The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-11-27
"THE MAN WHO WAS"
The Released Competitor Prison.
ers at New York.
Pitiabie Condition of the Men-The Story
of One of Them Who Owed His Life to
Possession of Secrets of Spanish
GeneraIs-Feared Disclosure.

New YORK, Nov. 2%.-"The Man
Who Was" came down the gang plank
of the steamship Saratoga yesterday
afternoon, nervous, daZed and shrink
ing with the remnant of terror that
still tainted his manhood, even though
five days removed from the source that
bred it.
There were five of him, but five du-
plications Of the same terror-haunted
wreck. They were the Competitor
prisoners"-from Havana.
No mere description in words can
paint the CHASTITY picture presented by
these one-Lime men, 10 shattered
wrecks and mere shells of human
ity. The strongest impression given
by them is the idea of an over
hanging terror still present and al
most ineradicable. 1t will be months
before any OF these men will be able to
sleep quietly and without the fear of
some frightful fate.
This is the story which young Que
saba told last night concerning his re-
lease:
While a member of the army corps
in the Pinar del Rio district L became
possessed of information to the knowl-
edge of which L think L owe the saving
of my life.
Last March l wandered about half
a mile away from u hospital tent in
search of some herbs, of which l de-
sired TO make medicine, when a de-
tachment of Spanish infantry captured
me. The noise made by my struggle
to free myself aroused my IL compan-
ions, and they rushed tony assistance.
During the fight that followed my
friends were beaten and one of them
was killed.
After the conflict was over | was
bound and thrown on the ground and
beaten numerically. L was told if l
would confess where my comrades had
their dynamite stored, they would stop
beating me. This L declined to do, and
seeing that they could not force a con-
fession from me, they sent me to Ar
temesia prison, where was tried and
sentenced to be shot.
ut was at this juncture that my
knowledge stood me in good stead.
Two prominent Spanish generals, INT
a brigadier general, whose name L do
not care to mention, and Gen. ArolaS,
principally concerned themselves i'll
my release. They feared me because
they knew L had disclosures to make
which would ruin them. They knew
that l would tell what | knew. These
men are either base towards or
their desire to hold their positions
Overcame their scruples. They were
in constant communication with the
insurgents, having written letters to
them which L saw while in the Pinar
del Rio district, in which they stated
that they wanted to make arrange
ments by which Spanish soldiers would
not be attacked in the districts con-
troled by them. In return, the inSur-
gents were to nave free access to the
trOcha and be permitted to pass it at
will. This proposition was accepted,
and in this way we were able to keep
in constant communication with Co.
mez, MaceO and Garcia. We had about
5000 men under command of Gen.
Nunez, while the Spaniards had be-
tween 40, 900 to 50, 600, yet we were well
able to cope with them"
The friends of young Que sada were
surprised to learn hat he had secured
his release by giving away a secret
which betrayed the allies of the insur-
gents in the Spanish army. 1t was
this information and not Gen. BlancO's
friendship for the late Prof. Quesada
hat secured his pardon.