San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-06-28
Will THIS Be PERMITTED!
Must Americans Continue
To Suffer In Cuba
THROUGH THE BRUTALITY OF
WEYLER AND HIS GANG OF
SPANISH BUTCHERS?
Competitor Prisoners To Be Kept
In Prison Indefinitely And
Will Be Tried In Court
At The AuthOri-
ties Pleasure

New York, June pa dispatch to
the Journal and Advertiser from Ha-
vana, says:
Consul General Lee has finally been
officially notified that Ora Melton, the
American newspaper correspondent,
Capt Laborde and others belonging to
the captured American schooner, Com
petitor, and one or two Americans in
generated with them in the Cabanas
fortress, will be called for public trial
July Is. The hearing will go before
Civil Judges and judgment will be en-
tirely based on the declarations pre-
viously made within the walls of the
military prison and no evidence taken
by a government official or prosecut-
or, acting on behalf of the Spanish adj
miralty and War department. The
court will listen to no new testimony
alton already filed.
George Merriam, the only witness the
Competitor prisoners were permitted to
call in their behalf, was arrested i'm
mediately after his examination and is
still a prisoner. Consul General Lee
as yet has received no instructions
from Washington to employ counsel to
defend the prisoners. A Spanish mag
istrate said that the men would be
surely found guilty again and senten-
ced to death or long terms of impris-
onment, but he added: Their friends
need not fear their being executed or
deported. Our people are too diplo-
matte thus to force Americans. Were
the men shot, popular indignation in
the United States would compel McKin-
ley to act. On the other hand were
they declared innocent or pardoned,
Spanish sentiment might drive the
Judges and magistrates and minister
from the bench and office. But they
can be kept as prisoners indefinitely in
Cabanas, through judicial and diplo-
matte relations and tried as often as
diplomacy may require until the war is
ended and the passions of the two ma
lions have cooled. Then they may ex-
pect liberty, but not before"
The rebel generals, Rivera and Bac-
alloa will not be shot. Weller has
cablegram from the minister of war
Azcariaga to indefinitely suspend the
SClllSLSSos VI uNobh pSiiN
ing the close of hostilities" when their
pardon may be expected.
weyler himself has taken no steps
to stop the court martial and shooting
of other less important prisoners of
war during the last three days. At
Matanzas, Sagua, Santa Clara, Sancti
Spiritus, Cienfuegos and Pinar del Rio
dozens of executions occurred.
At Sagua, two Cuban girls, Rosa
Prieto and Josepha Borges, accused of
sending out clothes to their brothers
who were fighting under the insurgent
chief, Roban, were convicted of aiding
the rebellion and six months impris-
onment in the African penal colonies.
Leading Havana newspapers, COM
menting on Canovas' Cuban reform
bill, insist that according to its pro-
visions, the franchise will be extend
ed to loyal Spaniards only and will ex-
clude Cubans who bore arms against
Spain and those suspected of having
aided or abetted the present revolt, or
were ever known to have expressed
sympathy with it.