Santiago in
u.stress. Upon their arrival they immedi-
ateiy started to the United States consulate
10 report their condition and to Obtain suc
cor, ana when near the consulate they were
aiies.eu Wthout warning or process by ad-
minlstratlve or military authorities of
Spain and thrown into a loathsome prison
where they were held for sixty-two davs
Notwithstanding the production of their
passport and Papers establishing their citi-
zenSnlp, Identity and character
Ine United states consul and the Depart
ment OF State urgently demanded their i'm
Ineuiate release, as soon the facts were
, ascer'ained, but the Spanish authorities
uhder one pretext or another refused TO re-
lease them until they had been punished by
confinement in jail with convicts Cor the
period mer toned. During this confinement
Boiton ct tntracted the yellow fever. which
nearly cost him his life. while Richelieu
came out of jail suffering and disabled
man, now near the point of death While
these men were in jail the authorities made
vague charges against them of sympathy
Wltn the insurgents, and suborned one
OF the Spanish convicts to establish their
completely with the insurrection.
Al the expiration of sixty-two days these
sai,ors were released, without explanation
ana apology, but the boat and their mass
port and personal papers We're retained On
arrival In the United States each of these
men submitted to the Department of State
a memorial settlng out their grievances and
the outrage committed at Santiago and de-
manded pecuniary indemnity against
Spain in the sum of $4,000 The Secretary
OF State instructed the American minister
al Madrid 10 present this demand and to
urge its enforcement, insisting that these
sailors were clearly within the guarantees
or articles and of the treaty of l195 be-
tween tse United States and Spain The
spanish minister of foreign affairs did not
deny the existence of these articles, but
denied that the provisions of the treaty an
piled to these cases.
The United States minister at Madrid
was instructed to repeat this demand and
the minister of foreign affairs a second
time denied that the treaty provisions un-
der the circumstances covered the cases
of Bolton and Richelieu. In a voluminous-
If not luminous-dispatch he in effect
contends that either party TO a treaty may
suspend the operations of a treaty when
ever such party considers IL to it's interest
to do SO. The executive department does
Hot dcQultsce III tnlS view, ana the Pres
ident has transmitted all the papers in the
care to the Senate for its consideration
and action The fact appears to be that
these American sailors were kidnapped by
the authorities at Santiago, whose mo-
tives for doing so may, in the light of oc-
currcnces daily happening In Cuba when
American lives or American property are
concerned, be readily surmised. In one Of
his euphemistic communications the Span
ish minister of foreign affairs refers to
this cruel treatment and confinement of
Bolton and Richeiieu for sixty-two days in
a common Jail among convicts as "a deten-
ton that was preventive, not penal" The
real question which these cases and the
controversy growing out of them between
the United States and Spain involve may be
thus formulated: Does the treaty of 1875
between the United States and Spain admit
OF the construction placed upon it by
Spain?'