The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-11-23
COMPETITOR MENARRIVE
Enthusiastically Received by Their
New York Friends.
How QUEsADA ESCAPED DEATH.

betrayed Allies of the Insurgents In
Tho spanish Army-Captain Laborde
Denies tho Stories ofCruelty In Span
ish Prlsons-Melton'ss Surprise.
New York, Nov. 23.--The steamer Sar-
atoga, from Havana, having on board
the released members of the Competi-
tor filibustei ing expedition, arrived
here last evening. The men are Cap
tain Alfredo Laborde, William Gildea.
Ona Melton, William Leavitt and
Charles Barnett, all Englishman. The
men are IN fairly good health and oS-
Cellent spirits. Captain Laborde suffers
somewhat from paralysis, which he
contracted during his long confinement
in the Cabanas fortress Joseph A.
Springer, the United States vice consul
at Havana. was also passenger on the
Saratoga. Mr.. Springer declined to
talk for publication.
The released men wore clothes In
which they were clad at the time OF
their capture on April 25, 1896. at Ber-
racos, San Cayetano, Cuba.
Another happy passenger on the Sar-
atoga was Julio Arteago Y Quezada, the
young Cuban insurgent who was Or
dered to be shot by Weyler. but was
pardoned by General BlanCo, a friend
Of the prisoners father.
The six men who had escaped the
fate Of the Virginius captives were
greeted upon their arrival in New~York
by an enthusiastic crowd, who gave
them a hearty welcome. The poor
A.l ,lr t,,. -
the cheers which had been given in
their honor. Their friends cried for joy
as they grasped the hands of the re-
leased prisoners, whose eyes were sunk
en-, faces pallid and forms emaciated.
In telling the story of his release
young Quesada declared that it was
owing to information he possessed re-
gardinR two Spanish generals. After
detailing the manner of his capture and
his sentence to death he continued.
'It was at this junCture that my
knowledge stood me in good stead.
Two prominent Spanish generals, one
q brigadier general whose name l do
not care to mention, and General Aro-
las concerned themselves in my release.
They feared me because they knew ]
had disclosures to make which would
ruin them. They thought that IL ! had
to die would tell what knew. These
men are either base towards or desire
to hold their positions overcaine their
scruples.
"They were in constant communica-
tion with the insurgent generals, hay
ing written letters to them, which !
saw while in the Pinar del Rio district,
in which they stated that they wanted
to make arrangements by which Span
ish soldiers would not be attacked In
the districts controlled by them. In
return the insurgents were to have free
access to the trocha and be permitted
to pass it at viii This proposition was
accepted, and in this way we were able
to keep in constant communication
with Gomez Maceo and Garcia"
The friends of young Quasada were
surprised to learn that he had secured
his release by giving away secret
which betrayed the allies of the in
surgents in the Spanish army. 1t was
this information, and not General
Blanco's friendship for the late Profes
sor Quesada, that secured his pardon.
IIoDdDly tllc NlCiNlVu VI INV
Competitors crew was Ona Melton. the
newspaper correspondent, whose inten-
tan ils,saing to Cuba, was not to par
sticipate In the war, but to represent
the true situation in that country.
In describing his capture and subso-
quent treatment Melton said that when
the first shot was fired by the Spanish
gunboat he and two of his companions
lowered a small boat and tried 70 es-
cape. They were pursued and captured
short distance from the shore. On
board the gunboat they were cruelty
bound with ropes and were prodded
with sharp pointed sticks. which pune
tured their flesh. They We're after
wards thrown into cell and fed but
once a day. After the first six days
the prisoners were permitted to See
Consul Williams, and were fed twice
day, but Just the sort of the food 1t
was Melton is still unable to say. 1t
barely supported life. that was ALL
After the respite Melton said he and
his companions were placed In large
cell containing 40 other prisoners, both
political and criminal. in the Cabanas
fortress, and there he remained in
trembling and fear. Last Thursday
afternoon he was taken out of the dun
geon as he supposed to be shot. but in
the corridor ha met Consul General Lee,
who to Melton's surprise. Informed him
that all of the Competitor prisoners had
been pardoned
Captain Iaborde. speaking of his
prison life. said: The stories Of cruel
ties In the Spanish prisons are utterly
unfounded. | have been there long
enough to know. The jailers We're as
kind as could be expected, and Matteo
Fernandez, the warden of Cabanas, Waa
especially kind and considerate, 50
much so that we called him father
We knew more about what was going
on than you did. How did we learn?
Well, l can't tell that. rs it might hurt
those 7 have left behind. Yes. Ameri-
can gold went a great way