Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-19
THEY ARE PARDONED
romrErrToR PRISONERS TURNED
ovEa TO GENERAL LEE.
QUEEN CUTS s. GORRaa KNOT.
another CONDENSATION of the Men
% Death wouid Have Caused an
American rspio.ioa--rhe Tobacco
Erport Matter.

WARRINGTON, November is.--Minister
woodford has teIegraphed the state De-
Darsmcnt that The Spanish Cabinet has
notified him that the Queen has ,pafdoned
the Competitor prisoners. fa rif
The state Department now announces
that tho Competitor prisoners were turn
sd over to cdnsui-tieneral Lee last Mon
day. and will be sent by him direct TO
New York to-day.
II ss not doubtea here that the prison
ers are liberated on some such conditions
as were imposed In tho case OF former
prisoners-that is. that they win not re-
turn 20 Cuba.
After their bitter experience in the Gu
ban fails. Il is not believed here that the
men will be disposed 20 violate any un-
derstanding of this kind to which they
may be parties.
IT 10 singular that the men should have
been for four days IN the custody OF
Consul-General Lee without the Tact
having been generally known, but 1t Is
supposed that secrecy was observed in
order to ensure their departure from
Habana without exciting trouble from
the extreme Conservative Spanish fac
ton.
There were four overwhelmingly:
Alfredo Laborde, the captain OF the COM
petitnr : native Of New Orleans: William
OiIdea. the mate. a naturalized citizen;
Ona Melton, who claims Kansas as MS
native State and who went on the COM
p.titor in the capacity of a newspaper
correspondent, and Charles Barnett, or
british birth. but who claimed the pro-
lection Of the United States by virtue OF
his sailing on an American vessel
The conditions under which the Com
petitor was captured April 20, 1886. off
the Cuban coast, while engaged in land
ing arms for the insurgents, have been
often described.
TRIAL or THE MEN.
The defence of the men was that they
were forced into the expedition against
their win by an insargent party aboard
the boat. They were tried by naval
court-martial. before which they could
make only a poor showing principally
because OF their ignorance OF the Spanish
language. IN which the proceedings were
conducted, so that their conviction and
the imposition of the death sentence was
not q matter of surprise. At that point,
however. the case assumed diplomatic
Importance Our government, through
its Consul General at Habana, then
Ramon Williams, and also through Minis
ter Hannls Taylor at Madrid, interposed
an energetic protest against the exeeu-
ton OF the sentence, claiming that the
men were improperly tried, without the
guarantees held out in the famous Cush-
ing protocol. This protest caused the
removal OF the case to the higher judicial
authorities at Madrid, by whom new
frfai was ordered.
The Spanish Government. however. did
not. and has not yet, conceded that the
Gushing protocol applied to such cases.
To admit that would. in the opinion of
the Spanish authorities, greatly stimu-
late the fitting out of ilibustering
parties in the United States.
The new trial had been ordered by the
Madrid Supreme Court on the ground
OF reeIiarities in the original trial, not
because of any concession of the sound
ness os the objections interposed by the
United States officers.
II was to have begun last Monday,
and ii Is thought would have resulted In
the imposition OF the death sentence
nsain. This would have provoked an
explosion in this country, according TO
the antlcipations OF the Department of
state. that would have been hardly less
violent than the intense feeling caused
by the famous virginlus episode, so 1t
is TO them a matter of satisfaction that
the Spanish Queen has cut the diplo-
matte tangle by the pardon OF the men
before the second trial.
TOBACCO EXPORTS.
senor Depuy de LONE, the Spanish
minister, had long conference with
misunderstanding Day this morning,
and Il Is believed that the Spanish Gov
errment is voluntarily able to remove
another troublesome factor from the
fle,d of negotiations, in revoking the de-
cree made by Weyler, prohibiting the
expectation OF tobacco. from Cuba. This
prohibition has worked great hardships
upon large American cigar-making in
terests, and up 10 this time all efforts of
the State Department to secure an
amelioration OF the harsh conditions of
the decree have been unavailng.
The reason set UP by General Weyler
for the order was the necessity of keep
ing in Habana the SUPPLY OF tobacco ne
ceesary to run the domestic cigar-fac-
tories. and thus, by giving employment
10 workmen, keep them from drifting
AWAY into the insurgent ranks.
n WAS a matter of common report,
however, that another potent reason
was desire TO cripple the Cuban cigar
makers in the United States. from whom
the insurgents drew funds.
Reports that come to Washington are
70 the effect that the new crop of to-
baeco that will be ripe in February next
Is OF excellent quality. and amounts to
four-ffths Of an average crop. Buyers for
Yoreign consumers are already In the
field. looking over the plantations. and
n Is expected that 10 facilitate sales,
the revocation OF the decree Of prohibit
fion will soon be made.
THE MEN RELEASED.
HABANA, November 1S.--In pursuance
of cabled instructions from Spain. re-
ce.ved yesterday. Captain-General Blanco
to-day released from the Cabanas fort
ress Alfred Laborde. Charles Barnett,
cna Melton, and William Gidea, mem
bers of the crew of the American
schooner Competitor. captured In April,
1896, by the Spanish gunboat Mesagra,
on a charge OF filibustering.
unfrr,.